Making Tough Wardrobe Choices

As someone who used to make custom and ready to wear garments for clients, I got quite good at picking fabrics. Clients will tell me how people told them they loved my stuff years later. It felt good but somewhere deep down I would always wonder about the deeper cost of what I was making. I started thinking more about how fabrics are made and the more I searched the more I realized the damage to the environment.

I thought to myself that even if polyester is this big bad awful monster of a garment that doesn't biodegrade for 20-200 years is wreaking the environment, I know my girl cotton was the belle. I trusted that she was sustainable and good for the environment, so I never worried as much but boy was I wrong. She's actually the dirtiest crop on the planet. A beast! I was utterly disappointed, and I started learning more on what works best and the role I have played as a person who creates garments on a very small scale and as a consumer myself.

SLOW FASHION, despite its costliness, promotes sustainability. If affordable, one can opt for sustainable brands; otherwise, thrifting is a fantastic affordable alternative, often yielding surprising finds.

I got so tired of polyester in everything (have you ever checked the labels of some undergarments? that can't be healthy right?), so I started investing more in my wardrobe. Shifting to buying wool sweaters, organic cotton and linen. Since daddy Warbucks and I are not related, I usually wait for sales before I pounce on cashmere or merino wool sweaters. I also have cashmere sweaters from Quince but for me the Jury is still out (still testing). Banana Republic has good cashmere and wool options. I also find great items at thrift stores.

It can be a daunting task to be deliberate about your wardrobe. Let's face it, a lot of us don't even think about it but if we do, we are actually thinking about the environment as well. Small impacts bring big change. Making decisions about your wardrobe can be tough especially when everywhere you turn its a sea of polyester this or poly-something that or one of its little sisters. Navigating wardrobe choices amidst a flood of synthetic fabrics can be difficult, but it's a journey that can be undertaken gradually and with purpose. Let's all start making that shift towards a better wardrobe, I know I am.