From experience, it can be refreshing and often urgent to rethink the choices we make in our daily lives. Progressively changing a few habits here and there and finding new ways to tackle our routine can foster awareness about our possessions and overall practices, matching them according to what we need.

Fashion is an inevitable part of our lives, and the way we take care of our clothes can have a considerable impact overall. As a brand that produces clothes and accessories with a low impact on the planet and that are made to last, it’s essential to provide information and tools for you to make informed decisions and to know how to take care of your pieces. This is one of many contributions we can make to reduce our environmental footprint on production and individual level.

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Why choosing to buy something from a certain brand in the first place?

‍Let’s get our priorities straight — a good first exercise is to understand the reasons behind our purchases. Was it because we needed it and are going to give it use or just because we fancied it? Both choices are valid, however, it’s good to be mindful about what we’re investing our money in and what brands we’re backing.

Which brands are socially and environmentally responsible? Can a brand be sustainable without being transparent? What are the most sustainable fabrics? Where should I buy clothes? These are some of the questions one should keep in mind before signaling to companies validation through purchases.

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Something to also be aware of when choosing a brand is greenwashing — a promotional tactic used to describe an organization’s products, activities or approaches as environmentally friendly when they are far from it. Nowadays, some businesses prefer to spend more time and money on the image of caring for the planet than taking practical steps to reduce their impact.

Nevertheless, as conscious consumers, it’s relevant to recognize that there are no simple solutions to complex problems. Sometimes we’re only able to work with what we’ve got, and that’s ok.

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What happens next — Taking care of clothes

‍The more knowledge we have about the products we get, such as the resources and craft that goes into their production, the more aware we’ll be about our engrained practices from the throwaway society and their consequences.

This info will also influence the emotional durability we attach to a product — how the value of a product grows as we establish a personal bond to it (WRAP, 2015). The stronger the connection we develop to our belongings, the more we’ll treasure and take care of them after purchase, and the less we’ll need to replace them for new ones.

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If taken care of properly and by elevating their value, our pieces will not only last longer but will also:
— Not be dumped in a landfill or be incinerated
— Prevent us from contributing to the vicious cycle of consumerism
— Help us save money, and
— Allow us to be more conscious about our habits & choices

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In more practical terms

‍In our daily routine, there are always new habits we can implement to increase our products’ lifespan while keeping things like our energy consumption, water usage & contamination to a bare minimum, like:

• Waiting until we have a full load and wash our clothes in cooler temperatures
• Using eco-friendly detergents that are good for our skin and the planet while bettering fabric care
• Including a wash bag when doing laundry to avoid any microfibers from being released into the sewage system and polluting the ocean
• Choosing to air dry our clothes, which reduces the energy used to generate heat when tumble-drying
• Getting acquainted with clothing care symbols and care labeling to optimize our laundry practices
• Considering clothing repair, repurposing old pieces, and donating clothes when no longer using them

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We hope this was useful.
Stay tuned for the upcoming news and for the next chapter of ‘The evolving lifecycle of apparel’.

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