Whenever talks about the future of sustainability in fashion are underway, there are rarely any concrete or feasible solutions provided for the negative impact this industry continues to have on the environment. This is also not helped by the uncertainty and lack of transparency regarding the statistics on just how big this impact actually is, with research and studies done on this topic constantly contradicting each other or simply not providing credible sources for their results.
Even with these things in mind, there’s no point in writing articles on solutions to problems created by multi-million dollar retail giants all over the world for them to be read by your average consumer who ultimately has no say in decisions that could create long-lasting global change. As cynical and hopeless as it may sound, there’s little you or I could do, on a micro-level, to minimise our carbon footprint that would not be immediately counteracted by millions of other less environmentally conscious corporations around the world. Still, there may be one solution to this seemingly overwhelming issue. And it requires the least amount of effort possible: not buying anymore.
Yes, it might sound like a non-solution or even outrageous for some shopaholics out there, but it’s literally the best thing we can do to minimise our impact on the environment, at least in regards to our spending habits. When a phrase like “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism” has become a meaningless cliché, what is a better strategy to solve this issue than simply reducing any consumption – ethical or not – to a minimum?
Of course, nobody is suggesting you put an immediate stop to shopping for bare necessities. The focus here should be on frivolous fashion-related purchases that, realistically speaking, you don’t really need in order to live your life comfortably. Look into your wardrobe right now and try to make a list of items you find there and how long it’s been since you last made use of them. Maybe that one sweater you bought on impulse two years ago has been collecting dust and attracting moths ever since. Or perhaps that pair of shoes you got as a Christmas gift that never fit you in the first place has been long forgotten in a box somewhere.
Take the time to make an inventory of all such items and KonMari your way into cutting that wardrobe volume in half – by donating it to a local community center or thrift store. Except, instead of keeping only the ones that truly “spark joy,” as Marie Kondo would say, consider those that are strictly necessary for your everyday life, based on weather requirements and the social situations they may call for. Having options when deciding on an outfit for whatever event is ideal, but try not to abuse the variety of options, because, as we all know very well, the decision might become so difficult that you will probably end up not leaving the house at all anymore.
After this process is done, give yourself a timeframe in which you vow to not enter a single clothing store. Decide on this based on how much of a shopaholic you already consider yourself to be. Maybe you have to start small – a one month benchmark – or maybe you feel prepared to go retail-therapy-free for three or even six months; whatever feels doable for you at first. Then, if you start to see that you’re already getting more and more use out of the items in your closet that you had previously forgotten about, without needing to upgrade them, consider extending that timeframe to a whole year. You will probably notice that you don’t really need to purchase all of those clothes and accessories that cater to the latest fashion trends. Especially considering that most said trends die out within a week nowadays.
It is however very likely that sooner or later you’re going to get bored of your current wardrobe, even before you need to get new additions to it because the season is changing or because of the inevitable wear and tear. This is the time to get creative. The Internet is full of DIY channels and blogs where you can find inspiration on how to get crafty and repurpose old items into new and even more stylish ones. The world is your oyster in this regard and you might find that getting the materials necessary to transform an old and tattered article of clothing is much cheaper and environmentally friendly than buying a new one altogether.
If any of these tips seem like too much effort for you, there is one last alternative. While reducing your spending frequency is still paramount, whenever you do need or want to renew your wardrobe, consider avoiding big fast fashion retailers and shopping from smaller or more environmentally conscious brands. A little bit of research on which of these brands are accessible or provide shipping to your area can go a very long way in preventing the ever-growing pile of fashionable landfill. And, if you consider this option too pricey for your wallet, thrift stores are the cheapest solution to recycling old clothes while still keeping up with the current trends.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to reduce our carbon footprint on an individual level, and the ones suggested here are just the beginning. It’s true that even if every single one of the almost 8 billion people on this Earth were to implement these changes to their lives right now, the impact that multinational corporations and giant fashion retailers inflict on our planet is always going to be one step ahead. But every major change starts with small steps, and if we let ourselves get discouraged by the vicious cycle of existential pessimism, that change will never come.
Author: Lorena Gabriela Lațcu
Bibliography:
@legalhorchata. Twitter Post. February 10, 2021. 3:35 AM. https://twitter.com/legalhorchata/status/1359314955690909699
Baldwin, Cory. 2017. “Ethical, Sustainable Brands You Can Really Trust.” Vox, August 22, 2017. https://www.vox.com/2017/8/22/16171338/ethical-sustainable-fashion-brands-where-to-buy-sustainable-clothes
KonMari. “About the KonMari Method – KonMari | The Official Website of Marie Kondo.” Accessed December 15, 2021. https://konmari.com/about-the-konmari-method/
Wicker, Alden. 2020. “Fashion has a misinformation problem. That’s bad for the environment.” Vox, January 31, 2020. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/1/27/21080107/fashion-environment-facts-statistics-impact
British Media Studies, Media Communication 2021/2022 
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