While Global Garbs is committed to highlighting sustainable brands, the term “sustainable” is oftentimes thrown around in a rather irresponsible way. In the last five years or so, the term has become ubiquitous with all brands, and not all are sustainable.

Doing our homework and also thinking about what sustainable fashion actually means on a deeper level can help us to navigate this confusing industry in a way that just becomes a bit more practical.

With that said, there are some key tips you can always turn back to when it comes to shopping and thinking about sustainable fashion in terms of a LIFESTYLE and not just purchasing the latest sustainable brand.

Here are ten tips to shop more sustainably without buying new clothing.

Buy Less And Buy Better

We all know that buying less is the sustainable choice. However, most of us are guilty of buying more than we need. When faced with a choice between buying four shirts and buying one shirt, we tend to go for four shirts - especially if they’re on sale.

We end up buying more than we need because we don’t want to miss a good deal, or the savings are too good to pass. But we need to start buying only what we need and what we can see ourselves wearing for years and even decades to come.

When you shop for clothes, simply buy things in season or practice sustainable fashion. This way, you buy fewer clothes but quality ones that would last you longer.

2. Shop Secondhand And Vintage

Buying second hand clothes is another great way to be more responsible with your shopping. Oftentimes a used item can be practically new, but for a fraction of the price. You can find used clothing at garage sales, thrift shops, and flea markets.

Or even better, shop at vintage stores. Vintage stores (although not as budget-friendly depending on where you shop) can be great resources for secondhand clothing that is usually more curated and edited to not only save you time, but the quality is usually much better.

Vintage store buyers are usually very well aware of brands, quality, and even trends, so shopping vintage is always a win.

3. Try Renting

Renting is another sustainable choice, especially if you don’t want to buy new clothing especially when it comes to special occassions. Although renting has had it’s fair share of critical opinions on whether or not it’s more sustainable, it’s a tough call according to this ReMake Our World article. But when it comes to thinking about what’s best for your own personal sustainable habits - renting (in our opinion) is hands down that best choice for outfits you only plan on wearing a few times.

4. Understand Your Materials

Sustainable fashion is a movement that aims to reduce the environmental cost of fashion. That means using materials that can be recycled, reducing water usage, using sustainable fibers, and more. Choosing to buy from a brand that uses sustainable materials is a no brainer.

When buying clothes, always ask questions. Brands don’t always disclose their materials, so it’s essential to know exactly what you’re buying. You want everything as ethical and sustainable as possible, from your shirts to your period underwear.

You can also buy clothes made from ethically-bred plants and animals.Also just because it’s organic doesn't mean it’s healthier or safer for the environment. Many brands use this almost as a way to greenwash consumers to avoid ethical practices among their workers and labor rights.

5. Know Who Is Making Your Clothes

If you follow the sustainable fashion movement, you know that most sustainable brands use fair-trade materials. This means that the factory where the clothing was made paid their workers fairly. It also means the workers had no forced or child labor, and the factory used safe working conditions.

When buying your clothes, make sure they’re from fair trade brands that use sustainable materials. Buy from ethical brands to help reduce the environmental impact of the apparel industry.

6. Invest In Sustainable Brands

Sustainable brands use sustainable materials, pay fair wages, and take care of their workers. They care about the environment and the planet, and they want their customers to be responsible consumers.

Sustainable brands not only care about their products but also about their customers. They want you to love your clothes and be proud of what you wear. They also want you to love your purchases, so they’re happy to hear you’re satisfied with your purchases.

7. Be Careful When It Comes To Vegan Fashion

Vegan fashion is a trend that’s growing by the day. We love vegan shoes, vegan clothes, vegan fashion accessories, and more. However, it can be hard to know which brands are made ethically and sustainably.

When buying vegan fashion, make sure the brand discloses what types of materials they use. For instance, faux fur is vegan, but some faux fur also uses petroleum-based materials, which is not sustainable.

8. Watch Out For Harmful Chemicals

When buying clothes, make sure they’re free from harmful chemicals, such as lead, mercury, and phthalates. These harmful chemicals are dangerous to your health.

Be careful when buying clothes made from microfibers, polyester, rayon, and other synthetic clothes. These items are made from unsustainable materials, and they release harmful pollutants into the environment and our bodies.

9. Take Care Of Your Clothes

Think of your clothing as living beings. Yes this may sound slightly crazy, but hear me out. If we treated our clothing the way we do - say our plants, they would probably have a much longer lifespan.

Start by only washing in cold water. This not only saves energy but is easier on your garments. You should also hang dry as many garments as possible (maybe not underwear or socks obviously), but the majority of your clothing can and should be hung to dry. This also saves on energy from less usage of the dryer

Finally, you should try to not wash your clothes as often as you think you need to wash them. If you’re just home for the day and you haven't really gone anywhere, sat anywhere in public or gotten them dirty it’s definitely not necessary to wash after being worn.

10. Giving Clothes A Second Life

Instead of throwing your clothes away, donating or selling them on sites like Poshmark or Depop are better ways to give clothing a second life. What’s the phrase? One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

Donating to a local charity, thrift store, or even friends or family is a great way to pass them down to others who may wear them again for years.

Shopping sustainably means shopping wisely and making better decisions.

At the end of the day, sustainable fashion isn’t as complicated as we think it is. If we buy less and take time to think about our purchases we will automatically reduce the amount of clothing we buy each year.

It’s when we start to shift our mentality and way of thinking that the term “sustainable fashion” can truly become a reality and not some claim that a brand gives us.

10 Way To Shop More Sustainably (without buying new clothes)

Buy Less And Buy Better