Featuring guest blogger Johanne from: bedremode.nu

Tak til Signe for at give mig plads til at dele mine 5 bedste tips til en mere bæredygtig garderobe. Ovre på mit online hjem (bedremode.nu) er det alt vi snakker om, og at skære det ned til 5 punkter kan derfor være en udfordring.

A sustainable wardrobe doesn’t actually start in the store, but in your own home.

/ Thanks to Signe for giving me the opportunity to share my top 5 tips for a more sustainable wardrobe. Over at my online home (bedremode.nu) this is all we ever talk about, so cutting it down to 5 points was quite a challenge.

• Get your wardrobe sorted

En bæredygtig garderobe starter faktisk ikke i butikken, men hjemme hos dig selv.

Der er generelt stor enighed om, at vores moderne (over)forbrug af tøj er en stor del af grunden til at modebranchen er blevet så forurenende og undertrykkende. Det er både et problem at der bliver produceret så meget nyt tøj, der sviner når det bliver lavet og ikke behandler folk i værdikæden godt nok – men det er også et problem når vi skal skille os af med tøjet…

Start med det du har, og så bygger vi ovenpå det.

/ A sustainable wardrobe doesn’t actually start in the store, but in your own home.

Generally, there is strong consensus that our modern (over) consumption of clothing is a big part of the reason that the fashion industry has become so polluting and oppressive. It is a problem that so much new clothes is being produced and the fact that this is polluting our planet, but also the fact that the people who is producing it isn’t being treated with the respect they deserve – therefore it is also a big problem, when we just throw out huge piles of clothes…

Start with what you have, and build on top of that.

• Love the clothes you own

Hvis du læser de her tips, så er det måske fordi du har hørt lidt om de dårlige ting jeg nævnte ovenover – alle de grimme facts omkring tøjindustrien. Måske går det langsomt op for dig, at noget af tøjet i dit skab er lavet på den måde, og det føles ikke rart – men elsk det i stedet for at få dårlig samvittighed.

Hvis du elsker dit tøj har du måske mere lyst til, at vaske det skånsomt og fixe det, hvilket i sidste ende er meget bedre for miljøet.

Elsk det tøj du har valgt at have hængende i dit skab, så behandler du det automatisk mere bæredygtigt.

/ If you read these tips, it’s probably because you’ve heard a little about the bad things I mentioned above – all the ugly facts about the garment industry. Perhaps some of the clothes in your own closet are made that way, and that fact does not make you feel very good about yourself – but just love it instead of feeling guilty.

If you love your clothes, you may have more desire to wash it gently and to fix it, which ultimately is much better for the environment.

Love the clothes you have chosen to have in your closet – in that way you will automatically treat it more sustainable and with more care.

• Know your sustainable materials

Noget af det letteste at gå efter hvis du gerne vil have en mere bæredygtig garderobe, er materialerne.

Jeg har 3 bæredygtige materialer, som jeg prøver at gå efter når jeg shopper:

a) Økologisk bomuld – Almindelig bomuldsproduktion er desværre stadig et af de største problemer i tøjindustrien i dag, og den hyppigste grund til selvmord blandt Indiske landmænd. Økologisk bomuld opfører sig præcis ligesom det almindelige – det er bare mere rent for dig og for miljøet, og derfor er der al mulig grund til at kigge efter det.

b) Tencel – et materiale som ligner lidt viscose, men som er meget renere i sin fremstilling. Det er lavet af hurtigt voksende eukalyptus træer og i en process hvor der intet slipper ud i form af spildevand eller luftforurening (altså det man kalder et “lukket” kredsløb).

c) Genanvendte materialer – Det kan også stå som “recycled polyester” hvilket mere og mere sportstøj er lavet af, “recycled cotton” som weekday bruger til nogle af deres jeans og “recycled wool” som bruges i en del flotte frakker. Ved at genanvende materialer sparer man miljøet for ny-produktion, og man redder materialer fra, at blive til skrald: win-win.

Hav tjek på dine miljøvenlige materialer, så kan du lettere shoppe mere bæredygtigt.

/ One of the easiest to go for if you want a more sustainable wardrobe, is the materials.

I have 3 sustainable materials, which I try to go for when I shop:

a) Organic cotton – Plain cotton production is unfortunately still one of the biggest problems in the garment industry today, and it is the most common cause of suicides among Indian farmers. Organic cotton is exactly like the plain cotton in quality – it’s just more pure for you and for the environment, and therefore there is every reason to look for it.

b) Tencel – a material similar to viscose, but which is much cleaner in its manufacture. It’s made of fast-growing eucalyptus trees and in a process where there are no escapes in the form of waste or air pollution (that is what we called a “closed” circuit).

c) Recycled materials – can be listed as “recycled polyester” which more and more sportswear is made of, “recycled cotton” as weekday use for some of their jeans and “recycled wool” used in beautiful coats. By recycling materials we save the environment from new production and also makes sure we can use materials that would otherwise just have been treated like garbage: win-win.

Know your sustainable materials so you can easily go for more of these next time you want to shop.

• Buy sustainable basics

Den kategori hvor det er lettest at finde bæredygtigt tøj er i basis og undertøjs kategorien. Store high-street kæder laver fx masser af t-shirts, skjorter og leggings i økologisk bomuld.

Du ved måske også godt hvornår du får brug for nye trusser, t-shirts eller skjorter, og så har du tid til at lave lidt research (fx via min shoppeguide) og finde steder hvor du kan købe dit undertøj og basistøj mere bæredygtigt.

Prøv at finde bæredygtige alternativer til ting du altid har brug for, nemlig dit basis tøj.

/ The category in which it is easiest to find sustainable clothing are the basics and underwear category. Large high-street chains actually make a lot of t-shirts, shirts and leggings in organic cotton.

When you need new underwear, t-shirts or shirts, and then you may have time to do a little research (eg. via my shopping guide) and find places where you can buy your underwear and basic garments more sustainably.

Try to find more sustainable alternatives to things you always need, namely your basic clothes.

• Follow sustainable brands on social media

Mange siger, at de har svært ved at finde flot bæredygtigt tøj. Det forstår jeg ikke, men det er nok også fordi min instagram bugner af seje bæredygtige brands. Jeg bliver på den måde dagligt inspireret og bekræftet i, at det faktisk er nemt nok, at finde et flot bæredygtigt alternativ.

Men det er ikke sikkert det er det samme for dig. Derfor vil jeg anbefale at du omprogrammerer din instagram og måske også din mail-indbakke. Sig nej tak til at modtage updates fra de store brands du normalt følger, og sig ja tak til at følge mere bæredygtige brands.

Hashtags der er gode at undersøge er #fairfashion #sustainablefashion #slowfashion. På den måde er det lettere at blive mindet om at de bæredygtige alternativer findes.

Følg flere bæredygtige brands på de sociale medier, så du dagligt får inspiration til, at tænke mere bæredygtigt i forhold til mode.

/  Many people say they have difficulty finding nice looking sustainable clothing. I don’t feel like that at all, but it’s probably also because my instagram is filled with cool sustainable brands. I get daily inspiration and confirmation that it is indeed easy enough to find a great viable alternative.

But maybe you don’t feel the same way. Therefore, I recommend that you re-program your instagram and maybe your mail inbox. Say no to receiving updates from the major brands you usually follow, and say yes to following more sustainable brands.

Hashtags are good to explore this – #fairfashion #sustainablefashion #slowfashion. In this way it is easier to be reminded that the viable alternatives exist.

Follow more sustainable brands on social media to get daily inspiration on thinking more sustainably in relation to fashion.