How You Can Make Your Petite Style More Sustainable
Your sense of style shouldn’t come at the expense of the environment. Luckily, you don’t have to, since we’ll go over all of the ways you can make more sustainable fashion choices.
1. Focus on Quality over Quantity (Reduce)
You hear it all the time because it is foundational to an evergreen wardrobe. Owning more clothing does not mean one is more fashionable. It only causes stress when you have to find that specific ocean blue sweater you bought that one time on a trip to wherever with your friend on a whim. Yet, you can’t find it because its tucked in the corner of your closet with items you should donate but don’t have the heart to. That’s totally OK! We may have a few of those ourselves. We all do our part. The reality is, in 2018 the EPA estimated approximately 17 tons of textiles end up in the landfill. Typically only 14% of clothing is actually recycled (source). Pick something considered a staple, and long-lasting. You may find the price to be a bit higher than you’re used to, but you will also feel good wearing it for years to come.
Luckily, quality plays a huge role in sustainable fashion brands because of the cost to produce these recyclable goods.
2. Buy From Sustainable Fashion Brands (like us)
Hold these luxury brands to a higher standard. If they are going to perpetuate toxic waste, let's expect to see mitigation efforts. So when you find a brand you like, do a quick search for sustainability efforts on their website! Do they offer a recycling program? What are their clothes made of? Where are they manufactured? We are big fans of Pistol Lake & Eco Petites. They’re small batch, eco-friendly, and USA made. You can purchase some of their clothing here or read about them on our blog.
3. Make Your Choices from Ethical Fashion Brands
Some brands mention the production process of their products and how sustainable and ethical they are. An ethical brand takes full responsibility for the social and environmental impact of their products, from beginning to end.
Ethical fashion brands pay their workers fairly and do not tolerate discrimination on their work premises. They contribute less to carbon emission or work on a zero carbon emission policy. Because of this, they may be a bit expensive and we do our best to source affordable brands.
4. Wash less! It is that simple.
An easy sustainable fashion tip to manage comes from washing your clothes. Yes, you have to read the label when you buy the product. When in doubt, cold wash only, limited detergent, hang dry or air dry. The less you wash, for example jeans, the longer they will retain the color and fit.
5. Reuse & Recycle
If an item is too damaged to donate, reuse it! You can shred the item with scissors to use as a rag for cleaning (our favorite trick). If you sew, you can turn it into a rug, bag, purse, or another garment. If shredded small enough, they can be used for compost. It must be the right material of course. You may also be able to find a local textile recycler. Your local dump may already have one. Some items are simply meant to become another.
Conclusion
We hope these tips point you in the right direction.. If fashion is the way you support sustainability, we are thrilled that you’re helping save our Green Haven. It may take some effort, but you can find good sustainable brands that will offer quality clothes at a reasonable price. If it is too expensive, wait for the Holiday sale. It's coming, they always do!