We love sustainable clothes. We love creating them, we love wearing them, and we love talking about them.

With sustainable fashion on the rise (and we love to see it), it would be easy to spend all the money supporting sustainable fashion brands. This isn’t sustainable though — not for yourself, your bank account, or the environment.

So here are our five ways to support sustainable fashion without actually buying anything.

1. Wear the clothes that you already own.

The initial response to breaking up with fast fashion is to replace your entire closet with new ethically made clothes. Even if those new clothes are sustainably made, this isn’t a sustainable action. The most sustainable outfit is the one that you already own. Making the best of what you have and wearing what you have is one of the top ways to support sustainable fashion.

When you’re feeling that itch for a new outfit but you don’t really need it, find ways to make your closet more versatile. Throw on some music, bop around, pull out your entire wardrobe, and have fun. Sometimes new looks are sitting in your closet, waiting to be discovered.

2. Take proper care of your clothes.

All clothes will eventually go through wear-and-tear and need to be replaced — even the high quality ones. We can extend the lifecycle of our clothes by paying attention to how to properly take care of them. How we wash our clothes has the biggest effect on how long they’ll last. We’re big fans of repeat-wearing our clothes until they need to be washed, then sticking to the cold-wash and hang-dry method. All clothes have care instructions on the tags. As tempting as it is to throw everything in one load and do your typical thing, following those instructions will extend the life of your clothes.

In case you’re curious, here’s our top sustainable laundry tips and how to mend your own clothes.

3. Get creative.

Perhaps you’re up to learning how to upcycle old clothes or down with hosting a clothes-swap party. ( . . . Probably an online one, thanks to covid). Getting creative, learning new ways to use what we already have, and working with our community are all ways to boost up sustainable fashion.

4. Dedicate yourself to learning.

There will always be new ways to love and support our planet. If we are open to learning and willing to make changes, we’ll pave a new path for ourselves and create a new world of ffashion. Here are some resources to get started:

● 14 of the Best Resources for Becoming A More Ethical (and Educated) Fashion Consumer — Fashionista

● Happy Listening: 14 of the Best Fashion Podcasts — Good On You

● 9 Sustainable Fashion Blogs to Follow—The Honest Consumer

5. Talk about it.

Clothing is one of those things every human has to think about, whether we’re into fashion or not. Talking about what we’ve learned, what we love about sustainable fashion, and the challenges that come with being intentional with our clothes could help someone else to break-up with fast fashion. Keep it real. Authentic conversations are the best conversations.

We are forever learning along with you on how to be more intentional beings on earth. It is so exciting to see sustainable fashion on the rise and we’re confident we can do great things for the future of fashion together. Thank you for being a part of the team!

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Jade is a writer, potter, and gardener living in a sleepy town in Northern Ontario. They love growing food, creating functional stoneware, and hermiting with a book as much as possible.