How to achieve a more sustainable wardrobe in 2022

That we always have to look and look different, what to get that new iconic piece for our wardrobe or that we should join the seasonal trend are some of the concepts that the global fashion industry has promoted to favor the commercial point of view on the garments we choose to buy.

And even though the creativity and innovation of designers is always appreciated, yes it exists a problem when that consumption is imposed on the well-being of human beings and the environment. What to do to generate a change?

“When talking about sustainability sometimes it feels like we are too small to make the change that is needed. I don’t know if one person can change the world, but Actions like these do change your world”, Expresses Estefanía Cardona, founder of KIKI, Ecuadorian media specialized in conscious fashion (@lifestylekiki, on Instagram).

For this purpose, it offers some recommendations:

1. Go through your closet and remove the clothes that you have not used in the last three months and that they have only been stored. Reflect on why you have not used them and see what clothes you do repeat and wear on a daily basis. This will help you discover your style. “Overconsumption is polluting, because we do not use all the garments that we are buying,” says Cardona, but you can also think about how to give them a second life by modifying them or selling them as a second-hand offer.

2. View your money as an investment and not an expense. In this way, a conscious value is given to the purchase and it is understood that through this transaction the person who manufactured the chosen garment or item is supported or not. “It’s a way of saying: ‘I validate what you’re doing, I like it, so have my money to keep you going,'” he explains.

3. Analyze your reasons for buying, especially if you perceive that leaving shopping represents an emotional need for you to cope with stress or boredom. Having control over this decision will even help you save.

4. Keep an eye on who you follow on social media. “Sometimes we follow people who are constantly changing their image, buying things and showing us how they buy frequently; then, it generates that culture of buying more, of ‘I want to too’ ”.

5. If you decide to buy something new, ask the basic questions: Who made it? In what context was it made? What materials is it made of? Who will I benefit or support by making this investment?