Sustainability has become a bit of a buzzword in recent years. Along with its popularity, a whole new concept of greenwashing has been created.

As a result, shopping sustainably can be confusing and ultimately leave you feeling guilty but you don’t know why or for what reason. With the seasons on the turn, perhaps the urge to buy every cable knit you spy has kicked in, that’s why we have put together a few simple steps to make the whole process a little simpler, and a lot more enjoyable.

1. Streamline a ‘Capsule Wardrobe’

If you follow enough bloggers on Instagram you’ve probably heard about the concept of a capsule wardrobe. A wardrobe that consist of fewer items, more investments, bits that can be easily chopped and changed with each other, and crucially, all bits that you love. A good place to start is The Anna Edit. Anna has blog posts on ‘How To Buy Less Clothing’, ‘How I’m Organising My Capsule Wardrobe’ and ‘A Mid-Year Capsule Wardrobe Check-In’ to name a few. A capsule wardrobe will make your shopping habits more sustainable almost my accident because it will require you to buy less and buy more mindfully.

2. Charity Shopping

Do a little research and find gems like Boutique by Shelter at King’s Cross. It’s a charity shop that stocks designer and good quality high street pieces for a fraction of the price, all in a shop that’s aesthetics are nothing short of pleasing. Alternatively, if you would rather avoid a shop all together, check out Oxfam Online. Buying second hand clothing is, simply, recycling and anything that requires less of the world’s virgin resources gets a thumbs up from us.

3. Shop Second Hand

Charity shops aren’t the only place that you can acquire second hand items. Platforms such as Depop, Ebay, and Vestiaire Collective are all places that you can buy pre-loved items. They are also platforms that you can sell your clothing to ensure that someone else can give your less-loved clothes a new life.

4. Quality Over Quantity

This mantra really is perfect when applied to clothes shopping. Take some time to decipher what you need in your wardrobe, then spend a little more time having a shop around to find the perfect item. Buying less will mean less waste, it will also mean that you can put a little more money on a single item and get something that’s better quality. At Riley Studio, we have now introduced Klarna payments so that our high quality, ethically made, wardrobe staples, can be an accessible investment to a wide audience.

5. The Good On You App

The Good On You app is free to download and allows you to search the name of a brand to see how that brand is rated in terms of sustainability and ethics. So no more wondering if what you are reading is just greenwashing, the app takes the guessing out of shopping ethically. If you want to invest in a new item, rather than something that is second hand, then this app can help you make informed decisions about how the items you purchase are manufactured.

6. Renting

And finally, maybe you don't need to buy something new, maybe you can rent it? Platforms such as HURR Collective allow you to rent something special for a fraction of the full price tag. This can mean that instead of buying an outfit for a special occasion that you know in your heart of hearts you will only wear a maximum of 3 times, you can rent a special dress and not have to fill up your precious wardrobe space. 

Happy mindful and sustainable shopping.