Your Ex-Girlfriends Closet

Talking about what fast fashion is doing to the planet and it's inhabitants

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Your Clothes are Ruining The Planet!

We have all heard the saying “reduce, reuse, recycle” when referring to things like aluminum cans, cardboard boxes, and single-use plastics. Our clothing isn’t something that is usually mentioned when discussing the things that affect the planet. We tend to see clothes as aesthetic items, picking out new outfits for everyday and special occasions. The runway fashion industry is one of the biggest all over the world, people travel far and wide to model and critique new ensembles by famous and wealthy designers. The big thing though, these fashion designers don’t care about where these pieces end up after they’re no longer wanted. Dresses, jackets, accessories, shoes, leather handbags, and much more are sold and bought for up to millions of dollars. Not only will these items leave a dent in your wallet, but the pieces that end up in the landfill will also have environmental costs as well.

In an article by Morgan McFall-Johnsen from Business Insider titled “The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined…”, it’s stated that “The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity's carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world's water supply, and pollutes the oceans with microplastics.” This fact alone is rather jarring and puts into perspective how much the fashion industry actually affects the world we live in. The rest of Morgan’s article is available here.

As I’ve said before, it’s often overlooked where our clothes really come from and where they go when we are done with them. More than likely, if you’re buying clothing from a website like Shein or Forever 21, your new crop top was made overseas in a factory where workers are not being paid a liveable wage or being treated fairly.

In “37 Shocking Sweatshop Statistics” by Brandon Gaille, who blogs about small business and marketing advice, he states that a sweatshop in simple terms is ‘a factory that violates two or more labor laws.’ Even though this is the definition, the reality of sweatshops is that they violate human rights, and the workers are struggling to survive. Brandon Gaille goes on to give the statistics promised in the title, but I found that some of the most shocking is:

1. “An estimated 250 million children ages 5 to 14 are

forced to work in sweatshops in developing countries.”

2. “The people who are forced to work in sweatshops must usually spend the majority of their paycheck on food in order for their household to survive.”

3. “Women sewing NBA jerseys make 24 cents per garment – an item that will eventually sell for $140 or more.”

There are 34 more statistics listed in Gaille’s blog, some of them mentioning that the majority of the people working in sweatshops are women and children making less than the price of your Starbucks Venti Caramel Frappe per day. You can read the rest of his blog here.

Taking these two reasons into account every time I go online or to the mall to shop for clothes has helped me stop buying things just because they are trendy right now or on sale. Yes, that pink and green sweater you saw your favorite influencer wearing is cute today, but how are you going to feel about it in a few years? Will the sweater even last that long or fall apart first? Is it really worth my money? Is fast fashion really worth it?

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Curating your Wardrobe One Thrift at a Time

You may be worried about ditching fast fashion for a multitude of reasons. One of those reasons may include the fact that you can't find your favorite top in 27 different colors and patterns for any occasion. Although this is one appeal of shopping online and buying from large corporate companies, I’m going to both show and tell you about what it means to have a closet full of character and how to curate your own personal style, (sustainably). Curating your wardrobe by thrifting boosts your confidence, and is a low-risk way to try out new styles and outfits.

The first step in curating sustainable style is some inspiration. Let’s get started by heading to Pinterest and checking out some things other people on the world wide web have put together. “Inspo,” if you will:

This is one of my personal Pinterest boards full of outfits that I myself find stylish and can see myself wearing. It is incredibly easy to make a Pinterest board, and rather addicting to find more and more appealing things to pin, use caution if you have a pressing deadline!

Another way to find inspiration is by heading over to the “Explore” tab on Instagram and using the search bar to enter keywords for whatever style you are going for.

Step two:

Head over to your desired second-hand store. There are Goodwills and Plato’s Closets scattered all over the country, and these are good places to start. Sometimes it helps to ask what day of the week new items are put on the racks and you can find really cool pieces by going on these days!

Goodwill is always going to be the cheaper option because it is an actual thrift store. Plato’s Closet may be a tad more expensive due to the fact that they accept name-brand items, re-price them and sell them for a profit. However, both are affordable.

Step 3:

Start picking out pieces that call to you. Reference your inspiration boards and saved posts to look for items that fit within your color pallet and style. While thrift shopping today I picked out a few items that I thought would fit together well:

Step 4:

Go home, wash your new items. (Always a must when shopping second-hand. Laundry sanitizer always gives me peace of mind.) Next, go through your closet and create some new outfits incorporating your new items as well as clothing you may not have worn as much before. Clean out your closet and donate or sell those clothes to make some space and give those clothes a second chance.

Step 5:

Enjoy your new-to-you clothing. You look cool.

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How and Why You Should Ditch Fast Fashion

It’s no secret that clothing in today’s time is seen as disposable and worn more for aesthetic purposes rather than functionality and durability. With new styles, colors, and sizes being available almost every day it seems like the more feasible option for purchasing new outfits. Websites such as Shein.com and Forever 21.com offer exclusive deals, low prices, trendy styles as well as marketing geared towards teens and young adults. Buying from companies that recycle textiles, pay their workers a livable wage and offer an ethical workplace for employees do tend to charge more for their products, and make them less accessible to people who don’t have very much disposable income. Although this sounds like fast fashion is the better option, there are more solutions: Recycling clothing, buying second-hand, and reducing waste. Given this, I am only a broke college student who enjoys clothing, rather than someone who has done extensive research about pollution and sweatshops. This is just some light reading I have done about why recycling clothing and thrifting is all around better for the environment and your closet.

Firstly, recycling clothing. You may notice that there are designated spots in your nearest recycling bin that are meant for paper, plastic, and aluminum cans, but none for cloth items. The term “recycling” in this case does not always refer to melting down plastic or metal and turning something into a new object, but rather that we take our old clothes and reuse the fabric it is made out of to create something new. In “10 Easy Ways to Recycle Clothing and Fight Fashion Waste,” by Erica Eller from the company Goodfair, the blog mentions that 'the average person only wears about 20% of the clothing in their closet’, as well as the fact that 85% of that clothing ends up in landfills when most of it is recyclable. Erica goes into detail about what you can do to recycle/upcycle your unworn clothing. She even provides information on how to compost clothing made of natural fibers! You can read her full blog here.

Secondly, I want to talk about thrifting and buying secondhand clothing. As I mentioned before, I myself am a broke college student looking to re-vamp her closet and style. Thrifting in general is enjoyable to me, I can find pieces that have been pre-loved and have character. Old limited edition band t-shirts, blouses that have timeless style, and jeans that are perfectly worn-in are all some of the things that I have thrifted right in my small hometown. By doing this I am not only updating my wardrobe but I am also saving a large chunk of cash as well as reducing waste and pollution.

This brings me to my third and final point: reducing waste.

Up-cycling your clothing:

if you happen to find some worn-out t-shirts, you can turn them into small bags to grocery shop with. By doing this, you’re preventing the T-shirt from going into a landfill along with reducing plastic waste that is acquired while grocery shopping.

You can use old T-shirts, sweatshirts, pants, and even blankets as rags to clean your house or vehicle.

Repairing clothing:

This point, in a way, ties into recycling. When the lining of your favorite winter coat tears, you can take pieces of an old T-shirt or flannel to repair it. Use your old clothing as scraps to repair other clothing you still want to wear (Brands such as Patagonia will repair your items for little to no cost).

Donating, Selling, or Exchanging

Donate to a thrift store, just make sure you know the process for the specific store you are donating to.

Sell your unworn but still trendy clothing on apps such as Depop, Poshmark, Facebook, even on Instagram! Plato’s Closet has been a lifesaver for me since starting college. I have made several hundred bucks off of my unwanted clothes as well as saved that much, if not more on purchasing gently used items.

Set up a clothing swap with a friend- or a few friends. Every few months, my best friend Kait and I will bring clothing we no longer wear to each other's houses and trade pieces before donating or selling what neither of us wants. It works as a nice refresh, you know who owned those clothes before, and now some of these clothes may hold sentimental value

Buying, Wearing, and supporting the production of sustainable and ethically made clothing does not always have to break the bank. Sometimes, beginning the journey away from fast fashion begins will smaller actions here and there, however small, over time these actions will make a huge difference.

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Day Dreaming In the Thrift Store

In a perfect world where the money for sustainable and ethical clothing was unlimited, workers were getting paid livable wages, clothing didn’t end up in landfills, and textiles were recycled... sounds like a dream. Sometimes it feels irrelevant to write about sustainable fashion because, in reality, people are going to do whatever they want and wear whatever clothes they like. Especially in a world where fast fashion sites tend to get significantly more advertisement through social media along with being quick, extremely cheap, and constantly releasing new styles - sometimes daily. Fast fashion is so accessible that it makes more sense to buy from a site that releases new styles frequently, keeps up with trends, and is affordable to the average shopper. 

Today I want to talk about what would happen if the general population (specifically younger generations, i.e. Millennials and Gen Z) took the time to shop more sustainably, donated their used clothing instead of throwing them away, repaired their damaged pieces instead of replacing them entirely and recycled clothing that has been through its entire life cycle. 

Firstly, taking the time to shop more sustainably: the bottom line is that yes, sustainable clothing can get expensive quickly. With this, we also need to keep in mind that it also needs to be ethical fashion. Sustainable and ethical fashion is more in the $50-$100+ range of pricing, but again, in a perfect world, this isn’t a problem. By shopping from places that pay their workers liveable wages, in a factory that is safe and efficient, in a place where water consumption and pollution are minimal, shoppers can feel good about their purchases and excited about their new clothes. Along with their excitement, shoppers are also protecting the planet, they are reducing waste by buying clothing made from recycled materials, and in turn, are more likely to donate or recycle their used clothing. 

Secondly, donating clothing. In a perfect world, thrift stores would stay affordable and accessible to everyone. As consumers buy new clothing, they donate their used (also sustainable and ethically made clothing) to thrift and consignment stores. In a perfect world where clothes only need to be replaced with they are outgrown. These clothes are still in good condition and are available to be bought and worn again, creating no extra waste or excessive water consumption. No clothing ends up in landfills and is instead taken to a new home to be loved and worn for a long time. 

Third, repairing damaged clothes. Consumers will notice that over time, a few threads here and there will be lost and several seams may pop, as these clothes are handmade and are not mass-produced by one factory. But, instead of replacing their clothes altogether, they take them back to the store where it was purchased, and the store patches up their clothes and sends them on their way. Or, even better, consumers take the time to repair their clothing. This way, fashion is not disposable. 

Finally, recycling old clothing. When clothes are just too worn, after years and years of love for the piece, it's time to turn it into something new. Instead of the landfill, the jacket or top or pants are sent to a recycling center. There, they are deconstructed and the threads are woven into a new top or new jacket that will be worn and loved for years to come. Every new piece of clothing has 

It makes sense, doesn’t it? To make a garment last, to share the gift of a nice quality coat with a fellow shopper in a thrift store when it no longer serves you? Some of these things are already happening, but it is our job to keep these things going to evolve the fashion industry and textile market, as well as the job market in America. Companies like Goodfair source clothing from thrift stores and make affordable surprise wardrobes of donated clothing. American Eagle recycles old jeans into insulation for new homes being built. The brand Madewell also does this with old jeans. H&M will recycle old clothing, and in return offer a 15% discount on shoppers' next purchase. There are many brands all across America working to make a difference, but these brands alone are not enough to curb the amount of waste still going into landfills daily. 

Fast fashion is probably always going to exist in some way, at least for the next decade. The goal of writing this blog is simply to raise awareness around where all of our clothing comes from. It is up to us, as consumers to make a conscious effort while shopping for clothing and cleaning out our wardrobes. 

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Just Another Cinderella Story

Once Upon a Time…

Kidding. Sort of. 

But in truth, this story does begin long ago when clothing was made to last, women’s dresses were well-fitting and children’s shorts were made with love. Even the dress Cinderella wore was made for her by singing mice and birds and infused with magic by her fairy godmother. Although not all of us are lucky enough to have such special garments made for us, we can still do better. The clothing you are wearing right now was most likely either made by a machine or by a factory worker getting paid next to nothing, getting treated like a slave (... like Cinderella). 

Indeed, our belongings are not made like they used to be. Cars, phones, appliances, houses, and something necessary for daily life: clothing. In the ’60s, 70’s, and 80’s clothing became a staple for self-expression, while still being made to last out of quality materials. Around the ’90s and 2000s however, is when things started to change. Shopping malls gained even more popularity as collecting clothing became a hobby. The textiles used to make these clothes went down in price making buying clothing cheaper and easier to produce. As well as this, labor became easier to find and cheaper in other countries. 

Another thing that has massively affected the fashion industry is the introduction of online shopping: everyone’s favorite pastime. There are endless sites to choose from and more in the works as we speak. Instagram itself has even become a storefront for small businesses to gain traction and attract new customers. Bands, content creators on Youtube, Musicians, and others most likely all have their websites for merchandise like T-shirts, hoodies, and hats to promote themselves. Some stores are only web-based, like Shein or ASOS. We have all fallen victim to the fast fashion industry, purchasing clothing to follow trends or because of a sale.

The purpose of my blog “Your ExGirlfriend’s Closet”, is not to bash or applaud anyone’s current or former partner's wardrobe. It is to bring awareness to the fashion industry and what the real cost of your trendy Shein order is, both in terms of monetary value and the effect on the other humans across the world that make those crop tops. Not to mention the things fast fashion is doing to the atmosphere. The bottom line: fast fashion is unethical in every way shape and form. 

I want to dive into issues surrounding the industry. I want to learn with my readers more about why it’s such a big deal to spend money on things that actually matter, things that are actually going to make a difference in the future. It’s interesting to me that not very many people, in my daily life at least, aren’t more worried about one of the biggest factors in climate change, which is what they’re wearing. As well as writing about why fast fashion is so terrible, one of my goals for this blog is to give resources, ideas, and solutions to the problems I will mention. I can’t sit here and preach to my readers about why something is so all-around horrifying and not do anything about it. 

Cinderella may be the only one who can have a dress woven together by singing mice and birds, but we common folk can be conscious of where our clothing is made and purchased from, as well as buying with intent rather than just going off of trends every season. Even if the pastel tops, quilted coats, cozy sweatshirts, and branded sweatpants from your favorite musician are cuter and trendier than ever, more than half the time they aren’t environmentally conscious or aware of the lack of humanity in sweatshops overseas.