The New Eco-Warrior: How to be Fashionable And Sustainable At the Same Time

The New Eco-Warrior: How to be Fashionable And Sustainable At the Same Time
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Trying to follow eco-friendly fashion seems to be the trend nowadays. But, it’s not that hard to actually be fashionable and sustainable at the same time. I’ve been doing that for years, and there’s a few ways you too can be an eco-warrior.

The first step is simple: be a fashion repeater! Repeat key items that work well for you. It could be a classic dress that you like or even a shirt with jeans that you always find yourself wearing again and again. I’ve been known to repeat certain outfits to events and all, and I’m okay with that. I like getting as many uses as I possibly can before that outfit is too worn out or if I eventually get tired of wearing that. The key is to switch a few basic outfits to each event so that you’re not constantly wearing the same outfit to every event or worse, grow tired of that outfit and retire that outfit to the depths of your wardrobe, never to be seen again.

 Next, find clothing that is of good quality and that fits your budget. There are a lot of brands out there that have amazing clothing for great prices. Also, go for hand washable or machine washable clothing. Try to avoid dry clean only clothing as much as possible, but if there’s no other option, buy an item that you will wear again and again. Don’t buy something just because it’s in fashion right now. Buy that item because you love it and love the way that it looks on you. You’ll thank yourself later for this!

When the time comes to toss out old clothing, don’t throw it in the trash. Instead, consider donating that to someone who needs it or to an organization you know of. Only donate gently worn clothing. Avoid donating something that is torn all over or is beyond repair. By doing this, you’ll also be preventing unnecessary trash from ending up in landfills. You’ll also be giving a chance for that item of clothing to be reused or maybe even repurposed for something even better! Essentially, you’ll be giving that item a second chance at life.

Remember, you don’t have to sacrifice your sense of fashion to be eco-friendly. You just have to be a fashion repeater, find good clothing buys, and donate your old clothes. Each step we take brings us closer to a better, greener world.

Shefali is the author of Own It! Love What You Already Have of which all book proceeds go toward good causes. She is an executive at her family’s business, and board director for two other companies. She’s an alumna of Columbia Business School in New York City and Drexel University. She lives in Dubai with her husband and continues to travel for work. To learn more, visit shefalikarani.com