In previous blog posts we have written about the meaning of the term sustainable fashion and looked at some of the reasons why sustainable fashion is important. We would now like to talk about how each and everyone of us can become a more conscious consumer and through that, also contribute to a slightly better future.

When talking about more sustainable fashion consumption, knowledge about the topic is one of the most important keywords. It is important to think about how much do we know about the clothes we wear – where they come from and who made them?

Nutrition-related topics have become relatively popular with people discussing on what to eat for healthy living. When it comes to garments however, the subject has not yet received the attention it deserves. What we wear on our body should be at least as important as the food we eat on a daily basis.

Fortunately, there are quite many sustainable fashion brands on the market today that offer consumers a relatively wide and diverse range of products. If it seems that these products are somewhat expensive, it’s worth to consider the following - the lifespan of garments that are handmade by small businesses is likely to be many times longer than the lifespan of the ones made by fast fashion brands.

There’s a very simple reason for that - as the name fast fashion suggests, the speed in which the garment is made is essential, which in turn significantly reduces the quality of the product itself. Clothes that break faster fit perfectly into the business model on which many fast fashion companies are built on - to offer and sell endless new trends and models in the shortest possible time, sometimes releasing more than 12 different collections a year.

Being a more sustainable fashion consumer is not something that can be achieved overnight. It is rather a slow change in one's habits - to make better choices for ourselves and the environment on a daily basis. Below a few pointers to help you take steps in the right direction.

Know what clothes and accessories you have. It may sound a little strange, but many people have so many clothes that they don’t remember what exactly is in their wardrobes. If you know what you have, you’ll be able to better assess what it is that you really need.

What do you buy? The easiest rule to follow is quality over quantity. Spend a little more on a quality product and you’ll end up spending less overall in the long run. As the well-known saying goes, "I'm not rich enough to buy cheap things".