We’ve all been caught in the cycle of forgetting about New Year’s resolutions soon after making them. This year, we’re creating goals based on sustainable values that are much more exciting (and rewarding) to keep up with 💚. Planet-friendly New Year’s resolutions can help you flex your creativity, gain knowledge, and help reduce emissions and clothing waste. Kick off the New Year with a closet clear-out, and use the sustainable resolutions below as a starting point to extend the life cycle of your closet.
Hold a Clothing Swap with your Community 👯♀️
Clothing swaps are the perfect opportunity to connect with your community and add some cute new pieces to your wardrobe. Swaps can range from a small group of friends having a home-cooked meal together and trading clothes from their closets, to a large event that helps out those in need of warm clothes for the winter. You can even make a pact with your fam to bring extra clothes to family parties to trade (or hand down to younger ones). No matter the size or intention of your swap, have some fun with it – flex your design skills by creating an event flyer for social media, create a playlist, and set up some food and drinks ♥️.
Clear out your Closet to Sell Second-Hand 👗
The best part of selling second-hand is knowing for sure that a piece you no longer want is going into the hands of someone who wants or needs it – and can easily pass it on in the future. One of the best ways to resell consistently is by doing recurring closet cleanouts. This gives you the chance to slow down and decide which items you’d like to let go of or add to your wardrobe (plus it keeps your space less cluttered✨). As a seller, you can try challenging yourself to use sustainable shipping practices, like reusing packaging you already have or adding thank you notes for buyers on recycled paper ♻️.
Mend your Clothes 🪡
The longer you have a piece of clothing, the more wear and tear it may get, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to toss or donate it! There are so many ways to mend your clothes, from getting them fixed at a tailor to learning how to sew so you can fix holes and tears yourself! To avoid having to do too much damage control, take a little extra time to give your clothes some TLC from the time you first get them. One of the easiest ways to start doing this is to learn how to read clothing care labels (because who can really tell what those random shapes and symbols actually mean?) Once your clothing can’t take any more washes, consider upcycling it into something like a purse or reusing the fabric for cleaning (or even a fabric art project ).
Upcycle your Old Threads 🎨
Upcycling – which is basically giving unused materials new life/value – is the perfect way to let your creativity shine. One quick scroll through upcycling TikTok will start you off with tons of inspiration, and you’ll never look at the old fabrics, charms, and unworn clothes you have laying around the house the same! A lot of upcycled items with parts from brands like LV and Chanel can be found on Curtsy, but you don’t have to have a luxury element in the upcycled pieces you create. By upcycling, you can keep finished products from ending up as waste, and add your own twist for a whole new design 🪡💛.
Try out Sustainable Brands ♻️
To help keep your sustainable habits going past New Years, keep yourself up to date on sustainability in the fashion world. On top of doing your own research, it also helps to read articles and purchase clothing (secondhand is even better, of course) from sustainable brands like Patagonia and Levis. The people behind these brands are dedicating endless hours towards being industry leaders in sustainability. On their websites, some brands like Patagonia have environmental activism sections about their values, opportunities to get involved in environmental groups, and inspirational stories from activists around the world 🌎.
From the closet of a friend, to a unique upcycled accessory, to the Curtsy feed, there’s always more life to give to your clothes ✨
