Sustainable fashion needs to be more than just another buzzword. You see companies slapping a sustainable tag onto almost everything – but what does it mean to truly embrace sustainable fashion?
It’s a topic a lot of fashion-focused individuals are interested in and the best way to approach this is by following the 6 R’s. These build on the three main R’s of general sustainability (Reduce, Reuse & Recycle) but add in a few more that carry additional relevancy for the fashion industry.
You can find all 6 R’s listed below, along with some tips and tricks on how you can use them to be more sustainable:
- Reduce
- Reuse
- Repair
- Repurpose
- Recycle
- Rent
Reduce
The first step in fashion sustainability is to reduce the amount of clothes you buy. Don’t give into the temptations of fast fashion that encourage you to buy so many different pieces every week.
Start with a few fashion staples that you’ll wear pretty much all the time:
- A white shirt
- An LBD
- Comfy trainers/shoes
You don’t need many items to realise you can create various outfits using the same clothes. Then, you only buy additional pieces when they’re essential – like if you have a wedding to go to, or you need a proper winter coat.
Avoid buying things that’ll be worn once and then cast aside.
Reuse
Get into the mindset of reusing different items of clothing. This is possible in a few ways. To start, you should reuse the clothes you already own, rather than throwing them out after one or two wears.
Secondly, you should reuse clothing in the sense of buying from second-hand or vintage shops. You’ll find some amazing sustainable fashion from Retro Remix and other brands that are dedicated to reusing and reworking vintage clothing. Instead of buying brand-new items, you can reuse clothes that have already been in circulation for a few decades.
Adopting this tactic helps you cut down on fashion waste – but you also find some really cool vintage or retro finds that look way better than a lot of modern clothes anyway!
Repair
You need to be completely honest for a second and answer this question: how often do you throw clothes away when they have a small rip or tear in them? It’s something we all tend to do because we see those items as “broken”. And to be fair, you can’t exactly walk around in a pair of trousers with a hole in the crotch.
Before you jump the gun and throw these items away, consider repairing them. It’s actually crazy how easy it is to fix a broken seam or sew up a hole in your trousers. Do a bit of research and learn five easy stitches that’ll apply to pretty much any hole or tear in your clothes. All of a sudden your favourite items are ready to be worn again!
You can’t repair everything, but it’s always worth trying to because you can stop so many items from being chucked away and get more life out of them.
Repurpose
If you can’t repair your clothes, maybe you can still repurpose them? We mentioned vintage and retro shops earlier and they do this sort of thing all the time. You’ll find clothes that almost fuse two different vintage pieces – or even transform an old item of clothing into something completely different.
Your old jeans have an awkward hole or stain that you can’t fix, but what if you have other old pairs of jeans that also can’t be repaired? You could cut them apart and stitch them together to make a totally unique item of clothing.
Or, what if you just chopped off the lower part of your broken jeans to create some fashionable jorts? That old t-shirt of yours is no good anymore, though perhaps it can be repurposed as a bandana? There are so many ways to look at old and tired pieces of clothing then give them a new lease of life as something else.
Another great example is taking an old denim jacket and fashioning it into a small denim bag/purse! Anything is possible when you put your creative hat on.
Recycle
You might be shocked by this statement but too many people think sustainable fashion is all about recycling clothes. You pack up a big bag of old clothes and take them to a recycling centre feeling like you’ve made an eco-conscious decision. While recycling is always better than throwing things in the bin, it’s normally the last resort on the sustainability ladder.
Go through the other main stages before you recycle:
- Reuse your clothes when possible
- Repair them if you can
- Repurpose when repairs aren’t possible
It’s not one of the 6 R’s but you should also donate your old clothes to clothes banks if they’re still in good condition – that can technically be considered a form of “reusing” them too. Recycling comes after you’ve tried all of these different things and they’re no longer feasible. That’s when you head to the recycling centre and hand over your old clothes.
Rent
Renting ties in with reducing your clothes purchases as it offers an alternative solution in many scenarios. We spoke about buying clothes for specific occasions when your staples won’t cut it – but renting means you can save money and prevent waste.
Consider renting a dress for a wedding or other clothing items for different events. This way you don’t have them in your wardrobe collecting dust, waiting for another event. We’ve all been in scenarios where you buy a special dress, wear it once, and then the next time you need it, it no longer fits.
Renting will stop you from wasting money and cut down on overall clothes wastage.
Sustainable fashion isn’t just a trend; it’s something you should all be interested in and conscious of. The simple reality is that the fashion industry generates so much pollution and waste – and it’s all so easily preventable. Follow the 6 R’s to embrace sustainability and look great without harming the planet.