How to Shop Sustainably

Being eco-friendly and shopping sustainably does not mean you need to be some hippy-lover who only wears head-to- toe linen and doesn't wash their hair. I mean kudos to you though. It simply means making more informed decisions when you are purchasing something along with being made aware of your carbon footprint. I am by no means an expert in this field, but I try my best to think of my role in the world of consumerism and the environmental impacts I am responsible for as an individual consumer, all things considered.

Don't get me wrong, I have always been about expressing my creativity through fashion. I love being able to experiment with different trends and taking risks (albeit not that risky). The reality is, I pretty much live in jeans and a t-shirt. If I really think about it, on most days I wear similar things, so it seems pretty excessive to have an abundance of clothing sitting in my closet when the reality is I am reaching for the same pieces time after time.

I made the conscious decision a couple of months ago that I was going to downsize my belongings, and I was going to be ruthless about it. If you followed my Snapchat or Instagram saga, you will know that I had countless ordeals when trying to get rid of said belongings. There were times where it was extremely overwhelming and just straight up debilitating, but it served as a constant reminder that I needed to get rid of these items to be at peace with myself (I take back the hippy-loving, linen-wearing, no-shampoo offenders comment I made earlier).

I genuinely cannot express to you how much my anxiety has reduced since downsizing my material belongings more than 60%. It's easier to get dressed in the morning, I no longer have to conduct some aerobic exercise trying to get an item out of my closet- what a freaking relief. I am also happy knowing that when I need an item I can just go to Value Village, and chances are I will get it for under $10.

This segues into my tips...

1. If you REALLY need an item, try to find it second-hand. Anytime I need something (which I rarely do) I go to Value Village and see if I can find some variation of what I need. 9 times out of 10, I find it along with a plethora of other things I DON'T need (so I painfully remove those items from my cart and proceed to the check out).

In Toronto, the Value Village at Bloor and Landsdowne is a hidden freaking gem. I have found Blundstones there that are my size for $10, along with professional work attire that are gently used. Sometimes it takes a bit of digging but I love the entire process of it. Sidenote: if you happen to be in that area, best to just avoid the Coffee Time- just take my word for it.

2. When buying clothes, look at what the fabric is made of and flip the garment inside out. You know that annoying tag that you just want to rip off inside your garments? Yeah that actually has some useful information on it, so best to read it. Also, you don't need to be a fashion designer to spot the signs of poor quality.

Things to keep in mind in terms of QUALITY:

The fit and the cut of the garment

I have been known to purchase items solely based on how pretty they look - e.g. the embroidery or the little lace detailing. Make sure to try on the item and see if it suits your body shape. There are some fabrics that I just stay away from because I don't like how it fits on my body, but by analyzing the cut of the garment and the shape (e.g. if it's boxy, form-fitting, stretchy, etc.) will help in your decision-making capacity. This also helps differentiate between high quality and poor quality garments.

When manufacturers don't care about the ways in which they cut the fabric, you will see side seams that twist, which is extremely noticeable (you see this in shirts for example from H&M, Zara, Forever 21). These items do not last very long anyway.

When you take a roll of fabric it has a direction - all patterns pieces must be aligned vertically with the fabric. But typically, fast fashion brands will try and save space even if it does not align with the fabric in order to maximize profit and optimize their fabric consumption. You, as the consumer end up with garments that are cut in all different directions which is why your seams twist more and more with every wash.

Colours and dyes

If you buy a vibrant piece you would expect it to stay vibrant. More often than not, we see the colours fade out fairly quickly once you wash them. Make sure to look at the care instructions of your garment as some pieces may not even be washable due to potential bleeding onto other colours. If you happen to be shopping at a fast-fashion retailer, and you have the choice to purchase a solid colour piece or a printed piece, it is best to go for the solid colour as the printed piece is more likely to fade overtime and is more likely to be made of a thinner fabric and likely have twisted seams.

Fabrics and Fibres

If the fabric is too loosely woven or knitted together you will be able to notice it with your fingers. Just take the fabric and if you can pull out the weaving, clearly the garment is not made to be durable as it is too loose. A tighter knit will be more dense and heavier, falling nicely and ensuring a better fold. I understand this may be difficult if you are shopping online, but make sure to utilize the zoom function on the model to see how the fabric falls on the model.

In terms of fibres, they can be broken down into natural and synthetic fibres:

Examples of natural fibres include the following:

• Silk (made from certain insect larvae to form cocoons)

• Cotton (plant-based fibre used in other textiles and blends such as synthetics and rayons). The con of using cotton is it requires a lot of water, pesticides and arable land.

• Wool (an animal product). The con to using wool is the methane emissions from burping sheep.

• Linen (plant-based, made from flax). It can be cultivated and processed without the use of chemicals.

There are also newer fibres classified within the natural category that tend to have better properties when blending with other textiles and fabrics, and they include the following:

• Modal (better than cotton, made from cellulose)

• Viscose (made from wood)

• Tencel (made from bamboo).

Examples of synthetic fibres include the following:

• Acetate (made from petrol and not breathable)

• Nylon/Polyamides (a polymer - a type of plastic)

• Rayon (a substitute for silk, made from cellulose)

• Acrylic (a substitute for wool)

Sewing, Stitching and Threads

When assessing the hem, the thread should lie flat on the fabric and not be a big bulky mess. On the inside, the stitching should look clean. Many high quality pieces cover the seam at the hem with extra fabric detailing and/or cover the side seams completely with an organza. When judging for quality, it also helps to take a look at the pockets on pants and skirts.

Hopefully this post gives you some insight into what certain fabrics are made of and how they have the potential to impact our environment whether it is through the stage of processing the fibre all the way down to the purchasing of the item. Again, it is best to go second hand when possible where you are not directly contributing to the mass production of wasteful materials. But there are also some really innovative companies that have made attempts to use recyclable by-products (more on that in another post). I hope I have also helped you distinguish between high quality vs. low quality garments and where to look for them.

If you have any questions or comments, be sure to tag me or use the hashtag #chantalmarutoblog. I want to see your creations :)