- A version of this article was first published on Ethical Unicorn.
There are many ways to make your approach to fashion, and your own closet, more sustainable. You can move towards more secondhand purchases such as thrifting or finding ethical vintage fashion. You can move away from buying with the trends and find longer-lasting, non-boring personal style instead, or try working towards changing your perspective on spending vs investment, looking at long term money saving (even if it’s more expensive up front) rather than just finding bargains. There really are a hundred different ways to get started, depending on the kind of person you are and what works for you.
All of these things are great, otherwise I wouldn’t have written about them, but they also require a little bit of time. Both to implement, and to fully form into new habits and skill that come as second nature, not a conscious decision you have to think about each time (I’d consider myself a real pro thrifter nowadays, but I definitely didn’t used to be, and I have more than one dumb purchase in my past to prove it). However I believer there is one small trick that anyone can apply immediately. One which can make your wardrobe more sustainable and more durable overnight.
wearing: shirt by ADAY, jeans by MUD jeans
Rotating your clothes
It sounds simple because, well, it is. But hear me out.
Rotating your clothes simply refers to how your organise the wardrobe you already have. No need to buy anything or throw anything away. Instead, whenever you wash something put it to the back (or bottom if you’re piling folded clothes) of your wardrobe, and make a conscious choice to pull clothes from the front next time you’re choosing an outfit. When those clothes then get washed, put them to the back. Over time, as you keep taking from the front, you’ll eventually end up back where you started, and you’ll have successfully rotated!
Whether you have a walk in closet or one small chest of drawers, this hack will still help for two reasons.
Keeping things interesting
In a similar way to how hiding winter/summer clothes away when it’s off season makes it more exciting when you get them out again the next year (because let’s be real, you always forget exactly just what you have), rotating through your clothes can make your whole wardrobe just feel a little more fresh. It’s a mini version of recreating that ‘new’ feeling that can come with seasonal clothes: providing chances to rediscover those forgotten, underloved pieces that may have gotten lost behind the regulars you’ve been over wearing, and making the favourites more exciting when you get to them after having time off from constant use. It helps democratise the love and appreciation for all the clothes you own, in different ways.
In terms of sustainability it also means that instead of constantly bouncing between three t-shirts you love to death you actually get full wear out of your pieces, which is better for the longevity of your wardrobe and your attitude to your clothes, whilst also getting the most value for money out of your purchases. Sometimes it might be a challenge to style what’s nearer the front, but it also opens you up to more creativity and exploration, with less chance of feeling your clothes are getting stale, when really it’s how you’re organising them that has been the problem.
Durability
Overwashing is one of the biggest contributors to your clothing’s carbon footprint. Not only does it use up water, heat, and energy, and leeches microplastics (in the case of synthetic blend clothes), it also makes your clothes lose shape, fade, and generally disintegrate faster. Rotating your clothes allow you to have more space between washes so all your clothes last longer. Unless you have sweated profusely, most of the time all you need to do is just air your piece out before folding and putting away. Do this a great number of times before washing–and of course, use your best judgment for whether something smells or looks dirty. If it’s not dirty to your eyes and nose, it’s probably good to wear again.
Would you try rotating your wardrobe?
Read more on Ethical Unicorn.
Also by Francesca: Is Your Chocolate Ethical? What You Need To Know About Your Fav Treat
Related: You Need To Check Out Rooney Mara’s New Sustainable Vegan Luxury Fashion Line
__
Photo: Francesca Willow
