How Long Should You Use a Piece of Clothing for Sustainable Purchase?

<article class="post-1485 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail category-learn tag-opinion tag-sustainable entry" aria-label="How Long Should You Use a Piece of Clothing for the Purchase to be Sustainable?"><header class="entry-header"><p class="entry-meta"><time class="entry-time">November 18, 2020</time> <span class="entry-author">// by <a href="https://betterworldapparel.com/author/bonniefisher/" class="entry-author-link" rel="author"><span class="entry-author-name">Bonnie Fisher</span></a></span><span class="entry-comments-link">// <a class="scroll-to" href="#comments">3 Comments</a></span> </p></header><div class="entry-content"> <p class="has-drop-cap">Before becoming an essentialist, I’d been going on unintentional shopping sprees at least twice a year. Most of the time I would buy a complete outfit that looks good when I try it in dressing rooms, but don’t actually wear it in public. Other times I would buy an outfit for a certain trip, and never wear it again.</p><p>As a result, my closet was always overflowing with unworn clothes, never again to see the light of day. This would lead me to get rid of clothes I’d barely worn once. I would either sell them in a yard sale or give them away without maximising their use.</p><p>As I learned more about sustainability, I realised that my behaviour was neither practical nor sustainable for either my wallet or the environment.</p><p>I wasn’t maximising the use of my clothing.</p><p>In fact, I was, regretfully, one of those responsible for <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-to-stop-13-million-tons-of-clothing-from-getting-trashed-every-year" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">throwing 85 percent of their clothes</a> each year.</p><h2 class="wp-block-heading">Make Your Wardrobe Sustainable</h2><p>Once I realised that my spending behaviour had to stop, I decided to renew my mindset when it came to clothing.</p><p>I had to make a choice. Stop discarding, start reusing.</p><p><a href="https://www.plateconference.org/age-active-life-clothing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A study in Norway</a> concluded that the average lifespan of a garment is 5.4 years, so I wanted to make sure that I max out my clothes’ life cycle before giving up on them. </p><h3 class="wp-block-heading">30 Wears</h3><div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" width="545" height="623" src="https://betterworldapparel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Screen-Shot-2020-10-20-at-3.17.19-PM.png" alt="#30Wears hashtag feed for sustainable clothing purchase" class="wp-image-1489" srcset="https://betterworldapparel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Screen-Shot-2020-10-20-at-3.17.19-PM.png 545w, https://betterworldapparel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Screen-Shot-2020-10-20-at-3.17.19-PM-262x300.png 262w" sizes="(max-width: 545px) 100vw, 545px" /></figure></div><p>Livia Firth, co-founder of the sustainable consulting company Eco-Age, started <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/30wears/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>#30Wears</em></a> on Instagram.</p><p>The campaign aims to encourage all of us to wear clothing pieces repeatedly.</p><p>When we purchase clothing, we often get swept away in the moment, and forget to think about whether or not it’s a practical and sustainable buy. </p><p><a href="https://www.thefrontlash.com/in-conversation-with-livia-firth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According to Firth</a>, we should concentrate on asking why we’re buying that piece and how long we’re going to keep it. If it’s going to be in our wardrobes for a long time, and we expect to wear it more than 30 times, then the purchase is sustainable. </p><h3 class="wp-block-heading">Purchase Sustainable, Quality Clothing</h3><p>But what if it doesn’t last 30 wears?</p><p>I urge you to shop quality clothing next time, then. After all, it can’t be helped. If you’re buying cheap fashion, you’re getting cheap quality, and you’re not getting the value for your money.</p><p>Shopping around for sustainable clothing may be pricier, but it will surely save you more money in the long run.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.givingfashion.com/new-blog-1/2018/1/4/whatis30wearsmovement" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Giving Fashion</a> blog explains the math. </p><p>If you buy a $30 dress from a fast fashion brand, and only wear it five times in three years, which is the average lifetime of fast fashion clothes, its cost per year is $6.</p><p>Whereas, if you spend $90 on a high-quality dress you can commit to and wear at least 30 times in the span of 5.4 years or more, its cost per year is only $3 or less.</p><hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-light-green-cyan-background-color has-light-green-cyan-color is-style-dots"/><p>There you have it!</p><p>When you purchase new clothing, don’t forget to be mindful, and ask the important questions.</p><p>Plus, the key to longer-lasting clothes is in how you take care of them. I still wear my black dress from Topshop from seven years ago, and it still hasn’t reached its 30 wears!</p> <div class='yarpp yarpp-related yarpp-related-website yarpp-template-list'>  <h2>Further Reading:</h2><ul> <li><a href="https://betterworldapparel.com/learn/sustainable-and-eco-friendly-clothing-item/" rel="bookmark" title="How Can You Tell if a Clothing Item is Sustainable and Eco-Friendly?">How Can You Tell if a Clothing Item is Sustainable and Eco-Friendly?</a></li> <li><a href="https://betterworldapparel.com/learn/sustainable-materials/" rel="bookmark" title="The Most Sustainable Materials for Clothing?">The Most Sustainable Materials for Clothing?</a></li> <li><a href="https://betterworldapparel.com/learn/what-is-sustainable-fashion/" rel="bookmark" title="What is Sustainable Fashion?">What is Sustainable Fashion?</a></li> </ul> </div>  </div><footer class="entry-footer"><p class="entry-meta"><span class="entry-terms">Category: <a href="https://betterworldapparel.com/category/learn/" rel="tag">Learn</a></span><span class="entry-terms">Tag: <a href="https://betterworldapparel.com/tag/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="https://betterworldapparel.com/tag/sustainable/" rel="tag">Sustainable</a></span></p></footer></article><div class="after-entry widget-area"><section id="optin-monster-api-2" class="widget optin-monster-api"><div class="widget-wrap"><div id="om-l8etozotpeys1imjazgx-holder"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="https://a.omappapi.com/app/js/api.min.js" data-campaign="l8etozotpeys1imjazgx" data-user="73742"></script></div></section> </div><div class="adjacent-entry-pagination pagination"><div class="pagination-previous"><a href="https://betterworldapparel.com/learn/growth-of-fast-fashion-unsustainable/" rel="prev"><span class="screen-reader-text">Previous Post: </span><span class="adjacent-post-link"><span class="pagination-icon">«</span><img width="80" height="80" src="https://betterworldapparel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/artem-beliaikin-cE8cwN2A2-c-unsplash-80x80.jpg" class="attachment-tiny size-tiny" alt="unsustainable fast fashion sale" decoding="async" /> Why is the Growth of Fast Fashion Unsustainable?</span></a></div><div class="pagination-next"><a href="https://betterworldapparel.com/learn/principles-of-sustainability/" rel="next"><span class="screen-reader-text">Next Post: </span><span class="adjacent-post-link">Principles of Sustainability in Action: Sustainable Fashion <img width="80" height="69" src="https://betterworldapparel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/pexels-dziana-hasanbekava-5480698.jpg" class="attachment-tiny size-tiny" alt="woman reading fashion magazine while outdoors" decoding="async" /><span class="pagination-icon">»</span></span></a></div></div><h2 class="screen-reader-text">Reader Interactions</h2><div class="entry-comments has-avatars" id="comments"><h3>Comments</h3><ol class="comment-list"> <li class="comment even thread-even depth-1" id="comment-129"> <article id="article-comment-129"> <header class="comment-header"> <p class="comment-author"> <img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/cbf2a637230bc3daeac7b12b297fbcdd8e782d7e990e5f9a0563d04657999c5e?s=160&d=mm&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/cbf2a637230bc3daeac7b12b297fbcdd8e782d7e990e5f9a0563d04657999c5e?s=320&d=mm&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-160 photo' height='160' width='160' decoding='async'/><span class="comment-author-name"><a href="https://thebumblelife.substack.com/" class="comment-author-link" rel="external nofollow">Bumbles</a></span> </p><p class="comment-meta"><time class="comment-time"><a class="comment-time-link" href="https://betterworldapparel.com/learn/sustainable-clothing-purchase/#comment-129">November 23, 2020 at 1:46 pm</a></time></p> </header><div class="comment-content"> <p>I love how you bring this issue to light 🙂 personally I tend to wear things out when I purchase them. I’m pretty sure that the last pair of trousers I brought has been worn at least once every 3 days for over a year. You can always buy second hand clothing too and clear out your wardrobe of items that you don’t wear and sell them to someone else who might wear them more if you nolonger have use for them.</p> </div><div class="comment-reply"><a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-129" data-commentid="129" data-postid="1485" data-belowelement="article-comment-129" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to Bumbles" aria-label="Reply to Bumbles">Reply</a></div> </article> <ul class="children"><li class="comment byuser comment-author-mawaha odd alt depth-2" id="comment-145"> <article id="article-comment-145"> <header class="comment-header"> <p class="comment-author"> <img alt='' src='https://betterworldapparel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/image-300x300.jpeg' srcset='https://betterworldapparel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/image-600x600.jpeg 2x' class='avatar avatar-160 photo avatar-default' height='160' width='160' decoding='async'/><span class="comment-author-name">Bonnie</span> </p><p class="comment-meta"><time class="comment-time"><a class="comment-time-link" href="https://betterworldapparel.com/learn/sustainable-clothing-purchase/#comment-145">December 8, 2020 at 12:13 am</a></time></p> </header><div class="comment-content"> <p>Thanks Bumbles, yeah I don’t believe I’ve bought any new jeans now for well over a year. In fact I did an extreme clear out recently and gave away a lot of items to my local charity shop. I hope someone else will get the use out of them that I haven’t</p> </div><div class="comment-reply"><a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-145" data-commentid="145" data-postid="1485" data-belowelement="article-comment-145" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to Bonnie" aria-label="Reply to Bonnie">Reply</a></div> </article> </li> </ul> </li><li class="comment even thread-odd thread-alt depth-1" id="comment-165"> <article id="article-comment-165"> <header class="comment-header"> <p class="comment-author"> <img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/cd45b8a5e9d8c555baa54e23e4d2924aebb8bd951fe6316286601f59822ec4ec?s=160&d=mm&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/cd45b8a5e9d8c555baa54e23e4d2924aebb8bd951fe6316286601f59822ec4ec?s=320&d=mm&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-160 photo' height='160' width='160' decoding='async'/><span class="comment-author-name"><a href="http://www.hopebeyondfashion.com" class="comment-author-link" rel="external nofollow">Annukka Kivela</a></span> </p><p class="comment-meta"><time class="comment-time"><a class="comment-time-link" href="https://betterworldapparel.com/learn/sustainable-clothing-purchase/#comment-165">December 28, 2020 at 7:20 am</a></time></p> </header><div class="comment-content"> <p>Great example of how we don’t think how many times we wear things and how it’s actually More expensive sometimes to buy fast fashion.<br /> I would add though that how and why we buy clothes is very important to think as well. If we go to The shops with a certain piece in our heads we’re More likely to not buy things on a whim.<br /> Good read 😃</p> </div><div class="comment-reply"><a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-165" data-commentid="165" data-postid="1485" data-belowelement="article-comment-165" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to Annukka Kivela" aria-label="Reply to Annukka Kivela">Reply</a></div> </article> </li> </ol></div> <div id="respond" class="comment-respond"> <h3 id="reply-title" class="comment-reply-title">Leave a Reply <small><a rel="nofollow" id="cancel-comment-reply-link" href="/learn/sustainable-clothing-purchase/#respond" style="display:none;">Cancel reply</a></small></h3><form action="https://betterworldapparel.com/wp-comments-post.php" method="post" id="commentform" class="comment-form"><p class="comment-notes"><span id="email-notes">Your email address will not be published.</span> <span class="required-field-message">Required fields are marked <span class="required">*</span></span></p><p class="comment-form-comment"><label for="comment">Comment <span class="required">*</span></label> <textarea id="comment" name="comment" cols="45" rows="8" maxlength="65525" required></textarea></p><p class="comment-form-author"><label for="author">Name <span class="required">*</span></label> <input id="author" name="author" type="text" value="" size="30" maxlength="245" autocomplete="name" required /></p> <p class="comment-form-email"><label for="email">Email <span class="required">*</span></label> <input id="email" name="email" type="email" value="" size="30" maxlength="100" aria-describedby="email-notes" autocomplete="email" required /></p> <p class="comment-form-url"><label for="url">Website</label> <input id="url" name="url" type="url" value="" size="30" maxlength="200" autocomplete="url" /></p> <p class="comment-form-cookies-consent"><input id="wp-comment-cookies-consent" name="wp-comment-cookies-consent" type="checkbox" value="yes" /> <label for="wp-comment-cookies-consent">Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.</label></p> <p class="form-submit"><input name="submit" type="submit" id="submit" class="submit" value="Post Comment" /> <input type='hidden' name='comment_post_ID' value='1485' id='comment_post_ID' /> <input type='hidden' name='comment_parent' id='comment_parent' value='0' /> </p><p style="display: none;"><input type="hidden" id="akismet_comment_nonce" name="akismet_comment_nonce" value="60c18529bb" /></p><p style="display: none !important;" class="akismet-fields-container" data-prefix="ak_"><label>Δ<textarea name="ak_hp_textarea" cols="45" rows="8" maxlength="100"></textarea></label><input type="hidden" id="ak_js_1" name="ak_js" value="39"/><script>document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );</script></p></form> </div>

How Long Should You Use a Piece of Clothing for the Purchase to be Sustainable?

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