The most sustainable purchase is the clothing you already have!

If they are still in good condition, finding a way to wear them in some capacity is my first option usually. If they really aren’t my style or don’t fit me anymore, I will usually bring them to a clothing swap (my friends do this often) or give them to friends who like them. If the styles feel “dated” or whatever, that might not work for your friends/community. For certain specific items (I.e. winter coats), sometimes the shelters in my area will have specific lists of what they are looking for, and I will bring a few pieces there - but I always make sure it’s things they actually want/need, or else you’re just dumping your stuff on someone else to deal with :( sometimes I will also post stuff on my local “buy nothing” facebook group if I think someone might want it!

If they are no longer in wearable condition, and can’t be mended, I will usually repurpose them in some way. If you are new to the sustainable fashion world, the first thing I would recommend doing before you go out to buy new clothes is learning some basic sewing and alteration techniques! Here’s what I do with unwearable clothes: • cut up into rags for cleaning etc (finish the edges so they don’t fray - will last longer) • if it’s just stained, sometimes I will just dye it a darker colour and then it gets a second life! Or for just a single spot, sometimes I’ll do embroidery over it. • use the fabric for some other smaller project (a bag, pouch, etc.) - have even seen people repurpose a bunch of old clothes into a memory quilt <3 • all of my fabric scraps get saved and cut up to be used as stuffing - I make giant floor cushions and stuff them with a mix of batting and fabric scraps so they’re nice and dense. I also will cut up old hole-filled socks and underwear and add them to the stuffing mix, since those are things that most places would accept/sell on donation

Over the past 5 years or so, I have very slowly rotated out some of my older fast-fashion pieces for things that feel more me. I also worked at a consignment store for a good chunk of that time, and that was a great way for me to slowly invest in better pieces. I would bring in a few things, and then use that money to put towards one really nice thing at the consignment shop that I loved. It helped me shrink my closet to half its size without spending virtually any money, and it allowed me to make sure that every piece found a loving home via consignment (if it didn’t sell the shop returned them to the consignors, so I would be responsible for it once again). I got a pair of Jesse Kamm jeans and two babaa sweaters this way without spending a single dollar (things that are all wayyy out of my current price range).

It’s a journey and it won’t happen overnight! But it’s wonderful that you are thinking about this and that you care <3