MissLJBeauty

Photo by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hands-passing-the-globe-to-the-person-8542538/

Figuring out what to wear in the morning or before a big event can be lots of fun. But there’s another side to clothes and shopping with the environment in mind, so let’s look further at it today.

About Certain Fabrics

Different materials impact Mother Earth in different ways, from production to how they’re disposed of. Every fibre, whether natural, synthetic, or blended, can leave a mark on an ecosystem or the climate, so it’s important to think about what you’re choosing to spend money on as a busy mom. 

For instance, your soft, breathable t-shirt may have started in a cotton field full of pesticides, while your gym leggings began as petroleum. Both can pollute the air long after you’re done wearing them, through chemical and plastic waste, hurting human health. 

Your Style Choices

While it’s easy to start criticizing the fashion industry itself, you can start to make changes that impact the industry with what you add to your closet. That’s empowering. With every purchase, you can make a difference by selecting specific fabrics that are better for the planet.

For example, vegan fabrics are popular with several people, especially younger generations like Gen Zers. Many see animal welfare as part of sustainability. It’s about dressing with compassion, and you don’t have to sacrifice great style with options like The Carbon Closet. 

What Else to Know

There are a few more things to watch for when shopping that can have a big impact. For instance, look for eco-friendly certifications on clothing and fabric items around the house, such as GOTS and OEKO-TEX. You may also choose hemp and organic cotton over synthetics, as they are more natural choices. 

It’s also important to note that some fabrics may look environmentally-friendly at first, but could actually have been made in ways that release chemicals or have another hidden environmental cost. So, it’s important to do your homework to determine which ones are both stylish and responsible. 

As for how you wash clothes, that matters too. Wash in cold water when possible and air-dry rather than putting into the dryer to save energy. Consuming less energy means fewer fossil fuels burned and fewer greenhouse gases released.

Plus, air-drying saves your clothes from being pulled in the dryer, so your shirts, pants, and dresses are more likely to last longer. That reduces what ends up in a landfill. Also, if your household switches to a bowl for washing up, instead of running a tap, that change could eliminate about 666kg of carbon dioxide a year. 

Conclusion: Styling and the Environment 

The fashion you choose to wear says a lot about you, and that goes beyond the latest trends or the colours that most suit you. Your choices can go far beyond what’s hanging up at home. Every fabric you choose can be kind to the environment or disrupt it. By looking at what clothes are made of, such as choosing organic cotton pants instead of polyester leggings, you can be stylish and help the planet.