Give up new clothes for six months. Choose Goodwill or second-hand threads if you really need them.

What’s In It For the Planet?

  • Textile manufacturing requires large volumes of water and often produces toxins like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and dioxin-producing bleach.
  • Synthetic cotton-blend textiles are usually treated with formaldehyde, a harmful toxin.
  • Cotton is a renewable resource, but it is often not grown sustainably. Conventional cotton production accounts for 25% of U.S. pesticide use.
  • The production of petroleum-based fabrics like nylon and polyester is energy-intensive and produces
    greenhouse gases.
  • According to a Cambridge University study entitled “Well Dressed”, 60% of the carbon emissions generated by a simple cotton T-shirt comes from future washes and machine dryings.
  • The “fast fashion” industry – selling cheap clothing that is thrown away without a second thought – is a large and worsening source of carbon emissions.

What’s In It For Me?

Bidding farewell to new clothes can be a big challenge, even if it leaves your pocketbook happy. Never fear, we’re here to offer tips and ideas to help you navigate this
clothing conundrum.

In the wise words of Marcel Proust, “The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Well, let’s apply this philosophy to your closet. When was the last time you pulled out your clothes and rearranged them by rainbow color? Okay, maybe that’s a little extreme, but the point is, you’ve probably got tons of great clothes in there that you never wear. Pull ‘em out! Make ‘em visible! You’ll suddenly feel like you’re 12 and you just went
back-to-school shopping.

Have you considered a clothing swap? You know what they say: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. So start trading your clothes with friends.

And there’s more. Instead of shopping, how about devoting that time and energy to learning something new? Take a pottery class. Learn to dance. Start a meditation practice.

More than anything, perhaps you’ll challenge yourself to be okay with what you have and who you are.

Have some ideas of your own? Share your story with others who are also taking steps to live greener today.

Finding the Sacred In…Choosing Second-Hand

I gave up my car. I rely solely on public transportation. I compost. I live in a very small home. In other words, I’ve taken some significant steps to reduce my environmental footprint. But I can’t seem to kick the clothing habit. I love clothes and I’m the first to admit it.

Of course we all need new clothes once in a while. And sometimes a new dress is just what the doctor ordered. But I also know there’s a difference between moderation
and over-consumption.

So I’ve started to ask myself some bigger questions. When I feel inclined to run out and buy something new, I pause: what do I really need right now? How am I feeling, this very moment? Instead of buying something new, might I instead fulfill myself with a walk in the sun? Or sitting quietly for a few minutes? Or dinner with a friend?

For years I’ve wanted to make my own clothes. I even have a sewing machine, but I don’t know how to use the darn thing. Imagine all the time I could have spent learning to sew, but instead I stood in line, waiting to spend my money on something that I probably gave away after a year.

I haven’t given up new clothes for six months, but I’ve indeed committed to bringing more consciousness to the role of consumption in my life – and for me, that’s
the first step.
- Moira, San Francisco

Wanna Learn More?

Read more about Depression-era living in Little Heathens by Mildred Kalish

See all of Gandhi’s possessions

Elizabeth Rosenthal wonders,
“Can Polyester Save the World?”

Read “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the
Clothing Industry”

Read about The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy

Read A Social History of Trash, by Susan Strasser

Read the TreeHugger story on the un-consumer movement “The Compact” and then learn more about it here

Participate in Buy Nothing Day

Check out Eating Her Wedding Dress, the new collection of poems devoted to the subject of clothing

 

Wanna Do More?

  • Give up highly toxic dry cleaning.
  • Avoid buying clothing that must be frequently bleached or washed in hot water.
  • If money permits, buy clothes made with sustainably grown cotton, bamboo, and other fiber crops that require fewer pesticides and irrigation.
  • Learn to sew! Make your own clothes with great vintage fabrics. Turn old dresses and shirts into new ones.
  • Organize a second-hand clothing swap with friends or neighborhood organizations. Everyone brings their own items and all unclaimed clothes go to a local shelter or Goodwill.

Have some suggestions of your own? Share them on HabitChat.