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Tsuga Boutique: Sustainable Fashion Practices

Royal City Nursery-Ontario-Sustainable Fashion Practices-sweaters and recycling

As a fast-paced, industrial society, we have a sense that we have everything at our fingertips. If we don’t, we just simply make more, right? When it comes to fashion, what we value as today’s hottest trends often comes with huge environmental impacts that you might not be aware of. With the world suddenly realizing the potential of resource failure long-term, it’s time to chat about how you, a consumer, can help reduce stress on the earth with some of the most efficient sustainable clothing practices we know of.

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What Does Sustainable Fashion Mean?

To really know what sustainable fashion is, it helps to know some of the aspects of the fashion industry that are dangerous for the planet. Here are some of the most prominent impacts of “fast fashion” globally:

  • More streamlined production methods lead to faster output, with major clothing makers pushing out 12-24 new clothing lines a year 
  • Cheaper clothing products lead to larger consumption with a higher disposal rate among clothing shoppers
  • Excessive resources are used to keep up with consumer demand, like high water usage, poor labour practices, and large factory emissions


In order to reduce the impact of fashion on an environmental level, sustainable practices are key. 

 

How to Make Better Clothing Choices

 

1. Buy less, but buy better

One of the key ideas to reducing our impact on the environment and creating sustainable clothing practices is to consume less. When it comes to clothing, shop around for items carefully and consider only purchasing clothing pieces you know you will wear regularly. Many people are guilty of grabbing sale items from the clearance rack only to stuff them at the bottom of a drawer. If you’re going to buy a piece of clothing, it should have some potential for being a staple garment in your day-to-day wear. Look for clothing you can pair up easily with your existing seasonal lineups–like a signature pair of black pants or a white tee–and make these your foundation wardrobe pieces.

Royal City Nursery-Ontario-Sustainable Fashion Practices-thrift shopping

2. Be thrifty

Shopping at secondhand and vintage shops is a great sustainable practice to keep clothing going long after someone else is finished with it. Instead of going to the landfill, clothes can be reused, and oftentimes you can find some amazing, quality finds! You’ll also be paying a fraction of the cost in most cases, so get out and see what treasures await you and your closet. Another way to be thrifty with clothing is to repair minor damages–like small tears or loose buttons–and have clothing hemmed or made to fit you. You can also extend the life of your clothing by using eco-friendly detergents that won’t wear down fibres too quickly. 

The clothing industry is terribly generic, so finding ways to craft a closet full of meaningful pieces is a step toward sustainable clothing practices. 

 

3. Don’t just buy–invest

You know better than any clothing salesperson what you get up to in your clothing, so take the time to assess where you can make the best investment while thinking sustainably. If you start thinking about clothing as an investment rather than a quick turnaround, you begin to see the value in different ways. Invest your hard-earned moola in brands that have a reputation behind them and use quality materials and manufacturing processes, and you’ll be well on your way to supporting sustainable clothing practices!  

4. Know What You’re Buying

This is probably the most important aspect of sustainable fashion practices and can be the trickiest to navigate. The clothing industry has had some less-than-desirable secrets spilled throughout its history, and you really should know what you’re buying before you stuff another pile of $10 t-shirts in your shopping cart. Of course, not all $10 t-shirts are made equally, but knowing where clothing is made, who it is made by, and the chemicals used or not used in their production are all questions you should consider asking. You might prefer more eco-friendly materials in your clothing with lower global impact and environmental footprints (like organic cotton,) particularly if they were made locally. Most cotton used for clothing manufacturing is grown using high quantities of water, pesticides and fertilizer. Sustainable clothing practices involve lower carbon output and should be incorporated into any purchasing choice. 

5. Shop Local

Another great idea to support the sustainable clothing industry is to shop locally. By curating your sustainable wardrobe with local artisans and clothing makers, you are greatly reducing the environmental impact of shipping garments from all over the world (many of which have less-than-ideal fabrication methods). You might also find it helpful to talk to merchants locally about sustainable clothing and how they choose their products.

If you’re ready to take your closet to the next level in 2023 by implementing some sustainable clothing practices of your own, we’ve got you covered (literally!). The Tsuga Boutique is filled with some of our favourite eco-friendly brands like Habitat and Soyaconcept to help you dress comfortably, fashionably, and sustainably. We are, in fact, the only retailer in Guelph that carries the Habitat clothing line. Visit us today if you’re clothing shopping in the Guelph area, and chat with us about making better clothing choices!

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