by: Erin Morrison
When the cold winter weather comes to an end and warm and sunny spring begins, you will have to switch your wardrobe over from chunky sweaters and jeans to looser and lighter tops and shorts. This raises the questions of what to do with the clothes you know you will not be keeping to wear next winter or where to get new clothes for spring and summer to replace the clothes you got rid of last year. When doing this, a couple of good things to keep in mind are affordability and sustainability.
One major way to keep costs down and stay sustainable is to donate your used clothes and buy clothes second hand because the clothes will still be new to you. There are several ways to do both of these wherever you are, especially in the Champaign-Urbana area. One example is right here at Parkland College. Coming soon, there will be a career closet where you can donate or pick up professional clothing to wear to job interviews or professional events.
Three members of Parkland’s Sustainability Club, Sharon Wenda, Amy Frasca, and Ashleigh spoke to the Prospectus and gave more ideas on how people can stay environmentally friendly while changing wardrobes from winter to spring. Most of their ideas could save you, or even make you, money.
Frasca told about how she will organize clothing swaps with friends. You can bring your own clothes you want to get rid of for your friends to have, and you can take home clothes that your friends want to get rid of. She said that this way you and your friends’ wardrobes can get a refresh without putting new clothing items into circulation.
Wenda and Ashleigh both recommended donating clothes. You can take your clothes to a consignment store, they recommended Karen’s Closet, Plato’s closet, and BroMenn, which is a resale shop run by the hospital in Bloomington.
At a consignment shop, the store will pay you a part of what they think they can make from reselling your clothes, unlike a thrift store like GoodWill. They also recommended donating to not for profit charities like Salt and Light or Salvation Army where people in need can find new clothing. The Sustainability Club members also mentioned that garage sales are a great way to both sell your clothes and buy cheap clothing second hand.
If you do want to buy only new clothing, members recommended wearing your clothes out as long as you can instead if throwing them away. They also said that you can learn to mend and sew your clothing to make it last longer.
When buying new clothing, the club members said to do research on to how sustainable the clothing company’s practices and materials are. For example, according to an article published by The Guardian, Victoria’s Secret was recently reported to have thrown away hundreds of unsold bras. The club also warned of some companies throwing away clothes that you return instead of reselling them.
Eluxe Magazine, a magazine dedicated to reporting on sustainable fashion, recently awarded several of the year’s most ethical brands. While many of these brands can cost more, Frasca said it could be worth it to splurge a little if you can buy clothes that will last longer. Wenda added on to this by saying it can help if you buy more things in a classic and timeless style that will not go out of fashion too quickly.
While you are changing your wardrobe from winter to spring, it is best to put some thought into it. For more information about companies that promote sustainable fashion, visit the Eluxe Magazine Website.
