CONSIDER
BUY LESS BUT BETTER
What do you think about your clothing needs? There are so many approaches: shopping second hand, buying local, making your own clothes, adopting a slow fashion mentality — or simply choosing not to buy anything you don’t need.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Wear more, waste less. Next time you want to buy something, ask yourself: how many times would I wear this? By wearing your clothes for an extra 9 months, you can reduce waste and water usage by ~20-30%.
Shop secondhand. Find a local thrift or vintage store that suits your style. If we bought 10% more secondhand clothes — instead of new — we could reduce carbon by 3% and water by 4% (per tonne of clothing).
Buy from local designers. Are there any innovative fashion designers where you live? When you buy local, it is an investment in the community around you.
Create your clothes the old-fashioned way. Embrace the maker movement and make your own clothes with a sewing machine. Check if there are any classes in your area.
Become a borrower. Need something new? Try renting — especially for special occasions, if you’re pregnant or if you have growing kids. You can save up to 37,000 litres of water annually.
Restyle your closet. Chances are, you have lots of clothes you never wear. Invite your most stylish friend over and see if you can find new ways to wear old clothes differently.
Bring your own bag. When you go out shopping, bring your own shopping bag to save unnecessary paper and plastic from being used.
Buy nothing new for 30 days. Did you know that the world now consumes more than 100 billion new pieces of clothing every year? That is 2 times more than just 15 years ago! For the next month, pledge to not buy any new clothes.
MORE RESOURCES
- This is a Good Guide [Book] — Want to live a bit more consciously but don’t know where to begin? This easy-to-understand handbook by Dutch sustainable fashion expert Marieke Eyskoot is for you, with versions in English and Dutch.
- Fashion and Sustainability: Understanding Luxury Fashion in a Changing World [Course] — Get an introduction to issues, agendas and contexts relating to fashion and sustainability in a changing world in this online course created by Kering and the London College of Fashion.
- The 6 Conscious Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying New Clothing [Article] — This set of questions from The Good Trade is a good way to sense-check your purchasing desires.
- Haulternative YouTube Channel [Video] — Instead of the traditional fashion haul, where you go shopping and post a video of what you’ve bought, Fashion Revolution has popularised the “haulternative” — a way of refreshing your wardrobe without buying new clothes. This YouTube channel features dozens of user-submitted ideas.
- 12x The Best Sustainable Stores in Amsterdam [Article] — An overview of sustainable retailers and local designers from Dutch lifestyle blog Your Little Black Book.
- Best Vintage Clothing Shopping in Amsterdam [Article] – want to find the best vintage finds, try these local vintage stores
