Happy New Year! One of my goals this year is to purchase fewer than 10 clothing, accessory, and fashion-related items. Yes, thrifting is a wonderful alternative to conventional fast fashion--it reduces waste by giving clothes a second chance at life and is an affordable alternative to sustainable and ethical clothing, but can still contribute to the problem that we have with heavy consumerism in the fashion industry.

Over these past few months, I’ve noticed that rampant consumption is an issue within the sustainable fashion community.

Whether we’re purchasing enormous amounts of new clothing from sustainable brands or burning through hauls of thrifted clothing, rapid overconsumption is a problem.

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with purchasing large amounts of clothing (you as an individual get to choose what your closet and spending habits look like), it does make me wonder if the intention to shop sustainably got muddled somewhere along the journey. Yes, we’re choosing better alternatives but is this amount of consumption really helping us impact the environment in a positive way like we initially set out to do?

While brainstorming exactly how I was going to get set myself up for success with my sustainable fashion goals, I’ve come up with a list of five questions to ask myself before buying:

1. Is this broken beyond repair? 

Are there any tears or stains on the garment? Will I actually set aside time to mend or remove these? Are these defects going to prevent me from actually wearing the garment?

There have definitely been instances where I’ve purchased a secondhand item even after noticing its defects. Minor rips can be repaired and small stains can be hidden but I think the question here is whether or not you love the garment enough to put effort into fixing those issues. After purchasing the piece, you’d have to set aside time to sew up the holes or put effort into hiding the stain every time you style the garment. Will these defects be a barrier to you wearing the garment?

2. Does this piece actually FIT me?

Always, always, ALWAYS try a piece on (if you’re purchasing in person). The cut of a garment and how it falls on your body is one of the things that matters most when deciding whether or not you’ll actually wear a piece of clothing. If it doesn’t fit perfectly initially, is this something that can be changed with a trip to the tailor and will I actually set aside time to do so?

3. What hole does this fill in my wardrobe?

Come on, do you really need another pair of black leggings or another solid t-shirt? Sure, they’re basics but buying similar, albeit slightly different, items really doesn’t serve you. 

4. If this item were $50, $100, or $200, would I still want it?

An especially big contributor to overconsumption while thrifting is that the clothes are sometimes so cheap. Ask yourself, how much is this garment worth to you? It’s currently available at a cheap price, but if it weren’t, would you still want it? Sometimes putting an imaginary price on something helps us really quantify the value that it is to us.

5. Am I actually going to wear it?

This is the big umbrella question that all of the previous questions lead up to. There are so many aspects to consider with this. In all honesty, can I see myself wearing this garment regularly?

One thing that I like to do is to vaguely picture the outfits that I could wear with this piece. If I can come up with five different outfits off the top of my head and am excited about the different combinations, then it’s a pretty safe bet that I’ll wear the piece. 

What do you ask yourself before thrifting a piece of clothing? Have you ever fallen into the trap of overconsumption on your sustainable fashion journey? What do you think about when thrifting goods like household furniture or when thrifting for other people in your household? I’d love to hear!

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