Sourced from NPR | March 14, 2021

Your fast fashion has become a real problem. Let’s unpack that.

When fashionable clothes can be SO Cheap, virtual shopping can easily fill up your closet with just carts of stuff. This had led to mass over-production and caused a clothing waste crisis.

Any item that you're going to get rid of is going to end up in the landfill because the technological solutions just aren't at scale yet to dispose of it effectively.

Did you know that less than 1% of all clothing material is recycled back into new clothes? Of the many clothes we donate to charity, only a fraction of them get resold in stores. And much of what doesn't sell gets shipped in bulk and sold internationally.

The costs of fast fashion are huge and have a serious impact on the environment and on the people making clothes each year. For example, the fashion industry consumes about 79 trillion liters of water and then throws out 92 million tons of waste. To make clothes so quickly and affordably, factory workers are often underpaid and forced to operate and work in unsafe working conditions.

There are ways to shop smarter and to curate a much more eco-and ethically conscious closet. Here are some tips.

1. Don't think of your clothes as disposable.

I know. There are pressures to keep up with trends online. Some may feel like they can't post the same outfit they're in, twice. To abandon that attitude of excess, change your mindset. Buy with the notion that what you purchase should stay with you. When shopping, ask yourself if you'd wear that item 30 times or more.

Another way to extend the lifespan of your clothing is to treat it with a little more TLC. Taking care of clothes feeds the soul. It's a very good skill to have.

*Source: Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR*

2. Revamp or "thrift flip" your clothing and accessories.

You can establish your own personal style by taking something old and changing it up. Giving your clothes a fresh feel by cutting them up or adding something new to detail. You can check out YouTube Nava Rose's revamps or search YouTube or TikTok for thrift revamps or thrift flips for endless creative ways to switch up your closet. Another useful hashtag to search is #DIYNoSew meaning that no sewing is required. My god what a time to be alive.

3. Get rid of your clothing responsibly.

*Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR*

Marie Kondo's popular approach is to throw out items that no longer bring you joy. However, be intentional about how you donate. A piece of clothing has a higher chance of finding a second life by finding another person who's excited to wear it.

You could organize a clothing swap with friends or sell your unneeded items on resale sites like Poshmark, DePop, Thred Up, or The Real Real. To attract buyers, simply model your clothing instead of photographing it on the floor so shoppers can see what it looks like. Good lighting and ironed clothes make a huge difference!

4. Buy second-hand when you're in the mood for something "new."

clothing image — *Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR*

Since the pandemic means many people avoid extra in-person shopping, thrifting online is more and more widespread. "You don't have to have the hassle of going into the thrift store and feeling overwhelmed," Clarke says.

You can buy on the same sites people sell their clothes. Apps like Depop and Poshmark let you search for specific items, and The RealReal even lets you create watchlists.

5. Get educated.

get educated clothing image — *Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR*

Learn to look out for greenwashing and campaigns for a fairer, more sustainable fashion industry.

"Greenwashing is when companies either intentionally mislead consumers or just oversell and embellish the efforts they're making to be more sustainable," Cline explains.

To learn more, she recommends a site called Good On You and a nonprofit called Remake. Remake's transparency reports give brands sustainability scores. And once you're educated, consider getting more involved.

"We can't forget that the problems in the fashion industry are systemic and that we have to have systemic solutions to these issues as well," Cline says.

PayUp Fashion, a campaign Cline co-founded, pushes against exploitative practices in the fashion industry. It's supporting California's Garment Worker Protection Act, which will hold fashion brands legally and financially accountable for what happens in their garment factories. A reminder there's strength in numbers.

"This is the ultimate intersectional issue. It is the combination of race and gender and class and exploitation that [cuts] so many different ways," Cline says.

But the potential for change is possible. It could lead us to a fashion future that's better for workers, the planet, and potentially even your wardrobe.