Your "Passion for Fashion" doesn't have to die. You can still "Crush It" with a Sustainable Wardrobe!

Posted by Delise Bynes on

Okay moms (and dads) this blog is for you!... Question? Do you follow fashion. Do you know what's trending right now (covered in a future blog). Wouldn't you love to be a real "Fashionista"!!! 

Good News! Sustainable Fashion is possible in today's Global Environment! You can still "Crush It" with a Sustainable Wardrobe! Here are some ways to make it happen.

Virtual Closet (VC)
Clothes to organize for your virtual closet - Bloom Moda
First things first. You need to know what you have!!!  The easiest way is to set up a virtual closet (" VC" and yes I have one). You can keep track of what you have and where it is (at home/ dry cleaners/repair shop) and know if it fits!!! Plus, you can set up a "Look Book" (I have a "Style File") where you can mix and match pieces (we'll cover this in a future blog post).

Note: You'll need to have a phone or tablet with a large memory capacity (you'll thank me later)!

Rent-To-Own
Got a Black-Tie event where you have to "Put on the Glitz"? Why buy when you can rent? Rent clothing and accessories, with the option to purchase items that are too good to send back.

Note: You must exercise "Sustainable Discipline". You can now keep a rotating closet and never grow bored with your clothing again.  But you must be consider utilizing other methods to keep your wardrobe in check!

Host or attend a Clothing Swap
To start off with great(!) and probably the most sustainable solution you can host or attend a Clothing Swap. Once you set up your VC because you are not only giving the pieces that get a new life, but also getting some new ones. The rest are donated to Charity = double the save from landfill (we'll cover this in a future blog).

NOTE: If you plan a private swapping event do a size check with the other participants, so you don't end up bringing all of your size 7 shoes when the rest of the "Spice Girls" wear size 9.  This is also something to note if you’re doing a kids clothing swap too!

Second Hand
Second Hand aka Thrift or Consignment is another super sustainable solution. Why because the pieces already exist, so you are saving the entire negative impact of production. This is the perfect opportunity to raid that "Fly" Auntie or G-Ma's closet. If the shoe fits...well...you know.

NOTE: The best way to go (If the "closet raid is not an option) is to buy high quality second hand or vintage pieces (if your budget allows it).

Slow Fashion
Slow Fashion means sticking with what you have for a long time, so this can get difficult to practice when your tastes change. Long time, so this can get difficult to practice when your tastes change.  This is also difficult to achieve with kids since they grow so quickly!  However, if you shop with us at Bloom Moda you can give back the clothes to us and we’ll give you a discount on future purchases.  We’ll make sure that the clothes are used until they cannot be used anymore!

NOTE: Quality is key here, take the time to really think about whether the pieces suit your style and you can see yourself wearing them for a long time. It's best to start with basics (Classic Pieces). When something breaks, check to see how you can apply the three "R's" (reuse/ re-purpose/ recycle) or get it repaired before you toss it ("Up-cycling... say what ?" in a future blog post).

Fair Fashion
Ensuring fair wages supports education and directly improves worker's quality of life. If everyone had a "living wage" we would see more happiness in the world = less conflict + more love & peace.  We'll post next week about the newest brand that we carry, Mini Rodini, and its fair fashion practices.

  • Certifications
    • Certifications can be misleading and mean different things than one might expect.  GOTS and Oeko Tex are trustworthy certifications. Want to know more? We'll cover certifications soon.
      NOTE: Many smaller brands cannot afford certifications, so if they are not there this isn't necessarily bad news. Look on their website to see what they say in their philosophy/codex/about page, check out their social media channels, and last of all ASK the brands about it. If you don't get an answer, it's probably a bad sign.
  • Vegan
    • Environmentally friendly because it reduces the negative environmental impact caused by animals.
    • You prevent animals from dying or suffering for your clothes.
    • Some brands will use plastic or other non biodegradable fibers as a replacement to animal based products. Unfortunately, these materials often end up in landfills after a short amount of time. This directly contributes to eco-pollution.
      NOTE: Look for innovative materials like pinatex, lenzing tencil, cork, seacell, mycoworks (mushroom skin) and brands that use recycled materials.
  • Buy Local
    • Minimize your carbon footprint (told you)! We discussed this in a previous blog. Garment transport puts out a huge amount of C02, which can be reduced by minimizing the distances during production.
  • Organic
    • Saves us from pesticides.
    • Is better for the health and land of the farmers, and also protects wildlife.
    • Even organic cotton needs huge amounts of water to be produced.
    • Can be misleading, to make us think it is good for our skin, but most organic cotton is dyed and treated with toxic chemicals.
    • NOTE: Organic is always better, however fabrics like tencil, lensing, and hemp offer comparable qualities and need less water for production.
  • Choose 100% Materials
    • Only apparel which is 100% can be recycled because there is no technology at the moment to separate blended fibers (mixed materials). This means turn away from pieces which are for example 80% cotton/wool/anything and 20% something else. Plus they help the body breathe.

Fashion is how You see the World... Style is how the World sees You! Style and Sustainability are possible. So you have no excuses left to create a "Sustainably Fabulous Fashion Style File". Let's Crush It"!

Celebrate being fashionable and sustainable with Bloom Moda

 


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