Spring Cleaning
One of my favorite things to do is cleaning out my closet. There is something invigorating and emotionally freeing about eliminating the old, or the “unworn”. In turn, we optimistically make space for the new and better understand what we are putting to good use. We must consider where the “old” and unworn is going when discarded. This is where the idea of revamping our closets for a lighter feel in 2021 comes in. Many of us have underutilized garments in our closets, simply collecting dust. There’s no better time than this month, to spotlight “spring cleaning”, bringing us a sense of awareness of our environmental impacts as we plunge into Spring. Of course, this comes full circle, as fashion continues evolving sustainably and new ideas from widespread media give us insight as to how we can be better. It is up to us to evaluate what’s in our closet, and ensure its going to “good use”.
Owning a rather “conscious closet” encourages mindful consumption, and surely will empower you to love what you already have or make informed decisions to purchase long term, durable and sustainable wear! Think of it as a new framework, to position yourself in a better place for the planet and an opportunity to wear each and every article of clothing you own with gratitude. Thankfully, many retail brands are making necessary strides to mitigate environmental disruption. Closing the loops empowers fashion brands to prioritize natural materials, further improving mobilization and material sourcing.
Our respective and supported partner, Prana incorporates recycled material into their unique lines and accelerates their tangible action plans by hosting continued “Renewal Workshops”. Each workshop educates consumers and encourages conscious decision making behind the clothing we wear and additionally reduces potential waste to landfills. We are at a crucial time in history, where incorporating natural materials and increasing investments to support alternative solutions is indeed necessary, to ensure resilience and long term success.
Ways to reduce your environmental footprint and enhance your sustainable impact:
- Consider slow fashion
- Avoid impulse buying. We understand this is easy to do, perusing the mall, website hopping etc. The more mindful you can be with your purchases, the more thought you will encourage behind each buy and keep clothes in your closet longer!
- Encourage upcycling. Have an old t-shirt or an old coat? Turn it into something new! Check out some ideas here.
- Simply reuse your outerwear. If that is not an option, there are many great mission driven organizations, like Gear Forward, which will take your collected “baggage” off your hands and work to close the loops.
Provided is some additional resources in various supporting locations, that accept donations and will put your material to good use! We appreciate your continued interest and our evolution together, toward a better planet with mindful textile consumption. Afterall, it is still possible to enjoy the fashion already in our closets, and consider long term reliable garment pieces for the future.
Some of our other recommended organizations to recycle your clothing:
Denver – CityWild
Seattle – Mountaineers
Portland- Portland Gear Hub
Boulder- Green Guru Gear
San Jose, CA – Sierra Club
East Coast, USA – Teens to Trails