Tips on building a sustainable wardrobe

By Ivan Chen

Building a sustainable wardrobe may seem like a daunting task, but it will have lasting benefits to your personal health and the environment. (Credit: congerdesign/Pixabay)

​Clothes are an essential aspect of our day-to-day lives. However, the environmental impact of the clothing industry is sometimes overlooked. Driven in part by demand for affordable and trendy clothing, the industry churns out seemingly endless garments — at significant environmental costs. 

Billions of garments are made annually, consuming massive amounts of resources while also polluting the environment. In Canada alone, nearly 500 million kilograms of textiles are thrown away each year. 

Our current approach to clothing isn’t sustainable, but we can take steps to minimize our impact.

1. Curate your style

An important step towards building a sustainable wardrobe is to curate your personal style. Knowing what you like to wear gives you a clear understanding of what to purchase. 

When shopping, every item you see shouldn’t appeal to you. Otherwise, you might end up with a closet full of clothes that may not pair well together, making getting dressed harder. This could also lead you to want to buy more clothes to fill perceived gaps. 

When figuring out your style, some questions to consider include:

• What clothes do I need for my occupation, hobbies or other daily activities?
• What colours do I like to wear?
• Are there themes or styles I like, such as athleisure or preppy?

Personal style takes time to develop — it’s a lifelong journey. Our bodies and interests inevitably change, and that’s natural. But finding your preferences can help maximize clothing wear and avoid careless purchases. This reduces the number of regretfully purchased clothes that might enter the landfill, and overall demand for clothing. 

2. Identify quality clothing

Identifying high-quality clothing takes practice, but it helps you buy less and wear items longer. There are many indicators, but consider the following:

• Pattern alignment: How well do patterns, prints or graphics line up throughout the garment? Are they symmetrical and cohesive?
• Stitch count: Count the number of stitches per inch on areas of a garment like cuffs and collars. It depends on the type of garment, but 10-15 stitches per inch suggests greater reinforcement and durability.
• Material use: What materials were used to manufacture this garment? Natural and synthetic fibres have their benefits and downsides, but natural materials like cotton, linen and wool are generally better for the environment and your health compared to synthetics like polyester, acrylic and nylon. 
• Transparency: How open are companies and manufacturers about how, where and by whom their clothes are made?

Keep in mind that clothes and their manufacturing processes are not all the same. Certain elements within different clothes may be intentional and for a specific purpose. For instance, many rain jackets are made of synthetic materials, as they’re typically more water-repellent than natural fibres. Nonetheless, these tips can help you decide whether to purchase a garment.

3. Shop secondhand

Thrifting reduces your wardrobe’s environmental impact by lowering demand for new clothing. Toronto is a city full of unique thrift stores, like Yonge Street Mission’s Double Take on Gerrard Street East. 
Alternatively, consider doing clothes swaps with friends or family, or even creating a community swap. 

Thrifting and swaps support a circular economy, giving clothes a second life and keeping them out of landfills.

4. Limit shopping influences

Consumerism constantly encourages us through social media, influencers or newsletters to buy more clothes. But the reality is that we don’t need most of the clothes being marketed to us. Unsubscribe from these influences. If tempted, give yourself some time to critically analyze the item before purchasing it. 

These actions help prevent impulsive, regretful purchases.

5. Care for your clothes 
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Lastly, here are clothing maintenance tips:

• Air-dry your clothes: It saves energy and prolongs garment life. The lint in the traps is pulled directly from your clothes, gradually breaking them down.
• Wash on cold and delicate: For frequently worn, go-out clothes, using cold water and the delicate cycle can extend a garment’s lifespan.
• Clean with vodka: Some garments and accessories are trickier to clean. Skip the dry cleaner, which often uses harsh chemicals, and consider using regular vodka in a spray bottle to freshen up garments. While it won’t remove dust or stains, its high alcohol content kills bacteria and eliminates smells as it dries.
• Learn to sew: It’s not the easiest craft to learn, but it’s a practical way to extend a garment’s life. If you’re worried about your sewing skills, embrace the idea of visible mending, where your repairs are intentionally visible. Jamii is a local not-for-profit arts organization that offers occasional sewing lessons and workshops.

Being more intentional with how we buy, maintain and value our clothes helps build more stylish and sustainable wardrobes.

Edited by Jess Blackwell, Lumida Creative Services