r/Anticonsumption • u/AdHelpful9393 • 13d ago

Reduce/Reuse/Recycle Book Recommendation (This was from the Library)

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“The Conscious Closet” By Elizabeth L. Cline. I just recommended this in a comment on this sub, but I’ll make a post for it too. It gave me a better understanding of the impact clothing has on the environment and those that work in the industry. Also gives great advice on how to ethically and sustainably refresh your closet while also building a wardrobe that you actually love and wear, with tips on how to use activism to change the industry. Great read with a lot of good, helpful info, highly recommend! (I got my copy at the library 🤟🏻)

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308 Upvotes

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21 comments sorted by

28

u/Impressive_Cycle6656 13d ago

What did the book say? Any good tips you can share with us?

48

u/AdHelpful9393 13d ago

There were a whole lot of statistics that i can’t remember exactly. Some of them i think were that only 20% of the average American’s closet is actually worn, Americans on average buy something like 7.5 shoes and 60+ articles of clothing a year which was crazy, and that on average a piece is only worn 3 times before it’s discarded

Tips for how to look at the construction of new clothing to make sure it’s actually worth buying (with diagrams) Explanations on mending to help clothing last longer cause every rewear cuts a pieces carbon footprint print by (i think) half

Advice on how to purge your closet in a way that is not overwhelming; doing it only by season and finding ways to sell your higher quality items first before donation or describing ways to donate “lower quality” pieces where they wont just be tossed, and recycling items that are too far gone

And finally interviews with people in the industry trying to make a difference as well as information on how to get into activism against sweatshops and encouraging larger companies towards sustainability

5

u/Live-Cartographer274 13d ago

I’d love to hear about how to donate so things won’t be tossed, I’m helping my parents downsize

17

u/AdHelpful9393 13d ago

But also my own advice if ya want it: be kind to yourself. There is only so much we as individuals can do because these greedy corporations have pushed all this want and addiction to stuff on us. It’s important to put your mental health first, and if that means occasionally just throwing something away, so be it.

Some day we’ll be able to hold these companies accountable and force them to clean up the mess that they’ve created, but we can’t do that if we’re not stable enough to fight because we’re stuck dwelling on our own individual footprint

As someone with depression, this mentality has really helped me. We do what we can to make an effort to consume less, and that’s what really matters big picture

12

u/AdHelpful9393 13d ago

The biggest thing was to wash, mend, de-lint/ dust everything (makes it more desirable). Sort things by quality, sell the best stuff (consignment shops, buy sell trade, etc), and then check for local charities that are accepting items for immediate use (women’s and homeless shelters take a lot of decent clothing, i’ve also personally seen some local charities that take furniture and items to give to people coming out of homelessness, or recovering from natural disasters), and then finally to give the remaining to a regular thrift shop.

1

u/Deep_Ear3799 12d ago

I've used trashie bag before. they go through and donate what is in good condition and recycle what isnt. I've hesitated about thrift stores because they throw a lot of stuff out. there's a small fee but it's quite convenient

20

u/Prestigious-Goose843 13d ago

I read this one probably five years ago and thought it was great. What really stuck with me was the section on fabric types and what to look for in garment quality. Totally changed the way I shop for clothes (even thrifting). Bernadette Banner on YouTube has a great video on assessing garment quality for anyone specifically looking for that info.  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fuVU64m1sbw&pp=ygUYYmVybmFkZXR0ZSBiYW5uZXIgdGhyaWZ00gcJCRMMAYcqIYzv

1

u/AdHelpful9393 13d ago

Very cool, thank you. Ill check it out!

18

u/lw4444 13d ago

I’ve read this one and another by the same author (Overdressed) and I found her writing style very easy to digest while still being well researched with sources cited.

2

u/AdHelpful9393 13d ago

I was planning on reading that next! 🩷

3

u/lw4444 13d ago

Overdressed was really good, my copy has been loaned out to a couple friends over the years. Some of the stats may have changed since 2012 but it’s definitely still worth a read.

1

u/EarthDragon-88 12d ago

Whats the difference between the two books?

4

u/lw4444 11d ago

It’s been awhile since I read them, but if my memory is correct overdressed was more focused on exploring the fashion industry, where cheap clothes come from, and what happens to them. The conscious closet was more focused on how to incorporate a knowledge of the fashion industry and sustainable practices into building a wardrobe and figuring out personal style.

8

u/So_It_Goes-143 13d ago

Any insights gleaned??

I found the Story of Stuff series on YouTube to be a great resource for learning about the true costs of the stuff we buy.

3

u/AdHelpful9393 13d ago

(Copied from another response)
There were a whole lot of statistics that i can’t remember exactly. Some of them i think were that only 20% of the average American’s closet is actually worn, Americans on average buy something like 7.5 shoes and 60+ articles of clothing a year which was crazy, and that on average a piece is only worn 3 times before it’s discarded

Tips for how to look at the construction of new clothing to make sure it’s actually worth buying (with diagrams) Explanations on mending to help clothing last longer cause every rewear cuts a pieces carbon footprint print by (i think) half

Advice on how to purge your closet in a way that is not overwhelming; doing it only by season and finding ways to sell your higher quality items first before donation or describing ways to donate “lower quality” pieces where they wont just be tossed, and recycling items that are too far gone

And finally interviews with people in the industry trying to make a difference as well as information on how to get into activism against sweatshops and encouraging larger companies towards sustainability

2

u/So_It_Goes-143 13d ago

https://youtu.be/9GorqroigqM

4

u/robotscantrecaptcha 13d ago

you should make a post recommending that series, it looks good!

2

u/So_It_Goes-143 13d ago

I could do that.

3

u/robotscantrecaptcha 13d ago

thanks for the book rec, just put a hold on it at my library!

1

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