There are very few people that haven’t made a few fashion faux pas in the form of buying cheap clothing, enjoying fast fashion brands or enjoying a silk scarf from unknown sources… with very fine beadwork “hand made.” You’re not alone, the reason fast fashion is so popular is that it is affordable for the masses, always on trend and when you’re done with it, you can throw it out – because it was SO cheap. And so the cycle of clothing goes on. But, you can use your dollars to make a difference. You aren’t likely to never buy anything ever again, but you can change what you buy, how often you buy and how you dispose of things.

Learning to fix small wear and tear

T-shirts, jumpers, socks, underwear, and trousers are all pretty easy to fix. If you are terrible at it, use youtube to research how to do specific stitches. You will save the things that you aren’t ready to say goodbye to, and save money on replacing them. If its shoes, you can give them to a shoemaker to have them look good as new too.

Stop buying

For fashion lovers, this can be a little bit difficult. Staying on trend isn’t always that easy, but in this case, it will be totally worth it. Stop buying from your regular stores for a little while. When you finally do purchase anything get it from a second-hand store, or from a smaller business. You can still have a killer wardrobe that comes from sustainable sources, just take a little break to take stock of what you already have.

Research new fabrics

There are some brilliant fabrics available at the moment. Modal fibers are known for being exquisitely soft and pleasant to the skin, hemp has a long-standing history of being eco-friendly too. Soya materials, leather made from coconuts, lyocell and even SeaCell. They tend to be much kinder to the environment, have recycled materials in them and cruelty-free.

Consider selling or donating items

Giving clothing a second life will stop it hitting that big pile of clothing that appears in landfills every day. If you want to make a little bit of cash, you can sell them on DePop, eBay or even at a car boot sale.

Buy less clothing, and buy less often

That is something that the slow fashion movement hold close to their heart. Once upon a time, it was simply about not buying anything that is mass produced, But, it has moved on and now can practice slow fashion by investing in trend-free higher quality items that will last longer.

Give what you have a makeover

Got a pair of workhorse jeans that are beyond help? Think about giving them extra rips and distress or cutting them into shorts.

Changing what you know about the clothes you wear will allow you to make better decisions going forward, and that is a great thing. Knowledge is power and in this case does the world of good.