The Basics of Sustainable Clothes

Good clothes feel good when you wear them, but great clothes make you feel good about wearing them.

That’s why Beach Bound is committed to supporting sustainable clothes however we can. Since we’re the home of Hermosa Beach’s best apparel, we thought we’d write up a quick list of the basics of sustainable clothes.

Read all about it, then visit the Beach Bound shop for the best beach apparel in Hermosa Beach!

Start with Organic Materials

You might see cotton clothing and assume that since it’s 100% cotton that it’s organic. However, unless the cotton was grown using specific techniques that preserve the land it came from then it is not organic.

For example-

• Organic cotton is grown without the use of pesticides and insecticides.
• Organic cotton also uses no GMOs to increase yield or any other practice along the same lines.
• Lastly, those who grow organic cotton must also practice crop rotating so that the soil they grow on remains healthy while also relying on rainwater instead of irrigation.

Organic cotton is only one example of organic materials that can be used in sustainable clothing. There are materials like bamboo which also make great clothes!

Choose Recycled Materials Too 

You can also lessen the impact your clothes have on the planet by prioritizing apparel made from recycled clothing.

Fortunately, many retailers have made it easy to recycle and buy clothing made from recycled materials. You can even recycle outdoor gear like tents and sleeping bags so that they can also be used to make sustainable clothing and new gear.

Some brands will even give you store credit for shipping your old clothes so that they can be recycled.

Pay Attention to Packaging and Shipping

With the number of retailers who sell their clothes online there’s a good chance you’re shopping there too. That also means that your clothes are shipped to you, which can involve a ton of plastic on top of the carbon footprint of the trucks and other transportation methods that carry goods.

An easy way to lessen the footprint from shopping online is by choosing retailers who prioritize using little to no plastic in their shipping. That could mean they use plastic free bags, or even reusable bags that you ship back to them after you receive your clothing.

Repair, Not Replace 

When clothes are made well, they last. Of course, if you’re wearing them then they also wear down. When that happens it can be easy to replace your clothes. However, if you learn to repair them then you’ll prolong their lifetime and lessen your carbon footprint.

Some retailers have generous return and exchange policies to support this effort. Check before you purchase to make sure you know what to expect when your clothes wear out.

It will take time to learn how to repair your clothing, but once you have the basic skills down you won’t look at your clothes the same. In fact, your friends may start bringing you their clothes for repair!