The rise of slow fashion created a generation of highly conscious individuals eager for a change and ready to fight the pollution plaguing the earth. Ethical consumption doesn’t stop with food and energy; it also concerns the garments you adorn every day. You would like to be more ethically responsible but don’t know where to start? Your wardrobe is the perfect place. Here we have rounded up ten tips to help you build a more sustainable wardrobe.

1. Give your clothes a second life

Got some outfits that you are not wearing? Rather than letting them sleep in your closet, grab your smartphone and use an app to sell them. Many of them have popped up over the years, and it is daunting to choose one, but you can start on popular platforms such as Depop, Vinted, or eBay. They are safe and regulated. Or if you are not that tech-savvy, you can also sell them to your local vintage store or second-hand shop. This way, you can freshen up your wardrobe and sustainably dispose of them by giving them a second life. What’s more? You are getting bucks for that!

2. Invest in timeless pieces

This is undoubtedly one of the most sustainable approaches on the list. As stated in their name, when it comes to timeless pieces, they are never out of fashion. These pieces become more iconic as time passes, and you get to use them in different styles and marry them with new trends over the years. Perfect examples of such a phenomenon would be the Hèrmes Kelly bag, a Chanel tweed jacket, or Christian Dior pumps.

3. Do not buy for one occasion

We all have done that, buying a specific outfit for a particular occasion and then burying them in our wardrobe, never to let them see the light again. Ahem, New Year dress, yes, I am talking to you! While it is great to have unique pieces, it shouldn’t be at the expense of ethical practices. So keep in mind before buying that sequin dress that it could be wear for different occasions. And what if people see you in the same dress twice? You are doing that for a more significant cause.

4. Not sure that you can do that? Renting is your new friend.

So ok, you don’t want to be seen twice in that sequin dress, or you are just not willing to extract a certain amount of money for something you will use for a specific occasion. Understable. The solution here is renting. Indeed, many websites such as Hurr Collective, Rent the Runway, Style Lend, or By Rotation are marketplace used to borrow pieces from someone’s wardrobe. Now you have that designer dress or particular pair of shoes for an event, and this for only a tiny portion of the price you would have to pay would you go to the shop. In parallel with saving the planet, you are saving your wallet from unnecessary splurges.

5. Avoid fast fashion

Fast fashion is known to amplify the pollution and waste problem that the ecology faces today (See: the article about how fast fashion impacts our planet). Fast fashion is spreading thanks to social media, promoting new styles every week. Boosted by that high demand, shops with cheaply made clothes emerge left and right, saturating the market and our resources for the matter. As hard as it is to stop buying fast fashion pieces altogether, you can reduce fast-fashion retailers’ waste by buying second-hand, going to a thrift shop, or, as stated above, going to a renting shop.

6. Use your hands

We all have seen those videos of someone transforming a plain white shirt into a literal piece of art. If you are manual, you can use your fingers and a sewing machine to transform your unused garments into something new and vibrant. For example, old jeans can become cute short for summer, or a lengthy dress can become a top and skirt combo!

7. Give a try to sustainable brands

Sustainable brands are brands producing garments with ethical and sustainable practices. The rise of slow fashion is due to the amount of waste we make with clothes. They use recyclable textile, farmers, and employees from the fair trade and produce their clothes responsibly while limiting their ecological impact.

8. Take care of your clothes

It might seem evident that looking after your clothes might lead them to last longer and wear them over the years, but some of us are not that attentive and tend to discard our clothes when they are no longer as vibrant as the first day we acquired them. Few hacks can be used, such as washing them less, reducing detergent, or even placing mothballs and discs to fight against moth. In that way, they will live longer than ever.

9. Quality over quantity

A study from Greenpeace states that the population is only wearing 20% of their clothes. Mindless shopping has become quite widespread, and we are striving to acquire more rather than acquiring quality. The result is many of our clothes sleep in the closet. Some of them have never seen the light of the day. A way to counter this is to seek quality-made garments that will last longer. It’s better to have a few quality pieces than a ton of cheap-made clothes that will tarnish after a few wear.

10. Swipe with your friends

Have friends or siblings whose style you like? Then, the last tip would be to borrow from their wardrobes. You can even exchange pieces and refresh your wardrobe with new outfits, so both of you can contribute to having a more sustainable wardrobe.

Do not be hard on yourself; start with some tips and slowly create your sustainable wardrobe. With time you will be able to improve your shopping behavior while providing a better future for our planet.