A Guide to Shopping Sustainably
Choosing between buying sustainable clothing and fast fashion is no easy task – we’ve all been there. The prices of most pieces from sustainable stores are absurd ($40 for a plain white t-shirt?!), meanwhile places like Shein use cheap fabrics and contribute to the ever-climbing rates of carbon emissions. It’s hard to know when to invest in expensive items, but more environmentally-conscious items, and when to buy affordable clothes (albeit maybe lesser quality). So, to make your life even just a tad bit easier, here is A Guide to Shopping Sustainably:
1 - Change Your Mindset
The first and arguably most important step is to shift your frame of thinking. It’s vital that you understand that shopping sustainably isn’t going to be the same as shopping on sites like Shein or AliExpress. Prices are, inevitably, going to be higher, and options are going to be limited. Most likely, there won’t be items that are in peak fashion, nor will there be a wide assortment of color choices. That being said, this doesn’t mean that shopping sustainably can’t be a fun time. The most important thing is to stay patient and trust the process.
2 - Check out Good On You !
Good On You is an incredible resource you can use to remain educated on what brands are sustainable. Simply enter your desired brand name into the search queue and voila! You now have a full page of information on the actions your favorite brand is taking toward combating environmental issues. And what’s more than that, is it’s so easy to discover new brands on this website. The site is filled to the brim with brands - both popular and lesser known - and rates each one on a 1-5 scale of “We avoid” to “Great”.
3 - Buy Second-hand
The truth is, sustainability is a privilege. Not all people have the means to purchase high quality and environmentally-friendly clothes, and while I hope that one day, we’ll be at a place where everyone is able to afford these items, it’s important to recognize that we’re just not there yet. And so, in the meantime, buying clothing from second-hand sellers is a great alternative! Platforms like Thredup and Depop make it so simple to purchase trendy and fashion-forward items from name brands. These brands may not necessarily be super sustainable, but because it’s secondhand, it’s okay. Buying items that have previously been owned only adds to our wardrobes – it doesn’t add to the increasing amount of resources used in manufacturing.
I know what it’s like to constantly feel as though you’re walking on eggshells when it comes to sustainability because as we’ve seen, it’s not a cheap process. However, I do think that we should all work toward being as waste-free as we can – whether that be decreasing our consumerism or being more conscious and mindful when purchasing items. I hope these tips have given you a fresh perspective on sustainability and have inspired you to test the waters of sustainable living.
