Creating Sustainable Shopping Habits

This one’s for our fashion girlies who struggle with wanting to dress up in cute outfits while also wanting to save the planet.

We get it. No one wants to give up one for the other. And you shouldn’t have to, either!

Yes, we want to save the planet.. It’s the only one we got! But what’s wrong with also wanting to look cute while doing it?

Absolutely nothing, babes. But what is wrong is the extent to which the fashion industry has become one of Earth’s biggest killers. 

With new clothing trends coming out weekly (almost daily even!), the rate at which the fashion industry is polluting our planet has reached an all time high. More specifically, it’s the rate at which fast-fashion has spread like wildfire that is posing a threat to our only home. 

The fast-fashion industry is a design, manufacturing, and marketing method focused on rapidly producing high volumes of cheap clothing. Stores like SHEIN are notorious for having trendy items for ridiculously low prices, but at what cost?

This rapid turnaround leaves little to no time for quality control, fair labor laws, and sustainable practices in the making of these trendy clothing pieces. 

And the worst part is that this has been going on for YEARS now.  Zara, H&M, and Forever 21 (just to name a few) are infamous for essentially founding the fast-fashion industry we’re used to today. The same industry that wastes 11 MILLION TONS of clothing per year, in the US alone. 

But all hope is not lost! With sustainability becoming a more popular practice among our generation, many brands have stepped up to fight fast-fashion with the newest trend in the fashion industry (which we can all get behind): slow-fashion!

Slow-fashion offers an alternative approach to fast-fashion by implementing mindful manufacturing, fair labor laws, natural and sustainable sourced fabrics, and long lasting garments that can be worn time and time again. 

And while slow-fashion does cost a little bit more, it is a foot in the right direction. Here’s our list of 5 shopping habits you can adopt to help save Mother Earth without compromising your personal style and looks:

1.Cleanse your wardrobe

Cleaning out your closet and only keeping the items you like, feel confident in, and can see yourself wearing in that moment will help you get rid of all that clutter and also have a look at which pieces of clothing you’re actually making use of.

This will make it easier for you to get dressed in the mornings since you won’t find yourself sifting through piles of clothes or simply overwhelmed by how much is in front of you. 

2.Explore your personal style

The biggest reason why fast-fashion has taken over the fashion industry is due to people dressing to follow trends instead of exploring their personal style. 

The problem with trends is that you often end up buying clothes just to fit in or keep up with what all the insta baddies are wearing. 

But what happens is that these pieces end up taking up space in your wardrobe, filling it with clutter, never to be worn again. Trust me, I’ve been there. 

I used to go into my closet, see all this clothing, and yet never have anything to wear because my closet was filled with trendy clothing that had run their course instead of clothing I actually like.

Cleansing your closet and only keeping items you can see yourself wearing at that very moment will help give you a blank slate to add clothing that fit your personal style to your wardrobe- and that you’ll actually wear.

3.Create a capsule wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe is essentially a ~limited~ selection of timeless clothing that you can continuously mix and match with to create a variety of different looks. 

If you have trouble deciding what to wear in the morning, a capsule wardrobe is of great help. 

And no, it doesn’t mean you have to wear the same things over and over for the rest of your life! You can update your capsule wardrobe every season by switching out your statement pieces and storing away the ones you won’t be needing for a while. 

The key to building a capsule wardrobe is to look for functional, versatile, and timeless pieces that make you feel and look good, no matter what all these insta baddies are getting paid to promote. 

We have a more detailed article on what a capsule wardrobe is and how to build one here. 

4.Choose quality over quantity

While shopping at stores such as SHEIN can be very tempting due to the low prices and high variety of options, the real cost is not worth it. 

What happens is you end up with a mountain of clothing that’s not made to last. This leaves you in an endless cycle of ordering more and more clothes to replace the ones you wore once, maybe twice before they were no longer usable. 

Investing in high quality clothing makes it so that you end up with clothing you can wear time and time again without losing their essence. 

And sure, maybe you won’t have as much clothing as you would have if you bulk ordered from fast-fashion stores, but what you will have is high quality clothing that always look good and put-together no matter how many times you style them!

Remember, it’s not the clothing that make an outfit, it’s how you choose to style them!

5.Shop local

The reason why fashion brands move their production and manufacturing overseas is because third-world countries don’t have the same human and environmental laws and regulations that more developed countries such as the US have. This allows brands to cut back on costs, which is why local brands tend to be a little pricier. 

Shopping locally makes it so that you support fair labor practices, human rights, the use of sustainable and safe materials, and local family businesses! 

Sustainability is on our mind with every new collection we design and launch, and making clothing that feels good and that lasts is our utmost priority. From basics to statement pieces, RAREFIT™ has got you covered.