Help this elder millennial make her wardrobe more ecofriendly
October 7, 2024 7:04 AM Subscribe
I would like a capsule wardrobe made up of pieces that will someday biodegrade and not just live on and on in a landfill after my death.
I have historically thrifted (20s) or worn anne taylor loft, anne taylor, white house black market (30s). I also bought some stuff from kohl's in the first year after having my kid and all that stuff is pilling now and I regret it.
I am 5'4 size six or eight u.s. If I were older and taller would like something like Eileen Fisher. Although more than $100 for a shirt still seems nuts to me. What I like about it is that it all coordinates for a sort of "uniform." I wear a lot more jewel tones and fewer neutrals than Eileen Fisher.
I have one day work from home where athleisure is fine, one or two days in office where business casual is fine, and one or two days where I need to wear suits. I like to wear Rothys flats or naturalizer pumps at work.
I have some boot cut jeans from kohl's that I don't love but still fit. Do I just tough it out till they wear out for the sake of the planet? Or if I replace them, with what? And can I recycle them somehow?
I have a brilliant talented family seamstress who could also make/tailor as needed. Thanks!
I have historically thrifted (20s) or worn anne taylor loft, anne taylor, white house black market (30s). I also bought some stuff from kohl's in the first year after having my kid and all that stuff is pilling now and I regret it.
I am 5'4 size six or eight u.s. If I were older and taller would like something like Eileen Fisher. Although more than $100 for a shirt still seems nuts to me. What I like about it is that it all coordinates for a sort of "uniform." I wear a lot more jewel tones and fewer neutrals than Eileen Fisher.
I have one day work from home where athleisure is fine, one or two days in office where business casual is fine, and one or two days where I need to wear suits. I like to wear Rothys flats or naturalizer pumps at work.
I have some boot cut jeans from kohl's that I don't love but still fit. Do I just tough it out till they wear out for the sake of the planet? Or if I replace them, with what? And can I recycle them somehow?
I have a brilliant talented family seamstress who could also make/tailor as needed. Thanks!
Yep, I second that. Keep thrifting, both as a way to get new clothes and as a way to help your old items get reused by others. 95% of my clothing has been thrifted and then donated for the past 8 years.
And try your best to acquire a natural-fabrics-only wardrobe. The only acrylic clothing I own are sports bras and my kids' halloween costumes (sigh).
This can be done!
posted by MiraK at 8:19 AM on October 7 [1 favorite]
And try your best to acquire a natural-fabrics-only wardrobe. The only acrylic clothing I own are sports bras and my kids' halloween costumes (sigh).
This can be done!
posted by MiraK at 8:19 AM on October 7 [1 favorite]
$100 for something you can keep a long time might be reasonable? It is a change in habits.
The family seamstress is a precious resource! Eileen Fischer style clothes are not the hardest to sew, either. Can you outline a color family to make a brilliant capsule wardrobe of?
However - once you price good natural fabric $100 may be less surprising for a shirt. But you can snuggle into it for years as it gets softer. Decades, sometimes. I did an experiment this summer and bought the same work garment in stretch denim and in cotton canvas, and alternated wear, and the stretch is wearing out *faster*.
posted by clew at 8:39 AM on October 7 [1 favorite]
The family seamstress is a precious resource! Eileen Fischer style clothes are not the hardest to sew, either. Can you outline a color family to make a brilliant capsule wardrobe of?
However - once you price good natural fabric $100 may be less surprising for a shirt. But you can snuggle into it for years as it gets softer. Decades, sometimes. I did an experiment this summer and bought the same work garment in stretch denim and in cotton canvas, and alternated wear, and the stretch is wearing out *faster*.
posted by clew at 8:39 AM on October 7 [1 favorite]
Quince has a lot of natural fiber basics in a variety of colours for a good price, I feel it trends a bit young, though. You could also try your luck on Poshmark for spendier brands.
Regarding the pilling on your current stuff, have you tried running a sweater shaver over it? I've gotten a second lifetime out of lots of cheap clothes this way. You can even do t-shirts if you're (very, very) careful.
posted by nanny's striped stocking at 9:01 AM on October 7 [2 favorites]
Regarding the pilling on your current stuff, have you tried running a sweater shaver over it? I've gotten a second lifetime out of lots of cheap clothes this way. You can even do t-shirts if you're (very, very) careful.
posted by nanny's striped stocking at 9:01 AM on October 7 [2 favorites]
You mentioned both jewel tones and eco-friendly/natural fibers, which makes me think you might like Svaha. (Link is to dresses, they have tops and other garments as well.)
They focus on STEAM / geeky prints, but that does include books and botanical prints, so hopefully you can find something that resonates with you.
I have three of their dresses by now and they're extremely comfortable, but being dresses, people tend to interpret them as 'quite dressed up' - I think they'll work well for business casual if you find the right print.
posted by demi-octopus at 9:15 AM on October 7
They focus on STEAM / geeky prints, but that does include books and botanical prints, so hopefully you can find something that resonates with you.
I have three of their dresses by now and they're extremely comfortable, but being dresses, people tend to interpret them as 'quite dressed up' - I think they'll work well for business casual if you find the right print.
posted by demi-octopus at 9:15 AM on October 7
KOTN is the go-to for basics among people I know who are into eco fashion
posted by 100kb at 9:18 AM on October 7
posted by 100kb at 9:18 AM on October 7
I'm a guy so I don't think I'm going to be able to give you a lot of specific advice about brands and styles, but I've been down the equivalent rabbit hole for my gender, and I can share what worked for me:
I think you're on the right track when thinking about having a uniform. It's really fine to wear variations on the same outfit, or one of two or three outfits, every single day. I've settled into four or five variants (roughly, cold weather, warm weather, formal/work, and casual) and can easily replace individual garments without disrupting my use of the others. Be skeptical of outfits--let alone wardrobes--built around a single "piece" that would be impossible or expensive to replace.
Thrifting is good, but there's a natural limit on how much high quality, wearable-for-you clothing you'll be able to find (there's only so much of it out there, and you only have so much time to search for it). For in-person shopping, consider widening your reach to non-thrift charity/resale shops, if they exist in your area. The trick for me, though, was narrowing down the brands, styles and sizes that I could wear so that I could efficiently look for them both in thrift and secondhand shops and resale websites, and even places like instagram groups. There's a huge amount of affordable secondhand clothing online, but you do not want to be making blind buys with regard to fit, style, fabric, or almost anything else. (Ironically, I got to this point because while I like thrifting, I actually sort of hate shopping for clothing, both online and in person, so there was an incentive to streamline the process.) As someone shopping for womens' clothing, I think you'll have even more options than I did, though I'm not confident recommending anything specific.
Absolutely blow the ceiling off of that $100 limit. I eventually realized the shirts I liked and would get the most wear out of retailed in the $200-300 range. At that price, they're made in the US from wool or cotton, are very durable, and age gracefully (no pilling, e.g.). I never pay full price, though, because I can occasionally find them secondhand for $30-80, and often less if I'm lucky. I'm not super familiar with the brands you mentioned, but ask yourself "what's similar to this but two or three rungs higher on the ladder" and see what it goes for used: not what people are asking, but what it actually sells for. If it's reasonable, give one a try. The most eco-friendly clothing is the clothing you'll wear until it's a literal rag (and takes longer than average to get there), and then cut up and use to clean the windows.
Get good at laundry. If you don't have a front loader, consider one next time you're in the market for a washer. Hang everything that would go in the dryer. A lot of stuff can just go on its clotheshanger and dry there, but if you don't have one, also buy a folding rack or wall-mounted clothesline so you can hang your laundry in all weather. Machine drying positively eats clothing, and I suspect it's responsible for more wear than actual on-your-body use. Don't buy anything that requires dry cleaning unless it's absolutely necessary, and if it's a knit, don't believe the label. Many "dry clean only" knits can be carefully hand washed and dried flat, especially woolens.
Be extremely selective about what you do buy. Don't be in a hurry to add to your closet, don't buy it if you don't love it, and be prepared to pay a bit more, within reason, for stuff you're confident you'll get a lot of wear out of. To some extent, I had to get the durability and usability aspects down so that I wasn't fumbling to replace things that wore out or that I could no longer stand to wear, but once I had some breathing room, I felt like I had more opportunities to buy even relatively scarce things that I really wanted than I needed to take advantage of. I feel like I should emphasize this: if you're feeling pressed to add a pair of pants or a top or something, you're more likely to wind up buying something that's suboptimal (less durable, more expensive/not used, not super wearable).
To that end, don't be afraid to occasionally buy variants, near-duplicates or even doubles of things you like. At this point, I avoid anything that seems like it's trend-driven, because I know it's going to look dated before I wear it out. This may become easier as you get older; it definitely did for me. I'm also wary of what I think of as aspirational purchases, as in "I'd like to dress this way (but only under very specific circumstances or circumstances which do not currently exist)" or "This doesn't fit particularly well now but my body might be different sometime in the future." Historically, I've found I have a terrible hit rate and this stuff rarely gets worn. Buy what you know fits well and you'll put in active rotation now.
Shoes are tough, and especially as you get older taking care of your feet is of paramount importance. Used shoes can be worn or broken in in ways that make them bad for you even before they're worn out (not to mention they can be surprise gross, especially if you aren't buying them in person). Despite my best efforts, I only buy about half of my shoes secondhand. Don't beat yourself up about buying new shoes.
And, finally, question the extent to which you need special purpose clothing. I'm an avid cyclist and there's a whole range of clothing associated with the hobby. While I'm not anti-spandex at all, I also realized that I can go for a long, vigorous ride on a Sunday afternoon wearing my normal weekend clothes, and it's neither uncomfortable for me nor harmful to the clothing. Similarly, I can lift weights wearing cotton shorts and a t-shirt, and it's fine!
posted by pullayup at 9:41 AM on October 7 [15 favorites]
I think you're on the right track when thinking about having a uniform. It's really fine to wear variations on the same outfit, or one of two or three outfits, every single day. I've settled into four or five variants (roughly, cold weather, warm weather, formal/work, and casual) and can easily replace individual garments without disrupting my use of the others. Be skeptical of outfits--let alone wardrobes--built around a single "piece" that would be impossible or expensive to replace.
Thrifting is good, but there's a natural limit on how much high quality, wearable-for-you clothing you'll be able to find (there's only so much of it out there, and you only have so much time to search for it). For in-person shopping, consider widening your reach to non-thrift charity/resale shops, if they exist in your area. The trick for me, though, was narrowing down the brands, styles and sizes that I could wear so that I could efficiently look for them both in thrift and secondhand shops and resale websites, and even places like instagram groups. There's a huge amount of affordable secondhand clothing online, but you do not want to be making blind buys with regard to fit, style, fabric, or almost anything else. (Ironically, I got to this point because while I like thrifting, I actually sort of hate shopping for clothing, both online and in person, so there was an incentive to streamline the process.) As someone shopping for womens' clothing, I think you'll have even more options than I did, though I'm not confident recommending anything specific.
Absolutely blow the ceiling off of that $100 limit. I eventually realized the shirts I liked and would get the most wear out of retailed in the $200-300 range. At that price, they're made in the US from wool or cotton, are very durable, and age gracefully (no pilling, e.g.). I never pay full price, though, because I can occasionally find them secondhand for $30-80, and often less if I'm lucky. I'm not super familiar with the brands you mentioned, but ask yourself "what's similar to this but two or three rungs higher on the ladder" and see what it goes for used: not what people are asking, but what it actually sells for. If it's reasonable, give one a try. The most eco-friendly clothing is the clothing you'll wear until it's a literal rag (and takes longer than average to get there), and then cut up and use to clean the windows.
Get good at laundry. If you don't have a front loader, consider one next time you're in the market for a washer. Hang everything that would go in the dryer. A lot of stuff can just go on its clotheshanger and dry there, but if you don't have one, also buy a folding rack or wall-mounted clothesline so you can hang your laundry in all weather. Machine drying positively eats clothing, and I suspect it's responsible for more wear than actual on-your-body use. Don't buy anything that requires dry cleaning unless it's absolutely necessary, and if it's a knit, don't believe the label. Many "dry clean only" knits can be carefully hand washed and dried flat, especially woolens.
Be extremely selective about what you do buy. Don't be in a hurry to add to your closet, don't buy it if you don't love it, and be prepared to pay a bit more, within reason, for stuff you're confident you'll get a lot of wear out of. To some extent, I had to get the durability and usability aspects down so that I wasn't fumbling to replace things that wore out or that I could no longer stand to wear, but once I had some breathing room, I felt like I had more opportunities to buy even relatively scarce things that I really wanted than I needed to take advantage of. I feel like I should emphasize this: if you're feeling pressed to add a pair of pants or a top or something, you're more likely to wind up buying something that's suboptimal (less durable, more expensive/not used, not super wearable).
To that end, don't be afraid to occasionally buy variants, near-duplicates or even doubles of things you like. At this point, I avoid anything that seems like it's trend-driven, because I know it's going to look dated before I wear it out. This may become easier as you get older; it definitely did for me. I'm also wary of what I think of as aspirational purchases, as in "I'd like to dress this way (but only under very specific circumstances or circumstances which do not currently exist)" or "This doesn't fit particularly well now but my body might be different sometime in the future." Historically, I've found I have a terrible hit rate and this stuff rarely gets worn. Buy what you know fits well and you'll put in active rotation now.
Shoes are tough, and especially as you get older taking care of your feet is of paramount importance. Used shoes can be worn or broken in in ways that make them bad for you even before they're worn out (not to mention they can be surprise gross, especially if you aren't buying them in person). Despite my best efforts, I only buy about half of my shoes secondhand. Don't beat yourself up about buying new shoes.
And, finally, question the extent to which you need special purpose clothing. I'm an avid cyclist and there's a whole range of clothing associated with the hobby. While I'm not anti-spandex at all, I also realized that I can go for a long, vigorous ride on a Sunday afternoon wearing my normal weekend clothes, and it's neither uncomfortable for me nor harmful to the clothing. Similarly, I can lift weights wearing cotton shorts and a t-shirt, and it's fine!
posted by pullayup at 9:41 AM on October 7 [15 favorites]
I'm in the process of slowly (as I can afford it) replacing my entire wardrobe with merino wool clothing in black. Merino wool is washable, durable, resists body odor, regulates temperature, etc. Black so all I have to do is periodically re-dye everything as it fades.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:41 AM on October 7 [5 favorites]
posted by Jacqueline at 9:41 AM on October 7 [5 favorites]
I pretty much buy 2-5 new (on clearance, usually) high-quality, natural fiber items a year and the rest of my clothes are thrifted/second-hand. So just seconding that it can be a little bit of a mindset shift. And it can take time to build up that wardrobe so you don't have to go out and spend thousands at once, you can work on replacing one thing at a time. I'll spend more on things like wool work pants and silk blouses and then thrift most other things.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 9:57 AM on October 7
posted by jeweled accumulation at 9:57 AM on October 7
My wife and I both like the wool clothing from Wool& and Wool&Prince. She's got a couple of dresses and tunics that can easily be worn daily. I've got shirts and boxers that I do wear daily. The company also does a 100 day challenge where you wear the same garment daily, photograph yourself, then share the photos with them and they give you $100 give card. The clothing itself is very much designed with a slow fashion mindset and the 100 day challenge is also in that line: you can wear the same thing daily and still look great and these clothes will hold up for it and then some. Some of the pieces are 100% wool, some are blends. I have one shirt that is a linen wool blend and it's my favorite. Yes, most of the items are $130-190, but if you're building a capsule wardrobe, a few quality pieces will go a long way.
posted by carrioncomfort at 10:14 AM on October 7 [2 favorites]
posted by carrioncomfort at 10:14 AM on October 7 [2 favorites]
There are a lot of online thrift stores now, like ThredUp, Depop, and Poshmark, that can make it easier to find used items that are good quality. Even Goodwill can be shopped online. You can sort by fiber content, style, etc. and the medium upscale business casual brands like Ann Taylor/Loft are well represented.
Direct to consumer "sustainable" brands like Quince are, unfortunately, often absolutely riddled with greenwashing. Which is not to say they don't carry some ok items, but just be aware that you can't take vague claims about sustainability or eco-friendliness at face value.
To create a kind of uniform as a woman can be tricky and a lot of the models online tend to be these super minimalist capsules which definitely don't work for a lot of people. I think most people are better off either going top-down, where you pick an aesthetic that feels comfy (goth, high school art teacher, midwestern lesbian, 18thC history bounding etc.) and use that as your filter; or bottom-up, where you set a) a neutral base color b) one or two main colors and c) your basic silhouette as your guidelines.
So you might choose: a) brown/tan b) hunter green and navy and c) long skirts & cardigans. Then you only buy stuff that fits within those categories (so it all goes together) and you can dress it up (tan tweed skirt and cashmere cardigan) or down (cotton jersey maxi dress and slouchy wrap) depending on the context. (It should go without saying, but... pick styles you like and feel comfortable in.)
I'd say it took me probably 3-4 years to transition my wardrobe; I'm not a person who enjoys shopping or cares a lot about fashion but there is something gently pleasurable about thoughtfully and carefully choosing clothing items that comfortably fit into my life and it is very nice to have a closet of clothes I enjoy wearing.
posted by radiogreentea at 10:52 AM on October 7 [3 favorites]
Direct to consumer "sustainable" brands like Quince are, unfortunately, often absolutely riddled with greenwashing. Which is not to say they don't carry some ok items, but just be aware that you can't take vague claims about sustainability or eco-friendliness at face value.
To create a kind of uniform as a woman can be tricky and a lot of the models online tend to be these super minimalist capsules which definitely don't work for a lot of people. I think most people are better off either going top-down, where you pick an aesthetic that feels comfy (goth, high school art teacher, midwestern lesbian, 18thC history bounding etc.) and use that as your filter; or bottom-up, where you set a) a neutral base color b) one or two main colors and c) your basic silhouette as your guidelines.
So you might choose: a) brown/tan b) hunter green and navy and c) long skirts & cardigans. Then you only buy stuff that fits within those categories (so it all goes together) and you can dress it up (tan tweed skirt and cashmere cardigan) or down (cotton jersey maxi dress and slouchy wrap) depending on the context. (It should go without saying, but... pick styles you like and feel comfortable in.)
I'd say it took me probably 3-4 years to transition my wardrobe; I'm not a person who enjoys shopping or cares a lot about fashion but there is something gently pleasurable about thoughtfully and carefully choosing clothing items that comfortably fit into my life and it is very nice to have a closet of clothes I enjoy wearing.
posted by radiogreentea at 10:52 AM on October 7 [3 favorites]
Wool and cotton are great. Wool& might be a good option for you, especially for jewel tones. They do a whole thing where they promote women wearing a Wool & dress for 100 days in a row, so their values seem aligned with yours. I wonder if their tops and tees might be especially good bottom/bright layers for you, with more neutral layers on top. I could imagine a capsule wardrobe based around a bright jewel-toned top or dress. Their wool is not super heavy, at least not in the items I own.
What do you think about clothing made from recycled plastic? That seems to be a thing now. I haven't read up on the sustainability of it, but it seems like a good use of old drink bottles and such.
Those boot cut jeans: do you not like them because of the cut of the leg? Because the seamstress could help with that. But, since boot cut jeans are more popular now, it would also be a fine time to give them to thrift. It's okay to get a new pair of jeans. I'd recommend straight leg or wide leg, which you can also tailor. Good quality jeans last a long time.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:09 AM on October 7
What do you think about clothing made from recycled plastic? That seems to be a thing now. I haven't read up on the sustainability of it, but it seems like a good use of old drink bottles and such.
Those boot cut jeans: do you not like them because of the cut of the leg? Because the seamstress could help with that. But, since boot cut jeans are more popular now, it would also be a fine time to give them to thrift. It's okay to get a new pair of jeans. I'd recommend straight leg or wide leg, which you can also tailor. Good quality jeans last a long time.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:09 AM on October 7
Sustainability in clothing is complicated, and the deeper you dig, the more complicated it gets. Fundamentally, you are not going to get your wardrobe 100% sustainable without farming sheep and flax and hand-weaving your garments. However, you can make some meaningful changes -- I encourage you not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good here.
Personally, the more I have learned about the ethical and ecological issues with the fashion industry -- not to mention the rampant greenwashing that the more I have been motivated to learn to sew my own clothes. If you have a local seamstress you trust, you might try talking to her about finding a few staple patterns that work for you, and making you multiples of those patterns in natural fibers (silk, wool, linen, cotton). I've been building up my closet this way over the last five or ten years, and it's getting to a point where 50-75% of my daily outfits are hand-made -- which makes me feel good.
Ultimately, your biggest impact will be made in reducing your consumption of clothing. Some things that can help with this:
- Just buy less.
- Thrift, as you've been doing.
- Buy high-quality pieces that will last.
- Learn to repair your clothing.
- When your clothing wears out, repurpose it into rags, quilts, rugs, etc.
If biodegradability is your top priority, you'll want to look for clothes made of 100% natural fibers.
- Best: natural fibers such as cotton, wool, linen, hemp, silk, etc. These are breathable, long-wearing, and biodegradable.
- Less ideal: semi-synthetic fibers such as rayon, viscose, Tencel, Lyocell, cupro, modal and others. These are cellulose, so they biodegrade just like wood pulp or paper. However, the chemical processes used to make them can be harmful to the environment and to the workers who produce them. In addition, the wood pulp used to produce them can sometimes be sourced from ancient/endangered forests. Finally, they're relatively weak when wet, and so tend to break down and wear out fairly rapidly as they're washed. Tencel and Lyocell are supposedly slightly more eco-friendly than the rest of the category because of their sourcing and manufacturing processes.
- Avoid where possible: Synthetic fibers such as polyester, spandex, Lycra, acetate, acrylic, nylon, and others. These don't biodegrade, and they shed microplastics into the water you wash them in. Unfortunately, they're almost unavoidable for items like bras and athletic clothing.
- About Shoes: There's really no perfectly sustainable solution for shoes, so just do your best to find something long-lasting. Your best available option is probably vegetable tanned leather, manufactured in a way that can be repaired by a cobbler. Personally, I have been window-shopping these guys for a while.
Be aware that marketers will absolutely try to fool you. Here are some of the ways they'll do that:
- The name of the garment will put a natural fiber front and center, but the actual fiber content will be partially synthetic. For instance, Wool & Prince markets its shirts as "Merino Wool", but most of them are actually a blend of wool and synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester.
- The manufacturer will list portions of the garment that are made of natural fiber, but obfuscate other parts made of synthetics. For example, a jacket might be listed as "Shell: Wool | Lining: Textile lining". In this case, the lining is most likely acetate or another synthetic, but they don't want you to know that.
- The manufacturer just won't list fiber content.
- If you want to get into the weeds, be aware that some natural fibers are coated in synthetic materials that make them non-biodegradable (for instance, machine-washable wool socks are typically coated in plastic resins to make them washable; flame-retardant and water-resistant garments may be coated with chemicals including PFAS aka "forever chemicals").
If you're interested in learning more, I highly recommend Kristine Vike and Justine Leconte, who come at the question from different but complementary perspectives.
posted by ourobouros at 2:29 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]
Personally, the more I have learned about the ethical and ecological issues with the fashion industry -- not to mention the rampant greenwashing that the more I have been motivated to learn to sew my own clothes. If you have a local seamstress you trust, you might try talking to her about finding a few staple patterns that work for you, and making you multiples of those patterns in natural fibers (silk, wool, linen, cotton). I've been building up my closet this way over the last five or ten years, and it's getting to a point where 50-75% of my daily outfits are hand-made -- which makes me feel good.
Ultimately, your biggest impact will be made in reducing your consumption of clothing. Some things that can help with this:
- Just buy less.
- Thrift, as you've been doing.
- Buy high-quality pieces that will last.
- Learn to repair your clothing.
- When your clothing wears out, repurpose it into rags, quilts, rugs, etc.
If biodegradability is your top priority, you'll want to look for clothes made of 100% natural fibers.
- Best: natural fibers such as cotton, wool, linen, hemp, silk, etc. These are breathable, long-wearing, and biodegradable.
- Less ideal: semi-synthetic fibers such as rayon, viscose, Tencel, Lyocell, cupro, modal and others. These are cellulose, so they biodegrade just like wood pulp or paper. However, the chemical processes used to make them can be harmful to the environment and to the workers who produce them. In addition, the wood pulp used to produce them can sometimes be sourced from ancient/endangered forests. Finally, they're relatively weak when wet, and so tend to break down and wear out fairly rapidly as they're washed. Tencel and Lyocell are supposedly slightly more eco-friendly than the rest of the category because of their sourcing and manufacturing processes.
- Avoid where possible: Synthetic fibers such as polyester, spandex, Lycra, acetate, acrylic, nylon, and others. These don't biodegrade, and they shed microplastics into the water you wash them in. Unfortunately, they're almost unavoidable for items like bras and athletic clothing.
- About Shoes: There's really no perfectly sustainable solution for shoes, so just do your best to find something long-lasting. Your best available option is probably vegetable tanned leather, manufactured in a way that can be repaired by a cobbler. Personally, I have been window-shopping these guys for a while.
Be aware that marketers will absolutely try to fool you. Here are some of the ways they'll do that:
- The name of the garment will put a natural fiber front and center, but the actual fiber content will be partially synthetic. For instance, Wool & Prince markets its shirts as "Merino Wool", but most of them are actually a blend of wool and synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester.
- The manufacturer will list portions of the garment that are made of natural fiber, but obfuscate other parts made of synthetics. For example, a jacket might be listed as "Shell: Wool | Lining: Textile lining". In this case, the lining is most likely acetate or another synthetic, but they don't want you to know that.
- The manufacturer just won't list fiber content.
- If you want to get into the weeds, be aware that some natural fibers are coated in synthetic materials that make them non-biodegradable (for instance, machine-washable wool socks are typically coated in plastic resins to make them washable; flame-retardant and water-resistant garments may be coated with chemicals including PFAS aka "forever chemicals").
If you're interested in learning more, I highly recommend Kristine Vike and Justine Leconte, who come at the question from different but complementary perspectives.
posted by ourobouros at 2:29 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]
I'm approximately your size (except a little bit shorter) and the good news about Eileen Fisher basics is that there is a ton of it on Poshmark for cheap. I search on my size range and sort by price for the lowest. Some of the items are dated, but a lot of the older basics hold up. Figure out what pit to pit, sleeve, waist and skirt length measurements work for you by measuring clothes you already own and like the fit of and go nuts. There are a lot of separates to be had for less than $20 each of you have to patience to search, like and wait for the seller to offer a lower price/less shipping.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 5:26 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 5:26 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]
I could've asked this question and don't have a great answer for you, but thanks for asking. I did buy something from Quince that I like. The stuff from Pact hasn't been worth its price. Some Toad & Co stuff might fit the bill.
posted by Spokane at 5:36 PM on October 7
posted by Spokane at 5:36 PM on October 7
Can you host a clothing swap a few times a year? Post about it in your neighbourhood groups, try to get at least a few people of each size range, so there's something for everyone. I've done them at the local library (call ahead to arrange it), and at people's houses. A small local restaurant might be into it too at an off time of day. Make signs to create areas that sort all the incoming garments either by clothing types (pants area) or by sizes, and have people unpack their items into those areas when they arrive (just tossing them neatly onto tables, sofas, etc). Assign specific people to bring a few extra mirrors and all those reuseable shopping bags we all have stashed. You can charge $5 entrance or a canned good and donate it to a cause, and donate all the leftover clothing to a charity, shelter, etc. I used to be in a big group that had a clothing swap about 4 times a year, with about 30 people in attendance, and it was awesome - I still have favourite items I got at those swaps, and since everything was free, it was a great way to try out garments or colours that were slightly outside my comfort zone.
Anything thrifted or hand-me-down is great for the environment, so you can be looser with your restrictions for thrifted items, while you gradually find the exact clothes you're imagining.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:23 PM on October 7
Anything thrifted or hand-me-down is great for the environment, so you can be looser with your restrictions for thrifted items, while you gradually find the exact clothes you're imagining.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:23 PM on October 7
Response by poster: Thank you for all the thoughtful replies! The one major challenge I see is that I do like clothes as a "treat." I have never owned a huge amount but definitely bought probably one or two new items in a month. It really adds up over the years. I don't really enjoy thrifting though I did it a lot when I was younger. So one of the main challenges will be just weaning off the dopamine I get from getting new things. If anyone has tips on that, I would love to hear it!
posted by Sophiaverde at 6:44 PM on October 7
posted by Sophiaverde at 6:44 PM on October 7
Something I enjoy doing is making visual wardrobes on Pinterest, both real and fantasy (or you can just do it in PowerPoint). The real visual wardrobe is a catalogue of pieces I actually own (or the closest piece of clothing I can find in colour and style). Seeing my clothes arranged this way can help me appreciate them more and reminds me of what I have. The fantasy wardrobes let you express your inner fashion fantasies and put together the Barbiecore closet you can't have in real life.
posted by Rora at 7:13 PM on October 7
posted by Rora at 7:13 PM on October 7
I am basically the same size/height/age as you. My favorite natural fiber sources in the last year or two have been:
Quince - mentioned above, they're the cheapest of the bunch. They're kind of like IKEA where the very cheap stuff looks like what it is but the mid priced stuff is better than you'll get anywhere else. I particularly love the cashmere fisherman sweaters, which are a very convincing rip off of a Jenni Kayne (another brand you'd probably like, but a source of $300-400 sweaters) sweater for $100. Their silk button downs are also quite nice.
Linen Handmade Studio - they're a slow fashion, made to order (takes 4-6 weeks to ship) Etsy storefront. I got this skirt ($84 in the fall, $164 now? maybe follow the shop and see if the price comes down) and was very impressed by the quality and price. They are true to their own, unusual size chart - I'm a 6/8 and their 30" waist size 10 was exactly the right size.
Sezane Knitwear - some of it is blends, some of it is all natural fiber, but almost all of it is very, very beautiful and quite classic. A lot of it runs slightly large, but maybe good for the occasional splurge. There's a moderate amount of their stuff on poshmark, and they also have some nice natural (linen, cotton, silk, and blends of the 3) button downs.
Sheep Inc - I bought my partner a merino wool quarter zip from here for the holidays last year, and I was super impressed by the quality. It seems like something he will have forever, though it was $$$.
Personally, I derive a lot of pleasure from putting on the same thing and saying to myself "wow past me was really smart about buying this item! It's so comfortable/versatile/well-made, I am so happy to wear it!" So maybe if you do go down the capsule wardrobe rabbit hole, you can find some of that same joy in buying something that is so right for your lifestyle/body/fashion sense that you can wear it again and again.
posted by A Blue Moon at 7:18 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]
Quince - mentioned above, they're the cheapest of the bunch. They're kind of like IKEA where the very cheap stuff looks like what it is but the mid priced stuff is better than you'll get anywhere else. I particularly love the cashmere fisherman sweaters, which are a very convincing rip off of a Jenni Kayne (another brand you'd probably like, but a source of $300-400 sweaters) sweater for $100. Their silk button downs are also quite nice.
Linen Handmade Studio - they're a slow fashion, made to order (takes 4-6 weeks to ship) Etsy storefront. I got this skirt ($84 in the fall, $164 now? maybe follow the shop and see if the price comes down) and was very impressed by the quality and price. They are true to their own, unusual size chart - I'm a 6/8 and their 30" waist size 10 was exactly the right size.
Sezane Knitwear - some of it is blends, some of it is all natural fiber, but almost all of it is very, very beautiful and quite classic. A lot of it runs slightly large, but maybe good for the occasional splurge. There's a moderate amount of their stuff on poshmark, and they also have some nice natural (linen, cotton, silk, and blends of the 3) button downs.
Sheep Inc - I bought my partner a merino wool quarter zip from here for the holidays last year, and I was super impressed by the quality. It seems like something he will have forever, though it was $$$.
Personally, I derive a lot of pleasure from putting on the same thing and saying to myself "wow past me was really smart about buying this item! It's so comfortable/versatile/well-made, I am so happy to wear it!" So maybe if you do go down the capsule wardrobe rabbit hole, you can find some of that same joy in buying something that is so right for your lifestyle/body/fashion sense that you can wear it again and again.
posted by A Blue Moon at 7:18 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]
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posted by waving at 8:03 AM on October 7 [3 favorites]