It’s officially June, which means summer weather and rooftop cocktail hours are upon us - has the wardrobe-refresh bug hit you yet? 

     We surveyed our Instagram followers to find out if they suffer from “new season, new clothes" syndrome - 71% of participants said yes! When asked if they act on the urge to renew their wardrobe, 33% of those who answered “yes” also confessed that they did indeed carry out that desire in some way. Of the 33% of wardrobe refreshers, 33% said they opt to do so by thrifting in person, while 17% opted to swap clothes with family and friends. Pretty sustainable, right?

       It’s common to want to update your everyday looks as the seasons change, but it’s important to minimize your impact while doing so! If you’re one of the many who feel influenced to update your wardrobe each season, don’t worry - we’ve got you covered with 5 tips to refresh your clothing collection, sustainably.

1. Get rid of pieces that no longer spark joy (or just aren’t practical)

A “wardrobe refresh” doesn’t have to mean an entirely new wardrobe - it can also mean revising your closet to eliminate the pieces that don’t fit, are difficult to style, or just in poor shape. Like Marie Kondo says, “The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one's hand and ask: “Does this spark joy?” If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it.”

2. Swap clothes with family members or friends

Got sisters? Friends? Fashion-forward coworkers? Organize a clothing swap! You can do this on a small scale with one or two close friends, or host a big event in your neighborhood! Clothes-swapping is a great way to find some new-to-you pieces that are still in great shape.

3. Thrift (online)

We’re big fans of thrifting - as the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure! Thanks to never ending trend cycles, tons of on-trend garments from the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s are out there just waiting to be discovered. Online thrift shopping is a great way to discover curated collections of vintage clothing. Try an online thrifting platform, like Depop or Poshmark next time you get the urge to refresh your wardrobe.

4. Thrift (in person)

Like online thrifting, but different! In-person thrift shopping has certain advantages - the main one, of course, being that you actually get to touch and feel the fabric of the clothing you’re buying. In-person thrifting also allows you to try-before-you-buy. If a piece you’re interested in doesn’t fit well, you can hang it right back on the rack instead of going through the hassle of returning something you’ve already bought.

5. If you need to buy brand new, shop conscious brands

Are your wardrobe makeover urges actually more of a need? If you do need to buy some brand-new pieces, try your best to purchase from sustainable brands. You can tell if a brand is truly sustainable by checking out their website. Most eco-friendly brands should have easy-to-find information on their site about their values and business practices, like our Sustainability page. Beware of greenwashing - there are so many brands claiming to be eco-friendly when in reality, they’re just jumping on a marketing trend.

Hopefully we helped you beat the "seasonal refresh" blues! Let us know in the comments which tip was your fave.

Thanks for reading,

Up Sportif