Sustainable Fashion For Dummies

Paula N. Mugabi is a fashion blogger and influencer with a commitment to fostering sustainable fashion. Her blog, mspaularepresents, champions the transformation towards conscious consumption in fashion, offering easy-to-follow steps toward sustainable fashion choices and lifestyle.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 2

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 3

Part 1: Opening the Door To Sustainable Fashion 5

Chapter 1: Closet, Meet Sustainable Fashion 7

Understanding Sustainability 8

Preserving our planet and preventing climate change 8

Treating people with dignity and respect 8

Calling Out the Problem with Today’s Fashion Industry 9

The rise of fast fashion 9

A three-legged monster 10

Being Part of the Solution and Avoiding Eco-Anxiety 11

Taking Action: What You Can Do to Increase Sustainability 12

Chapter 2: Starting with the Clothes You Already Own 15

Taking Stock of Your Closet 16

Auditing your closet 16

Organizing your closet 19

Unlocking the Wow Factor in Clothes You Already Own 21

Knowing the color wheel 21

Mixing prints and patterns 22

Accessorizing for a different look 23

Using styling apps 24

Working with Outfit Formulas 25

Defining outfit formulas 26

Plugging in outfit formulas 26

Chapter 3: Adios, Fast Fashion 31

Identifying the Real Cost of Fast Fashion 32

Looking at the fast-fashion business model 32

Costing more than you may think 33

Taking a toll on garment workers 36

Adversely affecting the environment 39

Spotting Fast Fashion 42

Identifying popular fast-fashion brands 43

Spotting telltale signs that a brand is fast fashion 44

Moving Away from Fast Fashion and Toward Sustainability 46

Confronting Greenwashing 47

Taking a peek at sustainability 47

Spotting greenwashing 48

Chapter 4: Shifting to a Sustainable Fashion Mindset 51

Shopping as a Sustainable Fashion Consumer 52

Avoiding Impulse Buys 53

Use shopping lists 54

Take your time 56

Being Trendy and Sustainable 56

Avoiding Temptation 57

Detoxing your social media and inbox 58

Fasting from shopping 58

Being wary of sales 59

Finding a sustainable fashion community 60

Taking Pride in Repeating Outfits 60

Part 2: Purchasing Sustainable Fashion Items 63

Chapter 5: What Makes a Brand Sustainable? 65

Refuting Some Misconceptions about Sustainable Fashion 66

Looking at Sustainable Business Practices 67

Sustainable environmental practices 68

Transparent supply chain 73

Ethical labor practices 76

Reaching for Sustainable Fabrics 76

Natural sustainable fabrics 77

Innovative sustainable fabrics 81

Understanding What’s in It for You 83

Quality items that are designed to last 83

Small batches and made-to-order items 85

Timeless designs that won’t go out of style 86

Assessing a Brand’s Feel-Good Factor 86

Chapter 6: Buying Less but Choosing Well 89

Thinking Long Term 90

Calculating cost per wear 90

Deciding which items deserve the investment 94

Taking on the 30-wears challenge 95

Sizing Up Quality 96

Feeling fabric quality 96

Critiquing construction quality 98

Searching for perks 99

Assessing quality online 100

Choosing between natural fibers and synthetic fibers 101

Exploring Capsule Wardrobes 102

Creating your capsules 104

Gathering the capsule wardrobe essentials 106

Part 3: Going From Thrifting Beginner to Scouting Pro 109

Chapter 7: Easing into Secondhand Fashion 111

Starting Online 112

Getting started on the right foot 113

Going down the rabbit hole of online thrift stores 117

Measuring yourself for the perfect online thrifted fit 118

Finding Your New Favorite Used-Clothing Shop 122

Doing good by shopping at charity stores 123

Considering chain resale shops and consignment stores 124

Preparing for Your First Thrift Store Visit 125

Deciding when to go 126

Navigating the store 126

Dressing for thrifting success 127

Examining an item before you commit to it 128

Chapter 8: Upscaling Your Thrifting Efforts 129

Finding Hidden Gems 130

Buying Used Shoes 131

Examining used shoes 132

Knowing where to go 132

Disinfecting and cleaning shoes 133

Sorting Through Accessories 133

Jewelry 134

Scarves 135

Handbags 135

Belts 136

Shopping for Vintage Clothes 137

How to tell whether something is truly vintage 138

Where to find vintage clothing 141

Chapter 9: Donating, Selling, and Disposing of Clothes 145

Giving Your Clothes a Second Life 146

Donating Clothes to Support Charitable Organizations 147

The difference between for-profit and nonprofit shops 147

The scoop on tax deductions 148

Where to put all those clothes 149

The Dos and Don’ts of Donating Clothing 150

Making Some Cash by Selling Your Clothes 152

Consigning your clothes 152

Selling clothes to secondhand stores for cash or credit 154

Selling your preloved clothes by yourself 155

Saying Goodbye to Clothes That Have Lived Out Their Usefulness 157

Dealing with Undergarments and Socks Sustainably 158

Donating bras 158

Getting rid of old underwear 159

Recycling and repurposing old socks 159

Part 4: Keeping Your Clothes And Shoes in Tip-top Condition 161

Chapter 10: Caring for Your Clothes 163

Doing Laundry with Clothing Longevity in Mind 164

Making sense of labels 164

Understanding washer settings 166

Hand-washing delicates, sweaters, and more 168

Drying clothes differently 169

Keeping clothes fresh without over-washing 171

Deciding on dry-cleaning 172

Caring for Different Fabrics 174

Cleaning your cotton clothes 174

Avoiding shrinking your wools 174

Removing and preventing pilling 175

Saving your silks 176

Chasing the moths away 176

Making synthetics last 177

Loving your linens 178

Removing Stains 179

Deciding How to Store Your Clothes 180

Clothes you should hang 180

Clothes you should fold 181

Chapter 11: Repairing and Upcycling Your Clothes 183

Making Your Fashion Circular 184

Getting Your Thread Wet 185

Prepping your sewing kit 185

Stitching up for sewing success 186

Repairing Your Clothes with Basic Hand-Stitching 187

Using a running stitch 187

Doing the backstitch 188

Sewing on a button 189

Repairing a seam 191

Patching a torn or threadbare spot 192

Fixing snagged clothing 193

Joining the Upcycling Movement 195

Tie-dyeing your old shirts with avocado skins and pits 195

Making old jeans new again 196

Investing in Alterations or Other Significant Repairs 198

Knowing what alterations specialists can help you with 199

Finding someone who does quality work 199

Chapter 12: Walking Miles in Your Favorite Shoes 201

Considering Why Caring for Your Shoes Is a Shoo-In 202

Prolonging the Life of Your Leather Shoes 203

Everyday maintenance of leather shoes 203

Occasional maintenance of your leather shoes 205

Keeping Your Sneakers Clean 208

Machine-washing your sneakers 209

Hand-washing sneakers 209

Using Shoe Protectants 210

Storing Your Shoes Properly 211

Part 5: the Part of Tens 213

Chapter 13: Ten Sustainable Brands for Every Budget and Style 215

Loud Bodies 216

Wayre 216

Passion Lilie 217

Whimsy + Row 217

Amour Vert 218

Mara Hoffman 218

Kotn 218

Outerknown 219

Parade 219

Organic Basics 220

Chapter 14: Ten Ways to Shop Sustainably on a Budget 221

Shop Your Closet 222

Shop Secondhand 223

Shop Intentionally 223

Look for Affordable Sustainable Brands 224

Check the Sale and Preloved Page 224

Attend Clothing Swaps 224

Check Resale Sites 225

Consider Clothing Rentals 225

Calculate the Cost per Wear 226

Upcycle Your Clothes for a New Look 227

Chapter 15: Ten Perfect Clothing Items for Your Thrift List 229

Quality Coats 229

Special Occasion Clothes 230

Trendy Fashion 231

Nice-to-Have Luxury Items 231

Boss Blazers 232

Cool Leather Jackets 232

Fabulous Scarves 233

Cozy Knitwear 233

Clutch Bags 234

Versatile and Statement Belts 234

Your Favorite Pair of Jeans 235

Chapter 16: Ten Family-Friendly Sustainable Clothing Brands 237

Pact 238

For Days 238

Jackalo 239

Conscious Step 239

Patagonia 240

Tentree 240

Loop Swim 241

Many Moons 241

Firebird Kids 242

Mightly 242

Chapter 17: Ten Sustainable Shoe Brands 243

Veja 244

Veerah 244

Etiko 245

Nisolo 245

Wildling 246

Cariuma 246

Ethletic 247

Thesus 247

Good Guys 247

Pozu 248

Index 249