It takes time to build a comprehensive wardrobe that caters to your needs and reflects your personal style. Without overwhelming you with the large umbrella of sustainability and all the things you could or should do, start simple and small. Small changes eventually lead to big ones.

#1 Wear what you have

This is the most sustainable option. Go through your closet from time to time and see what you're not wearing and figure out why. Is there a way you can start integrating it into your normal rotation of things? Can you upcycle it? Sometimes the item just needs a small repair or alteration to make you fall in love with it all over again. If you decide it no longer serves you DO  NOT throw it in the trash. Recycle it properly or maybe even give it to a friend that would appreciate it.

#2 Organize your closet

Get all those clothes, shoes, scarves and accessories whipped into shape. When your closet and wardrobe is organized it allows you to clearly see what you have. When you can see it, then you will wear it. Hopefully it will also inspire you to try styling new items in your closet together too as you see them resting all nicely next to each other just waiting to be worn. 

#3 Host a clothes swap with friends

This is my favorite way to get new clothes! I invite my friends and tell them to bring their friends and we all bring our nice gently used clothing and accessories together and sort them into piles. Then we pop open some bottles of wine and have a try on fest. Take what you love and leave what doesn’t make the cut for anyone. I like to donate the leftover clothes directly to a home I know will use them.

#4 Stop washing your clothes (and stop using dryer sheets while you’re at it)

This might sound crazy but stop washing your clothes so often. Washing clothes is the most traumatic thing to happen to your sweet innocent articles of clothing. The more you wash them the more you break down the fibers, but for the love of god please wash your gross and sweaty work out clothes every time. Maybe just think twice about washing those jeans every time. Whatever you take off, give it a sniff and a spritz. I like to spray my gently worn clothes with a mix of cheap vodka alcohol to kill the icky yucky germs and then follow it with an essential oil lavender mix to give a fresh natural scent. Please don’t take this as an excuse to be stinky and gross, just double check if you really need to wash that T-shirt you just wore for a quick 2 hours.

#5 Stop shopping

Gasp! I know this one isn’t all together realistic, but if you do have the urge to shop try shopping second hand or with local boutiques and business. Or even better, hire me to help! If you do go shopping on your own make sure to shop with intention. Before you buy the item ask yourself if you can wear it at least 30 times. If you end up buying something, skip the bag and just carry your stuff out the door.

At the end of the day the most sustainable thing you can do is use what you already have. When you do shop, the most important thing is to become a more mindful consumer. You can do this by asking questions like where was this made? Who made this? What is it made out of?

As you begin to shop more consciously and intentionally you are more naturally going to create a sustainable life.

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