What's in Your Closet?

Every piece of clothing in your closet has a story, more than how you bought it or where - it’s a reflection of global supply chains and holds environmental weight. By scrutinizing your closet more, you can better understand your impact on the planet and take steps towards a more sustainable approach to fashion while looking just as snazzy.  

Step 1: Taking Inventory

Looking through your closet, think about:

• How many pieces of clothing do I own?
• How many items do you wear regularly? 
• How many have you only worn once or twice? 
• How many still have their tags?
• Do my clothes contain synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon, or acrylic?

Step 2: Consider Your Shopping Habits

Ask yourself: 

• How often do I buy new clothes? 
• Do I shop more out of necessity or impulse? 
• Do I donate or resell clothing I no longer wear, or do I throw it away?

Step 3: Recognize Your Power as a Consumer

While fast fashion companies drive production, they do so in response to consumer demand. That means your choices matter. By making more mindful decisions about what you buy, how often you shop, and how you care for your clothes, you can play a role in reducing fashion’s environmental impact. 

The Next Step: Taking Action

Here are some active decisions you can make to reduce your footprint and contribution to the fast fashion industry: 

• Buy cotton, linen, and hemp-based clothes, which have a smaller footprint and are friendlier to your body as well as the environment once they meet their expiration date. 
• Support Sustainable Brands – Look for companies that prioritize ethical labor practices and utilize the aforementioned eco-friendly materials.
• Look for certifications such as the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) / Global Recycled Standard (GRS), which verifies recycled content claims and responsible production, and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which certifies a product is a minimum of 70% organic content.