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Fashion Outfit of The Day Vintage

Sustainable Fashion – 10 Ways to Shop More Sustainably

May 21, 2019

I absolutely love clothes, ever since I left school all my jobs have been related to clothing and fashion in some way. Now a big part of my job is to write about fashion and take pics of me wearing clothes. With that love of clothes comes a certain degree of responsibility and that’s something I said I wanted to focus on more on the blog this year. I’m not perfect and I do buy new clothes on the high street occasionally as well as wearing lots of vintage and supporting sustainable fashion brands. But I have made a few changes in how I shop the high street.

Sustainable Fashion - 10 Ways to Shop More Sustainably | Vintage Frills

I put more thought into my purchases now and only buy things that I will still be wearing in the future, things that will last and will suit my style indefinitely. I love repeating my outfits and finding new ways to style what I have and as well as saving me a lot of money on unnecessary clothing purchases it also does a teeny bit to help the planet.

Sustainable Fashion - 10 Ways to Shop More Sustainably | Vintage Frills

Here are a few quick and easy ways to make your clothes shopping a little bit more sustainable.

Buy Vintage

This one is such an easy way to buy clothes more sustainably. Most vintage clothing comes under the umbrella of sustainable fashion. I love buying unique pieces for bargain prices and wearing them as much as I possibly can. There are lots of great places to pick up vintage clothing. Online Ebay, Etsy and Depop are great choices. Offline charity shops and car boot sales are my go-tos for vintage bargains.

Further Reading: How to build a vintage wardrobe on the cheap.

Use Charity Shops

I love shopping in charity shops. Not only do I get to buy something nice, I’m also donating to a good cause as well. You can find anything from brand new items to lovely vintage pieces. I absolutely love finding jewellery and accessories in charity shops to revamp outfits I already own.

Sustainable Fashion - 10 Ways to Shop More Sustainably | Vintage Frills

Shop the High Street Differently

Fast fashion doesn’t have to be so fast. For most people buying on the high street is still the most feasible option. This especially applies if you’re plus size. Most sustainable brands have very limited sizing and vintage pieces can be harder to find. It’s also true that there are some absolutely gorgeous pieces on the high street. My best advice would be to think carefully about pieces that fit well with what you already have and to use and rewear as much as possible. It’s also worth looking into which high street brands are making steps to be more sustainable and find out where their clothes are produced.

Support Sustainable Fashion Brands

This year I’ve discovered some fabulous sustainable fashion brands. I’ve recently reviewed dresses from People Tree and Nomads Clothing on the blog and I absolutely love the dresses I’ve tried. There are lots of amazing trailblazing brands out there, showing that fashion can be ethical. I’ll probably compile a list of some good ones on here soon.

Further Reading: Nomads tie dye dress review. People Tree review.

Wear Everything for Longer

The best way to embrace slower fashion is to do exactly that, slow down. Wear everything lots of times, buy classic pieces and shop less. Find a style that suits you, makes you happy and have fun with it. Buy pieces that make you feel happy and amazing and wear them to death. I’ve been known to wear stuff until it starts falling apart and I often have to make little repairs.

Look After Your Clothes

How you store and look after your clothes will make a big difference to how many wears you can get out of them. Read the washing instructions, line dry them rather than tumbling them and repair where necessary. Looking after your clothes will mean you can enjoy them for longer and not need to buy new things so often.

Further Reading: How to make your clothes last longer. How to clean a vintage dress.

Sustainable Fashion - 10 Ways to Shop More Sustainably | Vintage Frills

Swap with Friends

If you have a friend who wears the same size as you, why not share and swap clothes. That way you both get something new to wear and can part with something you might not want any more or have worn quite a few times. A great way to reduce your fashion footprint and you get something new for zero money! More bloggers should be thinking about doing this, as there is always that need to show your readers something fresh and we tend to own more clothing as a result.

Shop Sustainable Fashion Ranges

Lots of high street brands are now stocking organic and sustainable ranges. I adore the new sustainable range from H&M and want so many lovely pieces from the collection.

Look into Fair Trade

Sustainable fashion shouldn’t just be about the clothes themselves, but also being mindful of the people who make them. Buying fair trade ensures that workers and suppliers have been treated fairly and have a good quality of life, fair pay and safe working conditions. I love that many sustainable fashion brands talk about exactly where their garments are made, offering piece of mind to us as consumers.

Further Reading: A Organic Fair Trade Dress Review

Sustainable Fashion - 10 Ways to Shop More Sustainably | Vintage Frills

Buy Organic Cotton

Cotton has plenty of dirty secrets. It’s easy to presume that buying natural fibres is better for the environment, but in the case of cotton this is barely ever the case. 95% of cotton produced is genetically modified and sprayed with countless harmful pesticides, these can severely damage the environment. Cotton deserves a whole post of it’s own as it’s production is hugely problematic and it is used for so many things we own. where there is a choice to go organic, it’s so worth making the switch. it’s all about small steps and a few changes where possible. On the high street brands like Monki and H&M have organic cotton ranges.

Embracing more sustainable fashion choices doesn’t need to be daunting or scary, it also doesn’t have to be absolute. But I’m enjoying making a bit more effort to do better and do my little bit for the planet and the people behind the clothing we wear. I’m still learning and doing my best, so any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

The dress featured in this post is an original vintage piece which I purchased on eBay about 6 years ago. It’s always been one of my favourite vintage dresses and I love that I can wear it year after year. My bag is one from my collection of vintage Enid Collins bags, most of which were also bought on eBay.


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