How To Go a Year Without Buying New Clothes

The joy and satisfaction of realistically cutting out fast-fashion and developing your eco-conscious wardrobe

Photo by Duy Hoang on Unsplash

At the end of 2019, I took a long, hard look at my closet and my wallet. I had never considered myself as an impulsive shopper or fervent fast fashion consumer, but I was struggling to close my dresser drawers. I couldn’t squeeze another hanger into my tiny closet if I tried.

And despite the surplus, I was cycling through the same couple shirts and pants. The rest of my clothing was abandoned and wrinkled, either because I had forgotten I had it, I didn’t like the way it looked on me, or I only had one occasion on a blue moon to wear it.

On top of that, I could feel my sense of style evolving too firmly to keep pace with the trends in stores. What I wanted to wear wasn’t what I was buying, and I was finding less use and enjoyment from clothes.

I was a student. All of my expendable income was going towards tuition and basic necessities. The truth of it was that I just couldn’t afford to treat myself to new clothes anymore. So before I did any research on the environmentally devastating footprint of fast fashion or the morally-bankrupt nature of the textiles industry, I decided to quit buying new clothes for a year.

A year and a half later, and I have no plans to shop at the H&Ms and Urban Outfitters of the world ever again. What I did not expect? Just how much this journey to cut out new clothes would transform my eco-conscious and sense of place in the world.

Why Clothes Are So Contentious in the 21st Century

You’ve read the minimalist books, seen the hoarder reality shows, perhaps even bought into the Marie Kondo method. If you’ve been consuming any self-help media in the past five years, you’ve heard from ‘professionals’ who would have you pare down your wardrobe to 15 pieces or fewer. If you’re like me and live in a climate with seasons, then that suggestion has made you roll your eyes.

You’ve undoubtedly witnessed the increasing global scrutiny on the environmentally polluting supply chain operations of fast fashion brands. While perusing H&M, you’ve likely seen the green hangtags that label a piece of clothing as “conscious” — a blatant marker of greenwashing that you should avoid outright. You’ve felt shamed by social media vigilantes who admonish you for frugally shopping at Walmart for your basics rather than choosing pricier, sustainable brands.

Suffice to say, there’s a lot of noise about the ethical consumption of clothes. On the surface, much of it comes across as condescending.

I get it. Not everyone has the time to constantly reevaluate their wardrobe, the mental faculties to go minimalist, or the money to buy into sustainably-made clothing lines. Eco-activists mean well, but how practical is it really to develop an eco-conscious?

More practical than the popular media might have you believe. Of course, take any of my advice on how to change your consuming habits with the knowledge that though I am no influencer or self-help guru, my ability to nix new clothes from my life was also contingent on my privileged circumstances: easy access to thrift stores and having no obligation to clothe dependents such as children.

There is no prescriptive method to developing an eco-conscious.

But the motivation for being more thoughtful about the clothes we purchase should be a universal one. The disturbing statistics don’t lie.

• 93% of brands surveyed by the Fashion Checker aren’t paying garment workers a living wage.
• According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, more than $500 billion of value is lost every year due to clothing underutilization and the lack of recycling.
• A 2019 report from UN Environment found that the fashion industry is responsible for 8% of carbon emissions.
• “Nearly 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make the world’s polyester fiber, which is now the most commonly used fiber in our clothing,” Forbes reported in 2015. “But it takes more than 200 years to decompose.”

The environmental price of fast fashion is simply not worth keeping up with the trends at the rate that Western countries are currently going. But where do you even begin?

How To Turn Your Back on Fast Fashion

Recycle and donate unused clothes

Take a free weekend to evaluate your wardrobe. Consider what pieces you get the most use of and organize them in a way that those you value the most are at the forefront of your closet. For instance, I have a pair of green pants that make me happy every time I wear them. Those get folded at the front of my drawer, while the leggings I only wear to layer underneath in the cold get stored in the box under my bed.

Clear out any unused items, but do not throw them away. Donate, give to friends, sell online, or repurpose. There was a white sundress that I loved the fit of but fell far too short for me to ever be comfortable wearing. I took it as an opportunity to dust off my sewing machine and upcycle the dress into a blouse. No desire to pull out the needle and thread? There are a lot of clothing recycling options out there for pieces that are beyond repair or reuse. For example, Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program collects old athletic shoes from any brand that they grind up and use to create courts, fields, tracks, and playgrounds.

Reevaluate your clothing needs

Go cold turkey on buying any new items of clothing. For me, the decision to turn my back on fast fashion fell upon me in the Kohl’s clothing department. It was the tail end of summer and I was admiring a cozy sweater, thinking of fall and cooler weather. It struck me that I had three other sweaters just like this one collecting dust in my closet. Why was I about to drop $20 on another one? I left Kohl’s that day not knowing right away that I would never shop for clothes in a traditional retailer again, but looking back, that realization was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Of course, you should shop how you see fit when it comes to buying underwear, socks, and other intimates, but there is no reason to be buying brand new basics or special occasion outfits if you can easily get them secondhand or if you have a piece just like it at home already.

Care for your current closet

Take care of the clothes you do have. Read the label instructions. Hand wash or dry clean when is required and learn how different types of fabric hold up over time. My journey to forgoing fast fashion had me scrolling through forums and Wikipedia pages on how to make my pieces last as long as possible. Polyester, acrylic, spandex, and other fabrics derived from plastic have the shortest lifespan — despite the fact that they will live on in the environment for hundreds of years.

Synthetic clothing, which is made from plastic and oil byproducts, makes you stink. The fabric itself has excellent moisture-wicking abilities, but this means that the microscopic notches in the fabric that transfer sweat from inside the garment to outside leave tiny holes where bacteria thrives. Natural fibers, like cotton and wool, actively absorb the bacteria that makes sweat smell so bad.

The one downside to natural fabrics is that after multiple wears and washes with heavy detergents, they can be subject to pilling and fraying. Pilling can be easily remedied by using a fabric comb, a battery-operated fuzz remover, or a razor to gently shave pills from the surface of the garment. For frays or tears, it might be worth it to get familiar with using a sewing needle so that when an item you love does wear down, you can easily mend or patch it. Use the natural wear of clothing as an opportunity to get creative! It was from mending a hole in my jeans that I discovered my love for embroidery.

Thrift, thrift, thrift!

When you absolutely need a new item of clothing, buy secondhand first. How easy it is to thrift your clothes depends highly on where you live. I’m lucky enough to live in an area where the Goodwills price all shirts at $4 and all pants at $5, irrespective of brand. I once bought a pristine Ralph Lauren turtleneck that had an original retail value of over $300 for only $4.95. Consider online secondhand stores like Poshmark and ThredUp. The only caveat to patronizing thrift stores is that they exist at the bequest of other people’s over-consumption — but one battle at a time.

When dressing up for a unique occasion, consider renting a single-wear item or borrowing from a friend. God knows how many times I’ve raided my sister’s closet for a dress to wear once to a party or for shoes to match an outfit.

Research sustainable brands

As a third resort, invest in sustainable brands made domestically, ideally distributed by small businesses that give you direct access to the chain of supply. This means that you know where the materials for the item came from, who was making them (and how well they were compensated), and the methods with which the clothing was made. It will always be more expensive to shop smarter — but when factoring in the longevity of handmade clothing versus the hidden costs of fast fashion on our global community, it is well worth it when the need arises.

What many don’t realize, though, is that knowing how to research apparel supply chains is a skill all its own. If it’s a more widely known brand, a quick search at goodonyou.eco will give you an easy-to-digest overview of its impact on the planet, people, and animals. For less transparent brands, you can always email/call the contact source and ask the following questions to make sure you are avoiding greenwashing:

1. Does this brand use sustainable fabrics and materials?
2. Does this brand utilize sustainable production methods? (Is it a Certified B Corporation and/or Cradle to Cradle Certified? Are there publicly available sustainability reports each quarter?)
3. Does this brand produce at a sustainable rate/scale?
4. Does this brand treat and pay its workers ethically?

Ultimately, before buying anything new you should ask yourself: Do I see myself wearing this more than a couple of times in a month? How much use will I realistically get out of it? If you are honest with yourself that you won’t be reaching for the piece in your wardrobe time and time again, don’t buy. Wear and repeat what you already have — all the cool kids are doing it!

Reflect on the benefits

Anytime I’m tempted to dip my toe back into the great, polluted sea of fast fashion, I remind myself of all that I have gained since the beginning of this journey.

1. I have saved hundreds (possibly thousands) of dollars over the span of two years. This has allowed me to get a head start on paying back student loans.
2. I have more space in my wardrobe. There’s nothing more headache-inducing than an overstuffed closet. Now I am confident that the pieces I have are ones I will cherish and get valuable use out of.
3. I have stopped caring so much about fashion trends. Fast fashion thrives on the addictive factor of shopping and quantity over quality. Freeing yourself from those pressures to keep up with an ever-changing aesthetic is an incredible boon to your self-expression.
4. I have started thinking about the planet and my place in it in radical, new ways, thus developing my eco-conscious.

Why Your Eco-Conscious Matters

Since the word “eco-conscious” first catapulted into the mainstream, it has been criticized to varying degrees. And, in all honesty, it has been used in less-than-honest ways by obvious fast fashion brands trying to cover their marketing bases and trick unwise consumers. “Eco-conscious” has also been appropriated by ‘green tourists’ using the term to claim some moral capital while traveling.

But when I talk about developing your eco-conscious, I am speaking to an internal, deeply personal experience. When you begin one practice with sustainability in mind, such as cutting out new clothes from your budget, it can have a snowball effect on how you approach other habits and routines. Suddenly your own footprint seems like such a wide one, and even though you know rationally that you alone cannot do all the good the world needs, it seems more and more like the world needs all of your good.

The research that accompanied my goal of not buying any clothes taught me about the devastating impact of microplastic pollution in the textiles industry. This knowledge led me to hesitate in the grocery store and to pick out my fruit individually rather than opting for the bargain plastic-net bag of oranges. Armed with knowledge about the deplorable conditions workers are made to endure in fabric production, I scour thrift stores for secondhand fabrics, curtains, or tablecloths to incorporate in my sewing projects. I walk the five blocks to the pharmacy rather than drive. I limit my meat intake to once a week. The little things pile on.

The feeling becomes that though you are one person, your day-to-day has a silent and oftentimes invisible impact on other people, on the planet. At first, this can be crippling. How are you supposed to navigate the world when most aspects of life — the food you eat, the commute to work, even, to some extent, the clothes you wear — are so out of your control?

In the end, honing an eco-conscious relies on you remembering the following:

You are only a single person, so 1) take some pressure off yourself but also 2) allow yourself to believe in your individual purchasing power.

My eco-conscious is a constant work in progress — I won’t write here and say that I’ve figured out how to mitigate my carbon footprint or live the fabled zero-waste lifestyle. But by not buying new clothes for almost two years, I have discovered a lot of truths about myself. For example: I love to sew! I enjoy vintage styles! I like the challenge of taking something old and transforming it to suit my creative needs.

You too could discover something unexpected about yourself by taking that first step. I know people who have embraced minimalist living, who have made major bucks reselling secondhand pieces online, who have become passionate environmental activists in their free time. I, for one, joined a community of upcyclers on Instagram and opened an Etsy shop where I occasionally sell hand-embroidered, secondhand clothing.

Ultimately, your eco-conscious is yours to cultivate. Take a leap, give yourself some grace, and be prepared to have your perspective of your place on the planet change.