would constantly changing your wardrobe because of fashion be contrary to green living?

Question

how old is old clothes?
how often do you change your wardrobe?
how do you dispose of your clothes?

Answer 1

oh no, not my wardrobe...this is my only vice (in addition to lying...LOL)...and yes, i'm a shopaholic and yes, i have tons of clothes that i haven't worn...would it make me more green if i say i donate clothes (used & unused) to "big brother"** every 2 months??? is that good enough contribution to green living???

**a charitable org. here in the states that picks up donation from door to door at pre-determined days.

Answer 2

It depends. Are you changing your wardrobe with new clothes or with used clothing. If you want to always have something new but also want to live green, try buying your clothes at thrift and consignment shops or garage sales. Many people give away or sell clothing they only wore once or twice (or not at all). Some is the latest styles. Others are so vintage they are cool. Why go to the local department store to buy a t-shirt that looks like something they wore in the 1970s when you can have the real thing and save the environment too?

To dispose of your old clothes, don't throw them out. Recycle! If they are still good to wear, give them to a charity, sell them on consignment (some stores will give you store credit so you can get new clothes for your old duds). If they are beyond wear, use them for rags, stuff a pet bed or pillow, unravel old sweaters to reknit them into something fab, etc.

You don't need to worry about a schedule to change your wardrobe if you do these tricks.

Answer 3

Constantly buying new clothing would definitely not be green living. (If you buy more classic and conservative clothes (for work at least, they will be in style much longer).

I never change my entire wardrobe. I might need a new pair of pants, a couple of sweaters, etc.--but I mix them with things that I already have. I try to buy sandals and shoes that are always in style--the ones you see every year--flip-flops don't change much, and everybody here wears them casually in the hot summer.

It's a good idea to get clothes that will mix and match for different looks.

You should not dispose of your clothes--someone can always use them. If they are (office) work clothes, agencies that send welfare moms to work are always looking for professional attire (dark pants, jacket, blouses, etc.). Your casual clothing can be given to someone you know, or to a church, shelter or thrift store. Even stained clothing can be used by painters, maintenance people, and others who get dirty every day. Even if they are ripped and stained--they can then be used for rags--for cleaning house or car.

On the other side of the coin, having a lot of clothes can, at times, be a good thing. It means you would need to wash clothing less often--even when you need to change a lot in the hot summer. Hopefully, this would mean that you were saving old clothes to wear around the house and yard, to the store, on a picnic, etc. Some old clothes that I wouldn't wear outdoors I now use for spare sleeping clothes.

I have a denim jacket and a leather jacket that I've worn literally for years (I live in Arizona--so I use them very little each year). I still see the same (or very similar) ones in stores. The same goes for a hooded, zippered sweatshirt--which comes in handy for walking/jogging, or just a trip for groceries.

Answer 4

I have a summer wardrobe and a winter wardrobe both for work (I teach and have to dress up) and weekends. I only buy new clothes when the old ones totally wear out. With the unwearable ones, I either cut into squares for quilt tops, or make t-shirt pillows and stuff them with old shredded up clothes. Some of the nicer dressy clothes, I donate to the thrift store. "fashion" is definately not green.

Answer 5

i heard that the textile industries are big polluters. also, some fibers in clothing like rayon are made from wood pulp. well, if you think about it, over consumption is contrary to the idea of green living. However, we live in a capitalist society. just like phone manufacture, the fashion industry is constantly changing products to fuel consumption of their products. Most of my clothes are bought used. I usually buy 2-3 items per week. I'm a student, so i can't afford to buy from the department store. I can get my 7 for all mankind jeans for $30. yanuk jeans $20 and cute marc jacobs tees for $15. As far as disposing of clothes. I either 1) sell at a consignment shop or 2) donate to charity.

Answer 6

Green living requires reducing consumption, reusing goods and recycling products/using recycled products. By constantly changing your wardrobe, consumption is increased. Even if all clothes that were purchased were made from organic cotton or recycled materials, the constant changing of anything is wasteful. I am 26 years old and still have/wear clothes from high school. Do I like them? no. but they work. I do not buy clothes because I see it in a store and i just HAVE to have it. I do not buy clothes every month, or every year for that matter. When I purchase clothes, it is because of necessity. They are most likely from a thrift store or made by a union. I do not throw away clothes. I sew them if they need mending, i give them to friends, donate them to a thrift store, use the fabric as scraps to make more clothes or use the clothes are cleaning rags.
Every purchase we make is a political statement, and unfortunately most of the clothes made today are produced in sweat shops. For me, it is immoral to support that type of business. As Gandhi has said, there is no point in wearing the finest fabric if it is to cause poverty and starvation. Disregarding consumption levels, if the clothes that are purchased are not made of sustainable materials and are not providing the laborers that made the clothes with enough to live with, than it is not goes against green living, it goes against humanity.

Answer 7

Yea I think so. If you are constantly buying brand new clothes.

I don't change my wardrobe completely is I just add subtract each season. When ever I do buy clothes I first look at thrift stores and vintage shops. If they don't have what I'm looking for I make it. By no means do I have a out of date boring wardrobe.

To dispose of clothes I do the following:
The ones that can still be worn I donate to thrift stores.
When they are to worn or are stained I make them into rags if they have a lots of fabric or they don't absorb spills I make them into rag rugs.

Answer 8

If you buy clothes from consignment shops, thrift shops, or by using Freecycle, you can get "new" clothes without spending a lot of money, keeping things out of landfills, and letting the manufacturers know that their clothes are too expensive. Donating your old clothes to these places and then buying others helps is so many ways.

It provides jobs, reduces landfills, and is easier on the pocketbook.

Also if you look at fashion trends, it revolves in 30-40 year cycles. So if you want some really hot clothes, raid your grandma's closet ;-)

Answer 9

Yes...the more clothes you buy the more they need to make. You should buy what you need only, and replace it (by donating usable clothes to shelters, goodwill, council of the blind, purple heart, whatever) when you no longer have use of it. I generally change my entire wardrobe over every 5 years or so. I stay "in style" by buying items that are less "super trendy" and more classic pieces that won't go out of style so quickly. I also purchase classic trousers and skirts that will go with everything, and I haven't replaced those for 8 years. I will only replace them when they wear out.

I also buy clothing made of natural materials (silk, cotton,linen, wool) so that if and when it needs to be thrown out it will biodegrade quickly --no rayon, nylon, or plastic in my clothes! But I rotate my clothes like this-

when I first buy an item of clothing, I wear it regularly. If it gets stained or ripped or stretched out (or I gain or lose weight) then I wear it for pajamas, painting clothes, chore clothes, etc. when it gets beyond that point, I cut the cotton items up into reusable rags, which get used until they disintegrate.

Answer 10

No, it would just be a complete waste of money (if it's constantly). However, fashion doesn't undergo major changes THAT often, so you can use your clothes for a while before you need to get rid of them. And when you do get rid of them, donate them to the local salvation army or something (that way, if you get a donation receipt, you get a little more back from taxes).

Answer 11

what you could do is keep some of your style while incorporating his taste of style in with it. that way you dont have to change as much and you wont need as much help. try wearing black pants maybe, (maybe slightly more fitted if you tend to go with baggy clothes) with a colorful shirt. or any kind of bright necklace that really pops can change a whole outfit even if the outfit is mostly dark colors. your could do that kind of thing until you get the hand of it and then kind of progress until you find some style that both of you like (just slowly add more color and less blck until you find a balance) as for the makeup the first step is eyeliner. if you have black hair then keep using black eyeliner but maybe just only use it on the top or bottom so that its not as much if you have lighter hair i suggest using a dark brown or brown eyeliner so that its not so bold. also using less will help there too. after a while try using just a neutral colored eyeshadow with maybe a little shine, and maybe one day try a pinkish color but nothing more. really its all about taking it one step at a time so that you arent changing completely at once! then you can decide where you are happy! hope i helped and good luck!! p.s you dont have to change for him but if you want to cuz hes worth it to you then more power to ya!!!!!