Dress Responsibly

Image: Tamara Wickstrom

 I  constantly contemplate the concept of responsible dressing and a person's clothing choices ecological impact. Have you ever thought about your social responsibility as it applies to your personal style choices?

Did you know? The average US citizen throws away 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles annually.

While the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) estimates that the textile recycling industry recycles approximately 3.8 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste (PCTW) each year, this only accounts for approximately 15% of all PCTW, leaving 85% in our landfills.

The U.S. EPA estimates that textile waste occupies nearly 5% of all landfill space.

Americans generate about 25 billion pounds of textiles in one year. On a global scale it equates to approximately 114 Billion pounds per year. 

Something has to be done.

When I created my Vintage eBoutique: Evolution Vintage it was not just about re-styling fashion's past current. It was also about dressing responsibly. Fashion's past has provided us with glorious and unique fabrications, trims and adornments that are unavailable today or widely unused. I could not imagine letting these clothes sit in a landfill or dingy thrift store and never have a chance at a second life. We all deserve second chances, right?

Image: Tamara Wickstrom

Dressing responsibly has little to do with Vintage per se, but more about being fashionably creative. You can give your old clothing new life by using minor stylistic changes to re-vamp your wardrobe before tossing it. For example, remove the sleeves from that black dress you have been wearing for years in fall/winter and re-style it for Spring/Summer with that little touch and appropriate accessories.

OR

Donation is also another fabulous way to give your clothing a second shot. Give to a local charity shop or to friends you know will wear them. I choose thrift stores that support my local community and associated programs, where I live it is Achievement House. It supports people with intellectual disabilities by providing vocational training, education and tangible jobs.

There are several ways to dress responsibly, up-cycle and re purpose your clothing to avoid the textiles in the landfill. The direct recycling method is to wear Vintage.

I also recycle / re-style Vintage jewelry, trims and fabric's into fabulous cocktail rings and hair accessories via EVOLUTION REWIND

Image: Tamara Wickstrom

ALL of these rings used to be Vintage brooches that were broken or had issues. They have been, restored and  re-styled into fabulous contemporary rings and NOT wasted! (All rings pictured are available via Evolution Rewind)

The stigma of "previously loved clothing" needs to be removed from out culture if we are every to shrink or eliminate the numbers cited above.  I always think of this scenario, The fast fashion at say a giant retailer like Froever21, who knows how many bodies the shirt you just purchased has been tried on? not laundered in between. Technically the garment has been previously worn.

Image: Tamara Wickstrom

The clothing offered to my clients via Evolution Vintage are professionally cleaned and ready to wear. They have a history in fashion and in the life of someone else. They are all hand selected by me anticipating their abiliy to be re-styled into a conetmporary woman's closet.

Image: Tamara Wickstrom

Check out Super model Amber Valetta in her web series "Driving Fashion Forward" - this episode is called "UPCYCLE" It is inspiring and a great reminder of the world we share and our global duty to contribute to the solutions and not the problem.

Do you dress responsibly? 

Tell me how in the comments.