How to build a Sustainable Closet on a budget

                      Created by : Mihle Ndevu IG: @Mihlee_n

                                   Edited by : Victoria Phillips IG: @kidtori 

The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters globally. This is a sad reality but facts state that up to 85% of textiles are dumped into landfills each year. The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry after the oil and gas sector.  

The pollution numbers are only growing with the growth of fast fashion (the clothing industry replicating trends, mass-producing them and selling at low cost ). Fast fashion is parallel to a drug cartel, it has many victims starting from workers suffering from poor working conditions in manufacturing firms to up-and-coming designers who have their work stolen by big corporations, and not being able to make a profit off of their own hard work. An example of this is a small black-owned business called Elexiay. They are an independent, sustainable business that had their work copied, or in other words, stolen by Shein. 

Don't get it twisted because the fashion conglomerates also fall victim to fast fashion . Recently Zara released a new collection and la___collectionneuse On Instagram exposed them for copying designs from Versace and other major brands as seen blow. 

The growth of fast fashion is through trend worshipping. Predominant trend-followers would follow trends because they think it makes them fashionable. Well, did you know that trends are actually a marketing strategy by luxury companies? It was a matter of getting what you call "unfashionable clients" to buy into fashion. For example, you would enter a Balmain store and not like a piece because you don't understand it's representation, then the sales assistant would introduce you to some other piece which probably has a much less value and they would say it's "trendy". The word "trends" was used to translate fashionable to fashion illiterates . Fashion should  speak about who you are as an individual and how you want to be seen in the world. Let's face it, when you're walking on the sidewalk, people don't see your character or what kind of person you are, they see your attire and you know what they say about first impressions, so what you wear speaks volumes. The only way we could change our current reality is to adapt to new habits, and with that being said, here are some tips I've gathered along the road about building a sustainable closet. 

How to build a sustainable closet on a budget: 

• When buying new clothes, give away some of your old pieces. Filling up your closet with clothes you don't wear doesn't make sense. Hand it down to someone else. 

• Shop at sustainable brands. 

There are many adorable, sustainable brands. The second option is luxury brands. Most luxury brands are sustainable, but shopping at luxury brands doesn't seem practical for the everyday person. Although it's actually saving up, because it's much better buying a luxury t-shirt that lasts 10 years than to buy a new one every second month. 

• Shop at thrift stores. 

Thrift stores have very unique and one-of-a-kind pieces. They normally sell second-hand products which you won't be able to find anywhere else. 

• Shop local brands. 

There has been a rise in popularity with local brands as of lately. They are a more sustainable option as they work in smaller quantities and their production is more controlled. They also meet their buyers needs. 

• Upcycle.

When getting hand-me-downs from friends and family that doesn't fit or is not your style, you can always upcycle them to a piece that meets your needs. There are various videos on TikTok and YouTube that could guide you. 

• Shop in your parents closet.  

Hear me out on this one because this could be a hit or miss situation. I'm not saying dress like your parents, but I'm sure that your parents have some beautiful archived pieces, and with a bit of styling, you can turn your grandpa's knitted vest into something amazing! 

• Create your own pieces.

I'm sure that by now we've all gotten an idea for an outfit or a piece that we want to wear. So sketch it out, buy some fabric and get in contact with a tailor. There's nothing better than wearing your own creations, you also feel accomplished once you've created it. 

I hope that these tips and tricks will come in handy for some of you guys. Please let me know down in the comments if you have tried any of these, or what your thoughts and opinions are. 

For more updates on my fashion journey, follow me @mihlee_n on Instagram.