Hey, Green Junkie!
Did you know that purchasing fast fashion items directly contributes to the global polluting machine that is to blame for 8% of the world’s carbon emissions?
Crazy, right?
Many of us have shopping addictions thanks to the ease of shopping apps, boredom and all the social media influencer accounts. It’s easy to want to buy a new outfit for every occasion and for us to get bored with what we have.
I've been there, I get it.
It can be so difficult to establish new patterns when it comes to our shopping habits because we are inundated with ads and beautiful photos and messaging all the time. So that’s why in today’s episode I am giving you a few tips on how to easily be more conscious of where your money is going when it comes to your closet.
Here’s what to expect:
Shop your closet – how to shop what you already have.
Repair or replace? How to know which to choose.
Creative way to save money by borrowing or renting
A good strategy for buying new clothes
How to snag new clothes for free
How you can purchase sustainably
You’ll discover that and so much more in this episode.
By the end of this episode, Green Junkie, you’ll be able to feel more confident in your shopping habits and feel so much better in the clothes you are putting on your body.
If you love this podcast be sure to leave a review and share a screenshot of this episode to your IG stories. Tag @greenjunkiepodcast so I can shout you out and publicly say thanks.
Thanks for listening and being here.
Your green bestie,
Xoxo Stephanie
Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Episode #18: The Importance of Connecting with Our Earth
Episode #20 6 Ways to Detox Your Home
Episode #21: 8 Ways to Create a Low Waste Lunch
Sources
Shop Your Closet Challenge: How To Wear Everything In Your Wardrobe
The 5 R's of Fashion: Reduce, Rewear, Recycle, Repair, Resell
https://www.treehugger.com/best-clothing-rental-services-5075807
Snag 1 on 1 Green and Sustainable Coaching with me
Follow me on Instagram
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Come join the Green Junkie Facebook Group
Become a Green Junkie Insider and gain access to bonus content
LISTEN BELOW
TRANSCRIPT FOR EPISODE 22
0:08
Hi, Green Junkie. I'm your host Stephanie Moram and today we're talking about how fast fashion contributes to climate change and other environmental issues. Did you know that purchasing fast fashion items directly contributes to the global polluting machine that is to blame for 8% of the world's carbon emissions? Fast, ridiculously low prices, and sometimes dropping entire new clothing collections as often as every two weeks. The low prices of the garments come at a huge cost to the workers make the clothing as well as the environment. Suddenly, that $15 dress you will probably wear once no longer sounds so appealing, does it?
0:51
Today, we're going to talk about how you can update your wardrobe and remain in style, knowing that the true price of your clothing is not going to be at the expense of the planet for people. Before we dive in, make sure you're subscribed to the green junkie podcast on whatever platform you're listening. Now let's normalize swapping, renting, furrowing, repairing and thrifting instead of buying, let's get into it.
1:20
Shop your closet. It's an easy step towards rejecting fast fashion. Wear what you already have sitting in your closet before buying something new. Maybe you feel paralyzed with indecision when you get dressed in the morning, because you feel like you have nothing to wear. When that couldn't be further from the truth. Mix and match your clothing to bring new life to them. Have an old dress in your closet? Pull a chunky sweater over add some leggings and boots and you have yourself a warm winter outfit with some flair. Consider starting a 30 day Shop Your Closet challenge where you learn how to wear everything in your closet or wardrobe for one month straight. And after that time you stop buying new clothing. It's possible to put together a fun new outfit with stuff from your closet if you try. And once you do it, you'll be shopping your own closet. After you start shopping your closet, you'll be surprised at how many items are hiding in the back of your closet. And chances are you've forgotten about those items. Sometimes when you're forced to use what you already have, it can help you rediscover clothing, and in turn get more mileage out of your wardrobe.
2:34
Have you thought about repairing that hole in your favorite t shirt? So here we are. Number two, repair your clothing. Repairing our clothing is important. But how important is it? Lengthening the life of our clothing from one to two years decreases their carbon footprint by 24%. If you have something with tears or rips, you can easily mend it. And if an item is thoroughly damaged, there is a solution if you can't repair your clothing, use old T shirts and other worn items as rags, makeup remover wipes, reusable gift wrapping, pillowcases, tote bags and so much more. We have lots of snow here in Montreal and my son snowboards and plays outside a lot. And I can tell you that he gets holes in his snow pants. Instead of rushing out to buy a new pair of snow pants when the only issue with them was that he had a hole in them (and since I can't so very well) I sent them to a local seamstress and she put these huge patches on them. And it looks like they're actually part of the snow pads. They look amazing. And I'm also supporting the local economy. So before you throw something in the trash, think “Can I repair this item? Is there still life for this item?”
3:55
Number three, borrow clothing from family members or a friend, especially if it's something you don't think you're going to wear very often or you're probably only going to wear once. Ask a friend for items and you might find inspiration in their closet. So not only should you shop your closet, but perhaps maybe shop your friends closet, and this way you'll avoid filling up your closet with unnecessary items. A good tip when deciding what new clothing you should actually buy – Keep your eye on the prize and only buy things that you actually need. You don't want to end up with another pile of unwanted never worn clothes that will have to be recycled or donated down the road.
4:38
Number four. Have you thought about renting your clothing? This is a great option if you're looking for gowns or fancy dresses for special occasions like weddings that you might only wear that item once. Since people are buying more clothing than ever before, and keeping them for shorter periods of time than in the past – clothing rental service are everywhere. Resources can help reduce this waste by letting you rent clothing instead of buying it. That way, when you're ready for your next outfit, all you have to do is send back what you have and wait for a shipment of clothing in return. Not only does renting clothing provide you with an ever revolving wardrobe, it also reduces the amount of clothing sent to landfills every year. Renting your clothing offers tons of options to choose from ranging to affordable everyday looks to workout clothes to luxury items and accessories. You can do your research and find the best rental service for you, based on where you live. There's Rent the Runway – is one example. I remember when I had to travel and I had a big event to go to. And I didn't want to buy some fancy dress, I knew I would only wear it once and it would just end up sitting in my closet. Sure I could donate it, but I didn't really want to do that. So what I did was I called a rental place where I was actually going to be going and I made an appointment. I flew to where I was going, I got off the plane and I went to the rental place and I rented a dress for that occasion. So be creative when it comes to renting. You can rent really cool gowns, because there are services out there where you can rent everyday.
6:19
Number five, have you ever thought about hosting a clothing swap? Invite friends and family over to your home with the clothing they no longer want with the intent of swapping it for other clothing from other people that you've invited? Participating or hosting a clothing swap with friends is a great way to have fun, while utilizing what you already have in your wardrobe. swapping it with a friend will give your clothes a refresh. And have you ever heard of the saying one person's trash is another person's treasure. Probably. So there's someone out there that would love that dress that's sitting in your closet that you haven't worn for a year. So get your friends together, get your family together for an afternoon and swap your clothing. Start thrifting your clothing.
7:07
Number six, buy secondhand clothing first before buying new. Reusing and reworking outfits or following a slow fashion approach rather than the troublesome fast fashion trends will help you buy better quality clothing that are made to last longer, and you can rewear it over and over again. I can't tell you how many cool stuff I have found through thrift shopping. My daughter loves thrift shopping. We go there for an afternoon and we have a great time and we get clothing at the fraction of the price. And I'm not buying my grandma's clothing, I'm buying nice clothing. So thrifting is a great way to reduce the amount of stuff you're consuming and also reduce how much you're buying new. There's virtual options when it comes to secondhand clothing, which have become popular like Poshmark is a great option. You can also go to consignment stores vintage stores thrift stores to buy secondhand clothing. When you thrift your closet, you're playing a small part in reducing pollution and emissions from the overall production of new merchandise.
8:10
Number seven, make your own clothing. Be creative and make your own clothing or have a seamstress help you create your own. You can work wonders with a pair of scissors, a needle and a thread. Give new life to an old garment by fixing holes or making your own clothing. Take a thorough look at your wardrobe. Find out what you're missing and perhaps make those staples in your house. Sometimes you forget about basics like underwear and socks. These are small items you can replace with natural fibers and conscious materials. Avoid making clothing with materials such as polyester, rayon, nylon and acrylics, because they're synthetic materials that will not break down and will contribute to pollution. So maybe you don't sew and that's okay because I'm one of those people but perhaps you can find somebody that wants to make a t shirt for you or somebody that wants to make a skirt for you. And this way, all you're doing is buying the materials to make that piece of clothing instead of running to H&M or wherever that is to buy that $5 skirt.
9:16
Number eight, buy sustainably made clothing. When you do want to buy new clothing, look for sustainable brands and companies that are keeping the planet in mind when creating their clothing. Buy clothing made with organic fibers when you can like organic cotton, hemp and linen. By reducing the amount of synthetic fibers in your clothing. You'll play a small part in reducing pesticide use and keeping the environment clean and our water sources safe. You'll also reduce the number of microplastics that come from synthetic fibers that shed during washes. Plus, you'll be taking business away from polluting companies in favor of ones who care about the people and the planet. Look for sustainable companies that are B Corp Certified, Fairtrade International and Blue Sign, it will say it on the label. Choose companies that are transparent about their ethics when it comes to child labor, how they pay their employees fair wages and their working conditions. Shop sustainable ethical brands that use eco packaging, the least amount of plastic as possible, recycle, have by degradable packaging. Bonus if you shop locally, you'll be supporting your local economy while reducing carbon emissions.
10:33
So let's normalize not buying new clothing all the time. Let's normalize swapping with our friends, renting when we can borrowing from our friends, repairing that holey t shirt, and thrifting. I hope something from this episode resonates with you, and it can help you live a little more green. For more green living inspiration, listen to my other episodes including number 21 eight ways to create a waste lunch, Episode 26 ways to detox your home and episode 18 the importance of connecting with our Earth. You can stay connected with me on Instagram at Green junkie podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Green Junkie Podcast on the platform you're listening on. If you're curious about zero waste, living, sustainable fashion, or wondering how to read food cleaning and product labels, I've got you covered for direct access to me your green living expert, click the link in the show notes where you can ask me questions and get a customized plan on how you can live a greener life. hopped on a one on one zoom call with me or ask me your questions via email. I will be your personal Green Google and you can pick my brain. Thank you for listening, and I'll see you next Tuesday Green Junkie
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