How to stay sustainable after second-hand September
With Second-hand September drawing to a close, we’re here to offer you a bulletproof plan so you can stay sustainable all year round.
Buy less, style more
Instead of buying new, spend time styling your clothes. Use Whering to unlock new outfit combinations with Dress Me to satiate your need for new looks without harming the planet.
You can also style outfits for friends, or get styled by friends with Whering Social. See your clothes in a new light with the help of your besties.
Delete shopping apps
The best way to stop doom-scrolling ASOS, Shein or any other shopping app, is to remove the temptation by deleting the app. Rather than wasting time adding and removing items from your basket, open Whering and start styling clothes you already own.
Get your besties together
When you’re working towards something with someone else, it’s so much easier to be motivated and stick to your goals. Get your besties together and set your slow fashion goals. Whether it’s boycotting online shopping, only shopping second-hand, or not buying any clothes for a month, working towards it with someone else might help motivate you.
Boycott the giants
Whilst all fast fashion is bad and it's not only brands like ZARA and Shein contributing to the problem, it doesn’t hurt to pick your battles if it will have a positive outcome.
If shopping completely second-hand is too hard, choose a brand (or two, or three) you shop from most frequently (or find the most unethical of your fave brands) and boycott it.
It’s hard to completely veto an entire shop you buy most of your clothes from, but it’s not impossible. As Mikaela Loach discusses in It’s Not that Radical, boycotting fast fashion is a simple lifestyle change that has proven positive results for the climate, more so than other switches.
Quality over quantity
When you set yourself a mini goal, such as “I’ll only buy natural materials like cotton or wool and stay away from synthetics like polyester,” buying less becomes like second nature because it’s virtually impossible to buy fast fashion made from ethical fabrics. It’s a win-win: you cut your consumption and natural materials feel better on the skin.
Buy what you need
It sounds obvious, but only buying what you need is a good place to start developing long-term sustainable habits. Evaluating whether you need or want something helps you realise how much you’re impulse buying into trends you like versus when you're investing in clothes you need.
Add it to your Whering Wishlist
Our Wishlist feature was literally designed to help you slow down and purchase items you love. When we spend time thinking about whether we actually like something, we’re building up a wardrobe full of clothes we can’t wait to wear.
Know your style
Understanding your style helps when it comes to buying clothes you love (that you’ll actually wear a lot). When you track your outfits in Whering, you can see a breakdown of your most worn colours, items, and outfits, which helps you know which items are worth investing in in the future and reduces unnecessary consumption.
Hopefully this gave you some ideas of how you can keep the vibes of second-hand September going for the long haul. If we missed anything, be sure to let us know on our socials @Whering__ on Twitter and Instagram.
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