Sustainability in fashion is not a new topic. Most people have a good sense that they need to be conscious of the impact of the clothes they buy, and many brands are putting their sustainability commitments front and center to appeal to shoppers. But how much of that hype is just that, hype? Well, a lot. 

To sort through the rhetoric, first, you have to define the problem. Clothes production can harm the earth because they require natural resources like water and utilize chemicals that can be harmful. Clothes also harm the earth when they end up in a landfill. 

So if I want to be a responsible consumer of clothing what do I do? Well, most experts agree that avoiding fast fashion is a good start. Fast fashion is inexpensive clothing with low quality. These clothes are not made with care for the environment or workers but are meant to be trendy and disposable. 

This kind of clothing is the biggest part of the problem because even if the items are made with responsible materials, there is still *so much* of it it’s overwhelming. Returns and unpurchased products often end up in landfills so even if it’s not leaching chemicals into the environment it’s still rotting in a garbage pit.

One antidote to this kind of production is shopping for (and therefore creating demand for) high-quality items that last, can be repaired and offer a long valuable life.  This doesn’t mean you should buy flimsy, cheap clothes and hope you can make them last for a long time. But it does mean purchasing items that are made with good materials and care and taking the time to really interact with what you’re buying instead of impulsively getting whatever is trendy that day.

And while we’re on the subject of trends, know that the trendy *wear it once and then it’s out of style* looks are fueling consumption. Try to avoid the temptation of one-off trends, even if the piece is made well. Fast fashion loves to copy trendy pieces with cheap knockoffs. 

To shop sustainably you have to fight the urge to jump on every style that emerges at the moment. Once you’ve mastered that, focus on meaningfully contributing to the circular economy. The circular fashion industry is a restorative system in which clothes and accessories are circulated among many for as long as they have value, and then they are returned safely to the biosphere when they are no longer viable. 

For example, the slow fashion brand Archelis uses leather offcuts and other fabrics that would otherwise be discarded to create their garments. By recycling existing materials they’re able to avoid creating new ones (which saves water and energy).

You don’t have to buy an entire look or ensemble from one designer or company for this idea to work. Online shoppers have been using secondhand sites to find luxury items online, and buyers sites have always been available but the perception isn’t the best because they’re largely self-governed and buyers have been burned. The emergence of buy nothing groups and pop-up thrift stores helps people at the local level. 

Because there is demand for a reliable place to shop online sustainably, we’re seeing trusted sites pop up that can help you shop sustainably.

A site called Swap.com is quickly becoming a great place to find everyday basic clothes from a variety of brands, many new with tags. If you like to shop online for basics and want to be more eco-friendly, then you have to consider Swap.com. They also have a seller program, so you’re quite literally ushering your wardrobe through the circular economy by buying and selling on Swap.com.

The last way you can shop sustainably online is to consider the ethical impact of your purchases.  Buying from ethical brands that give back to the community or have high labor standards is a great way to support your mission to save the earth. 

An example of a brand that has fair and ethical practices is The People’s Apparel, which has “Stand for Something” embroidered on their garments and donates 10% of profits to organizations focused on social justice. You get bonus points if you can shop these brands secondhand!

There are so many ways you can shop sustainably online and it doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Start by identifying the brands you want to buy and then try to find the items from those brands on the secondary market, first. One simple way to do this is to create a search for your size in that brand on a site like Swap.com

If you can’t find what you want, then buy direct from the brand and not via a third party. Some brands, especially those with an environmental mission, will have offers and discounts on their own secondhand items like returns or items from the previous season. 

If you resist trendy temptation and shop smart online, you can find clothes that you can feel good about buying.