Sustainable style
We all love piling up clothes of all kinds in our wardrobes, but do we ever think how this impacts our environment? We always think about how cars and factories create so much pollution but do we ever wonder if clothes do that, too?
This month, we’re celebrating Earth Day so let’s try and do our bit to save our Earth by starting with our wardrobes. Choosing eco-friendly materials or trying to reuse, recycle, reinvent and upcycle clothes instead of dumping them are just a few other ways to protect Mother Earth from our clothes! And this month I will help you do just that.
I know it’s not possible to completely transform your wardrobe to an eco-friendly/organic wardrobe but you can your little bit when you shop the next time or wash your clothes or want to discard them. Here are ways to turn into an eco-friendly fashionista!
Green your detergent
When we wash our clothes the toxins from the clothes detergent end up in our seas and oceans and contaminate them. This majorly affects the habitat of aquatic wildlife. Try using an organic or green detergent. These detergents are slightly more expensive but they are free of toxins thus preventing aquatic habitats from contamination. You can also wear your clothes more than once and thus wash them less. Try to avoid using the washing machine as it consumes more water. Hand wash your clothes instead. Also avoid using the dryer. Hang your clothes out to dry in the sun.
Go green, material-wise
Synthetic materials are produced by manufacturing units and the process of creating and dyeing these materials emits toxins that pollute the air and contaminate water. In order to reduce the damage done by the production of these synthetic materials we need to avoid buying them as much as possible. Buy natural materials like cotton, linen, wool, hemp, etc., instead.
Buy local
Buy clothes from local stores and designers. Big international brands and stores produce clothes in a different country and then bring them into our country. International transportation contributes to our carbon footprint, as it causes pollution and uses up natural resources. Buying from local stores and designers promotes local talent, requires less transportation (thus protecting our Mother Earth) and contributes towards our nation’s economy.
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Janvi Manchanda doesn’t ‘love’ fashion, she ‘lives’ fashion. She says: “From your inner wear to your favourite leather jacket, it’s all fashion and how you wear it is style.”