Real talk: It’s truly SO fun to shop our hearts out and curate our perfect wardrobes. But did you know that 36 billion clothing items end up in landfills in the U.S. each year, 95% of which could be reused or recycled? The fashion industry often has harmful, irreparable effects on our planet by way of overconsumption and production. So how can we be thoughtful fashionistas?
With Earth Day around the corner, here is the #1 habit you have to try based on your Zodiac sign. Once you start, try them all! Scroll to see how you can switch up your fashion habits for a better planet.
Aries – Upcycle Clothes
Pull out that piece that’s been shoved to the back of your closet for years. It’s surely not your go-to, but it has potential, right? If so, then it’s time to spice it up before you ditch it – aka, upcycle it!
Upcycling is transforming an old, damaged, or “boring” piece into something new – refashioning it into something new to you. From patchwork jeans to tie-dye sweatshirts, there are tons of upcycling tutorials online that are awaiting your craftiness. We highly recommend checking out these TikTokers for upcycling tutorials!
Taurus – Build a Capsule Wardrobe
If you’re totally into versatile clothing, then you shouldn’t pass up on curating a capsule wardrobe. Building a capsule wardrobe is basically “editing” down your closet to the timeless essentials that will go together in outfits time after time.
For a start, take a moment to sift through your closet and think: What are your favorite items? Do your favorite items match your dream personal style? Do they complement each other? Can I use them for multiple outfits? Hot tip: Create capsule wardrobes for each season if you live in a region with varying climates.
Not only is creating a capsule wardrobe a great way to cut down on clothing consumption, but it also builds your confidence in terms of your personal style.
Gemini – Swap Clothes with Your BFF
When your bestie has a shirt that you absolutely must wear, steal it. Just kiddinggg, but you don’t just have to admire their immaculate sense of style from afar. Swapping clothes is the perfect way to change up your looks without actually shopping for something new. Love that dress they wore the other day? Ask to borrow it! Let them know that your closet is up for trades too.
Or, if you both have an item you don’t wear as much anymore, do a little switch-a-roo. Now you’ll both own something new to wear (a win-win for sure).
Cancer – DIY Mending
No, it’s not the end of the world when your trusty pair of jeans have a hole or tear. And no, you don’t have to spend your precious money on getting it professionally mended. The idea seems intimidating, but stitching up your damaged pieces is fairly simple. All you’ll need is a needle and some thread! Check out our top mending hacks here for the full rundown.
Leo – Make Fabric-Scrap Scrunchies
If you’re a serial T-shirt cropper, you’ll definitely know cropping’s major side effect: those leftover strips of fabric. Most of the time, these scraps are just thrown out because, you know, what else can you do with them? Makeshift scrunchies are now the hottest solution. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Fabric strips
- Elastic band
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Needle & thread
Make sure your fabric strip is 4 x 18 inch, and then fold it hot-dog style (vertically). Sew along the longer edge to make a tube. Insert 8 inches of elastic band and slide the ends of the fabric tube down to line up with the ends of the band. Sew the fabric and elastic band ends together. Stitch the fabric tube ends together and you’re done!
Virgo – Go Thrifting
Did you really think we weren’t going to talk about thrifting? Shopping secondhand is the easiest sustainable way to add to your closet. Not to mention, it’s a superb way to build your own unique style (one-of-a-kind pieces, anyone?). Track down any thrift stores closest to you and check them out! And, of course, you can thrift online right here at thredUP. Nothing beats sustainable shopping from your couch.
Libra – Air Dry Laundry
Think twice before tossing your coziest sweater in the dryer. Believe it or not, the dryer can cause some serious damage to your clothes by wearing or straining them with high heat. To ensure the well-being of your favorite items, try air drying. Hang them up with clothing pins or place them on a drying rack to extend their lifespans. BONUS: Air drying can also prevent wrinkles! Yay!
Scorpio – Purge Closet Seasonally
You don’t realize how many clothes you’ve accumulated until it’s time to start wearing them again – one year later. This means it’s time to give some of last year’s pieces to a new home.
Every time a new season comes around, sort each clothing item into three piles:
- Absolutely, I LOVE this!
- Hmmm, maybe I could wear this again.
- Nah, I’m not a fan of this anymore.
Keep pile one, donate or sell pile three, and repeat the process with every item in pile two. Do this until you’re definitely keeping or definitely giving away every piece!
Sagittarius – Skip a Trend
Let’s face it, we love to stay on trend and look poppin’ all the time. However, trends can often cause overconsumption and production in fast fashion, and they come and go within a matter of weeks. This means thousands of perfectly good clothing items, that were once “trending”, could go straight to the landfill in a short period of time.
If you really, really love a trend, keep in mind that they’re cyclical. What you want is probably already out there. The next trend you see coming around, consider either skipping it or thrifting it instead!
Capricorn – Shop Eco-Friendly Brands
Shopping secondhand will always be our personal fave, but thrifting isn’t the only way to shop sustainably. There are tons of brands that share our mission to protect the planet by taking up sustainable production processes and using natural, recycled, and eco-friendly materials
See our ultimate list of our favorite eco-friendly brands here. Happy shopping!
Aquarius – Wear an Item 5 Times
It’s a story as old as time. You’ll find an absolute gem of an item of clothing and think “Oooo I’m gonna wear this 24/7”, then it ends up on the back of your closet after only one wear. Every clothing item deserves the love of rewearing again and again and again.
Find an item in your closet that you haven’t worn in a while, and try to wear it 5 times over the course of a month. Making the most of your closet really does matter! Maybe it could be your next favorite piece…
Pisces – Order a Rescue Box
Rescue boxes are heavily discounted hauls containing either unaccepted items that don’t meet our strict quality standards or items that have been sitting on our site for too long. All these items need is a little TLC and they’re practically good as new!
From bulk boxes of T-shirts or name-brand handbags, to a little mix of everything, there’s surely a Rescue Box for whatever you desire. P.S. These boxes are perrrrfect for DIY projects! Check out the full Rescue Box selection right here.
