How to create a sustainable wardrobe in six easy steps (and why you should care)

If you went shopping for clothes lately, did you notice how many items are now 'cotton-rich', cotton-blends, or viscose derivatives like Tencel, lyocell, and the like? Did you ever wonder why that is?

• Cotton is 85% of natural fiber usage before hemp, linen, and wool and the demand is fast outnumbering production. If we look at the USA: cotton production in 2023 was 14 percent below last season's crop and the lowest since 2009/10.

• Cotton planted acreage in 2023—at 10.2 million acres—decreased approximately 25.5 percent from the year before and is the lowest planted area since 2016/17.

• The world cotton trade of 2024/2025 is forecast at 27 million tons. That is the insane number of 27 T-shirts per person for every person on the globe.

• Supply and demand make cotton expensive and harder to get, so the producers are looking for cheaper alternatives to replace or mix the cotton.

We should be very concerned about this mass textile consumerism. Some statistics:

• Textile production is estimated to be responsible for about 20% of global clean water pollution from dyeing and finishing products.(1)

• Almost one kilogram of hazardous pesticides is applied per hectare of cotton, which makes cotton responsible for 16% of global pesticide usage. That's a figure higher than any other single crop. (2) The viscose alternatives that are so popular right now, use highly toxic cocktails to create the fiber.

• On top of that slave labor and child labor are rife in the textile industry. Children under the age of 18 make up 60% of those who labor in the global fashion industry.(3) Slave-like conditions are expected to touch any mass-produced garment at some point in the supply chain. (4)

• Annually, the fashion industry produces around 92 million tonnes of textile waste. The fashion and clothing industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions.

We can only make a dent in these numbers when more and more people start rethinking the way they dress.

I have not visited a chain store for clothes in the last few years. 90% of what I own is sustainably made, where possible handwoven, and/or hand-dyed with natural dyes. Some old pieces are still from when I didn't know any better, and I will keep wearing them until they fall apart. The only exception is undergarments, I am still looking for a sustainable solution and will be grateful for solid tips. Full disclosure: every piece of clothing I own fits in a 1-meter-wide closet, and I put my money where my mouth is.

Below I will share with you my top tips for making the (firstly: mental) shift toward your sustainable wardrobe.

Your Sustainable Clothing Collection Guide:

1. Assess Your Current Wardrobe Take inventory of your existing clothing items to understand what you already own and what you may need. Timeless pieces that do not adhere to any fashion will never go out of style.

2. Quality Over Quantity Invest in high-quality, timeless pieces that are made to last. Opt for natural, organic, or recycled materials. Beware of anything of the viscose family, which includes regular Bamboo knits and eucalyptus fabrics. I do not consider these sustainable at all! (5)

3. Support Ethical Brands Research and choose brands that have sustainable practices, use eco-friendly materials and ensure fair labor conditions. I love my clothes made by ARAE in Indonesia, and I own 3 key pieces from handwoven cotton and linen by Turn Black. Alternatively: be your own mini brand, and use botanically printed and naturally dyed fabrics to make your own clothes.

4. Second-Hand Shopping Explore thrift stores, consignment shops, and online platforms for pre-loved clothing items to extend the lifecycle of garments. I have a very successful clothes exchange with a few good friends, and through this I own some vintage designer clothes that I cherish. Naturally dyed T-shirts that I own, get overdyed to a darker shade when they have a stain. Upcycle white items from the thrift store by dyeing or botanical printing.

5. Capsule Wardrobe Approach Curate a minimalist capsule wardrobe with versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched to create various outfits. This is why I love natural dyed clothes so much: the colors always seem to work with each other.

6. Responsible Care Wash clothes in cold water, use eco-friendly detergents, and air dry when possible to reduce energy consumption and extend garment life. My naturally dyed clothes get all washed together on a wool program, with a delicate pH-neutral soap.

Some examples of my wardrobe:

From left to right: 1 gifted blockprinted cotton, sewn into a skirt, with an indigo-dyed shirt. 2 Indonesian batik with natural dyes, sewn by a local sewist for me, indigo and myrobalan dyed shirt. 3: second-hand cotton and linen shirt, with a beautiful ecoprinted coat made by Arae in Indonesia.

Do you feel you can build a sustainable clothing collection that aligns with your values and reduces the environmental impact of your wardrobe? I would love to hear your ideas in the comments.

1. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20201208STO93327/the-impact-of-textile-production-and-waste-on-the-environment-infographics

2. https://ejfoundation.org/resources/downloads/the_deadly_chemicals_in_cotton.pdf

3. https://thewellnessfeed.com/fast-fashion-statistics-221/#:~:text=Child%20labor%20has%20become%20one,in%20the%20global%20fashion%20industry.

4. https://www.unseenuk.org/modern-slavery-in-fashion/

5. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/bamboo-fabrics#:~:text=Bamboo%20is%20a%20plant%20that,or%20viscose%20using%20toxic%20chemicals.