Tag: conscious consumer

Tips For Having A Sustainable Wardrobe

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Congratulations for wanting to start a sustainable wardrobe. The first thing you need to know is that it will take some time before you have a wardrobe that is 100% sustainable. But don’t be discouraged. You have taken already a good step. The following tips will help you to achieve a sustainable wardrobe:

  1. Start by unsubscribing from all the newsletters from fast fashion brands. They make it really good to make you feel that you need to buy the newest trends.
  2. Do a closet detox. Organize your closet by taking every single item out and place them on your bed or the floor. Take one by one the items back in the closet. Before you do it, ask yourself the following questions about each item:
    • Does it still fit?
    • Have I worn it in the last 12 months?
    • Would I wear it again?
    • Do I love the way it looks on me?

    If the answer to these questions is yes, then put the items back to your closet, if the answer is no, put them aside and start making two piles:
    To donate: If the clothes are too worn out or need to be fixed.
    To sell: If the clothes are still in a good state to give it a second round.

    A Closet detox will help you to clearly see what are the clothes that you have and like to wear. Make sure you keep only clothes that you actually wear.

  3. The next time that you need to buy something new, try first to go to a second-hand shop. Or to a vintage shop. When buying something new ask yourself questions before buying it like, ‘How often will I wear this?’
  4. If you can’t find what you are looking for in a second-hand shop, check if you can find it from a sustainable brand. (See my sustainable brand directory)
  5. Buy clothes that will last, and avoid any piece that looks like it’s going to pill or brake after a few washes. Check the stitching and material for quality issues.
  6. Take better care of your clothes. The way you treat your clothes has a bigger effect on the environment than their production. Wash your clothes if it’s really necessary. Taking better care of your clothes increases their lifespan.
  7. Let your clothes dry naturally. The drying machine wastes a lot of energy and money.
  8. Make your clothes live longer. When your favorite piece break, get it to the tailor and ask if the piece can be fixed. Many textiles can be recycled or reused, and clothing in good condition should be donated or go to someone else.
Sustainable wardrobe tips
Picture: Unsplash

With Love,

Alisson

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Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying New Clothes

alissonsimmonds1 Comment

Impulsive shopping. We all have been guilty of this. The marketing and social media worlds are really good for making us feel that we ‘need’ new clothes every week. We feel pressure to be on trend and with the fast fashion at its peak, it’s getting easy to buy a lot of clothes for little money. But these clothes end up in the closet, worn once and never again. The fashion industry is the second dirtiest in the world. This industry is responsible for big amounts of water consumption and CO2 emissions. The textile dyeing is a huge polluter of water due to the toxic chemicals that the production involves. Fashion is a complicated business involving long and varied supply chains of production, raw material, textile manufacture, clothing construction, shipping, retail, use and ultimate disposal of the garment

If you want to be more of a conscious fashion consumer, consider asking yourself these questions before buying anything new:

1. Can I find it second-hand?
Check your local second-hand stores and charity shops before you go to a fast fashion store. You might find just what you are looking for in a perfect condition.

2. Do I already have something similar in my closet?
If you already have something like this, there is no need to add it to your wardrobe.

3. Can I match it with my current wardrobe?
If you need more items to combine, consider if it’s really necessary. Buying something new should not mean that you need to buy a bunch of new things to go with it.

4. Will I wear it regularly?
I’m a big fan of Olivia Firth’s 30 Wears Campaign, which encourages people only to buy things you think you will wear at least 30 times. If you can’t see yourself wearing the item on a regular basis, rethink the purchase. The key is to look for clothes and shoes that blend into your wardrobe. This way, you’ll maximize your clothes and create a stylish and functional wardrobe.

5. Is the style one that will last?
Trends are very cruel. They make us believe we need them in our lives. But will that investment be on trend next spring? If not, skip it. Experience has shown us that these trendy pieces will end up a year later in the donate pile. Trends are manufactured by the fast fashion industry and change quickly.

6. What is this piece made of?
If the fabric is synthetic, rethink your purchase. If you really need that piece of clothes, try to look for a version with natural fabrics like cotton or hemp. Investing in higher-quality materials means a higher-quality experience wearing the garment and less guilt about its environmental toll.

7. Does it fit perfectly?
If you don’t feel comfortable right after you tried the piece on, there is a chance that you are not going to feel comfortable wearing that piece ever. If you are uncomfortable in the item or you don’t like it 100%, it’s not worth spending money on.

8. Do I really like it?
If after 10 minutes you are still debating whether you should buy an item it or not, it’s probably because you don’t really love, or need the item. The best is to leave it and walk away. When buying a new item, you should always be confident in your purchases.

Consider these questions next time you are going shopping. This way you will become more conscious of the purchases you make and won’t suffer from buyer’s remorse again.

With Love,

Alisson

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Second-hand Shopping in Amersfoort

alissonsimmonds4 Comments

The fashion industry is the second dirtiest industry in the world. When we think of pollution, it’s hard to imagine that our clothes can cause such a big damage. But the impact of the fashion industry on our planet is quite nasty. This industry is responsible for big amounts of water consumption (32 million olympic size swimming pools per year) and CO2 emissions (8% of global greenhouse emissions). Also, the textile dyeing is a huge polluter of water due to the toxic chemicals the production involves. Not to mention the number of tons of waste. Fashion is a complicated business involving long and varied supply chains of production, raw material, textile manufacture, clothing construction, shipping, retail, use and ultimate disposal of the garment.

But is there something we can do?

Yes! As conscious consumers, we can reduce the environmental cost of fashion. Choosing for sustainable brands instead of fast fashion ones, choosing for eco-friendly fabrics instead of synthetic ones and my favorite: choosing to buy second-hand! Second-hand shopping is more kind to the environment because the garment has already been produced. It gives the item a longer life and it prevents it from landing in landfills.

Second-hand shopping has become part of my lifestyle. Every time I need a ‘new’ piece of clothes, I first go to one of the shops I listed below. If I can’t find what I need, I look for a new piece from a sustainable brand. Here are my favorite second-hand shops in the city I live in: Amersfoort – The Netherlands.

Terre des Hommes winkel Amersfoort 
Address: Kamp 79
Charity second-hand shop. You can also donate clothes here.

Second Lifestyle Amersfoort
Address: Leusderweg 98
Second-hand shop. You can bring clothes to sell. It works with a 50/50 commision.

Emmaus Amersfoort
Address: Hendrik van Viandenstraat 4 & Havenweg 14-16
Charity second-hand shop. They have two shops. The one at Havenweg is the biggest. Go there with enough time. There is a lot of nice stuff, but you have to look well.

Vint Amersfoort
Address: Nijverheidsweg-Noord 74
Big warehouse with different vintage shops. You can find second-hand clothes in the shop of ‘Absolutely Everything’.

Kringloopcentrum Amersfoort
Address: Zwaaikom 21
Charity second-hand shop. This is one of my favorites. They restock the clothes section every day. The kringloopcentrum Amersfoort also has a pop-up shop in the center. It’s called ‘Pop-up winkel Oud Nieuw’. Every season they are in a different location. Check them on Facebook to be up to date about where they stand.

Women2day
Address: Brahmsstraat 8
Second-hand shop. Opens from Thursday to Saturday from 13:00 to 17:00

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Strolling around the city, wearing my all-second-hand outfit.

I hope you will give these shops a try. Do you know a second-hand shop in Amersfoort that is not on the list? Let me know in the comments below.

With Love,

Alisson

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