Our founder, Debra, is a style icon (she’d never admit it, but we certainly will), so when it comes to fashion advice, there’s no better person to turn to. At YBD Finds, we believe fashion shouldn’t cost the Earth, but with greenwashing, increasingly confusing jargon and constantly evolving regulations to contend with, being the owner of a truly ethical wardrobe is harder than ever.
So, we asked Debra to share her top five tips for shopping sustainably to help you make sense of the noise. Here’s what Debra had to say…
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The “Do I Have This Already?” Test
When I see something I want to buy I always ask myself: “Am I lusting over this item because I already have something very similar that I love/loved?” We’re all creatures of habit when we find something we are comfortable wearing and feel our best in. If I have something very similar, then it’s a “no”.
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Stalk the Designer (In a Good Way)
I never buy anything before checking out the designer. Who is this designer? What do they stand for? How do they craft their pieces, and where do the materials come from? Smaller brands are usually transparent about their processes, but larger brands might try to pull the eco-wool over your eyes with greenwashing. If I buy a piece, I want it to last and I want to feel good inside and out wearing it.
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One In, One Out
For every new item I bring into my wardrobe, something else has to go. I have adopted a ‘one in, one out’ policy, where I either “swap” with friends or donate to charity. I often even sell via a brilliant nearly new shop before I allow myself to buy anything new. Doing this makes me properly consider exactly what I want and why I ‘need’ it before “adding to basket”.
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Sleep on It
Impulse buys are the bane of a sustainable wardrobe. Having added something to my basket online or having seen something I love in-store I always sleep on it. It’s amazing how many times I’ve changed my mind overnight!
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Alteration Station
I never give up on old clothes until I’ve checked if I can alter them to make them all new again, as a talented tailor can breathe a whole new life into your wardrobe. Find yourself a great alterations person/shop and chop off sleeves/take-in/let out/reduce length/crop etc etc. I invested in a great pair of dressmaker’s scissors and regularly slice off hems leaving a lovely “raw edged” finish! To stop them fraying too much I bought some fabric glue too. It’s amazing how many new pieces you can create from what you’ve already got in your wardrobe.
And there you have it—Debra’s top tips for keeping your wardrobe stylishly sustainable. Remember, fashion is about expressing yourself and feeling great, but we can all make gentle steps to being more kind to our beautiful planet whilst doing so. As always, our website has a huge range of conscientious Finds waiting to be found, so head on over (with Debra’s tips fresh in your mind) for some slow, sustainable shopping.
Shop our Slow and Sustainable edit.
