Sustainable Saturdays: Work with What You've Got

Part of sustainability means thinking twice before you throw items away. Sometimes we decide a clothing item can be trashed because there's a rip, hole or stain on it but here are 5 ways you can try and salvage that item instead of tossing it:

 

1. Learn a few simple sewing techniques to help you repair or alter items easily. Youtube is incredibly helpful for whatever you need.

2. OR Bring them to a tailor or even certain dry cleaners. Get those pants hemmed, get that sleeve fixed and make the garment something you will be excited to wear!

3. For knit items (especially socks) you can darn the holes that appear over time. Bea Johnson has an easy "How-To" on her website.

4. Sometimes stains are what keeps us from wearing our favorite item but Bea has some tips for that too: "Savon de Marseille, dishwasher detergent, chalk, lemon or vinegar work great on stains." ALSO don't forget that as gross as this may seem, your spit can get out a stain of your own blood, and white wine will get out red wine stains!

5. DIY! Start simple by cropping an old t-shirt, go with the ever-popular denim cut-offs, or patch up those unwanted holes in your beloved pair of jeans. There's an insane amount of DIY projects to peruse on the internet so I highly recommend taking the time to find DIY blogs or websites that capture your personal style! This will take some research but the findings are pretty amazing.

Picture taken from oncearound.com, my mother's craft store. Check it out for more DIY inspiration!

Picture taken from oncearound.com, my mother's craft store. Check it out for more DIY inspiration!

These are tips to start you thinking about saving some clothing items but if all of this fails there are some great ways to give away those items you no longer want. More on that next week so stay tuned or subscribe below to make sure you never miss a post!

Sustainable Saturdays: Shopping Wisely

Our modern society has become so accustomed to consuming constantly. New content is shoved down our throats every minute and it becomes addicting. It's easy to get caught up in it (I know I have) but is unhealthy. We are continuously consuming and never taking a breath. Climate change is a concrete example of how our consumption has spun out of control, it’s our world screaming “SLOW DOWN!” As much as change is hard, we have to listen. It’s difficult to imagine going from a life of Postmates or Amazon Prime to DIY (as more than just a hobby) but I think we can do it! It takes more time but it’s worth it. Here are some tips on how to try to be a more conscious consumer, think of this as your starter kit:

1. Buy less often! Fashion brands have created mini seasons within seasons and fast fashion is turning out new product practically every week. Think before you buy: How many times will you actually wear something? How long will it last?

2. Buy from sustainable/ethical clothing companies! I will be diving deeper into some of my favorites in the weeks to come but for now you can find complete lists on The True Cost's website or Sustainably Chic's. 

3. Shop at vintage or consignment stores, swap meets, flea markets etc! Start with some thrifting tips from Refinery29 or explore their website for the best vintage/thrift shops in your city.

4. BYOB: Bring Your Own Bag! I recently went consignment shopping on a trip and was kicking myself because I forgot my reusable bags. This is something you have to remind yourself about but will really pay off (it's slightly cheaper too!)

5. If you are going to buy from brands that don't have strict sustainable practices then find out which popular brands are best to consider or avoid on the Detox List by Greenpeace.

 

Again, this is just the tip of the iceberg and I'm so excited to continue to talk about this on my blog! If you have any questions, suggestions or comments feel free to send me an email.