Your Ultimate Guide To Sustainable Fashion

Your ultimate guide to Sustainable Fashion.
After all, what you wear is important for the Planet too.

 Wait, what does sustainable fashion actually mean though? In short, it’s an umbrella term for clothes that are created and consumed in a way that can be, quite literally, sustained, while protecting both the environment and the garment - cutting CO2 emissions, addressing overproduction, reducing pollution and waste. 

Considering the number of factors involved, we too at Snitch are currently tackling all of these complex issues, but there’s always room for improvement. This means simply shopping by completely rethinking our purchase habits and the way we consume clothes.

So, if you want to ensure your wardrobe is as sustainable as possible moving forward, here’s everything on how to create a more sustainable wardrobe, without very much effort at all.

1. The 30 wears test

The biggest and the most important tip is every time you buy something, always think, 'Will I wear it a minimum of 30 times?' If the answer is yes, then buy it. But you'd be surprised how many times you say no. Pick more versatile pieces like T-shirts, Shirts and Chinos that can be styled in different ways, rather than that one item you know is going to fall out of fashion in no time.

2. Be more informed

One of the most difficult things about trying to be more sustainable is knowing where to start – and, more importantly, where to shop. Thankfully, it's now much easier than it once was at Snitch, with a sustainable focus in mind, not only are we chemical free, but our fabrics are organic and ethical which makes it best for your fabulous body. Wait, that’s not it. We’re making Snitch your ideal sustainable shop stop by reducing the usage of plastic in our products. How? We switched to corn-husk packaging made of corn husk that has already helped us reduce 35% of plastic. We are committed to reducing it further, so we need to do it step by step.

3. Change your attitude to shopping

Another eco-friendly way to keep your wardrobe updated is to opt for rental fashion. Given that 300,000 tonnes of unwanted clothes are binned, not recycled, every year, it's clear that sharing our wardrobes and contributing to the circular economy is a step toward a more sustainable future. The circular economy concept is, in simple terms, an economic system aimed at minimising waste and making the most of resources; it challenges fashion’s linear production line that ends with clothes being discarded in landfill.

4. Invest in trans-seasonal clothes

Only buy items that you know are going to work for you all year round. Don't shell out on an entire summer wardrobe each year when you live in cold and rainy Bangalore – you won't pass the 30 wears test. Instead, spend the bulk of your money on pieces that will see you through more than one season. Jeans, T-shirts, and jackets will make for a much more sustainable wardrobe.

5. Donate your unwanted clothes

Donating your unwanted clothes to a good cause, rather than leaving them hanging in your wardrobe, will help others be more sustainable; they will invest in your old pieces, rather than buying something new. A great way to do this is to have a one-in, one-out policy. Live by the mantra that every time you buy something new, you'll donate something too.

6. Look after your clothes

It sounds obvious, but it's so important. Of course, if you buy higher-quality clothes, they are likely to last longer (and you're also more likely to treat them more carefully because they were more expensive), but this goes for everything hanging in your wardrobe. Look after them properly and you will have to replace things less often. From caring for your woollens to washing your denims inside out, go the extra mile to ensure your clothes stay at their best for longer.

7. Learn how to repair clothing yourself (or find a good tailor)

When something rips, you don't necessarily have to throw it away. Learn how to repair your clothes – or, even easier, pay a professional (or your mom 😉) to do it. Think twice before using it as an excuse for something new.

8. Adjust how you spend your money

Change what you splurge on. Instead of spending your savings on a suit for a wedding or a pair of shoes that you'll only wear for special occasions, spend your 'investment' cash on the things that you wear every day.

Stop thinking, 'I would never spend that much on a pair of jeans'. Instead, consider that you are only going to buy one pair of jeans this year, or one item this month – and make it that. After a few seasons, you will have a high-quality, sustainable wardrobe to be proud of.

Apart from these, all of your concerns are of course valid, but it isn't as hard as you might think to get started on a sustainable wardrobe – and it's definitively worth it in the long run. With powerful innovation and exploration, don't think that things have to look ugly because they're organic; they can be beautiful as well.
With us and more brands seeing the importance of an environmental focus, dressing sustainably no longer means compromising – so stop thinking it does.