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The current state of the environment is one of the most pressing concerns and people are determined to finding ways to become more ecologically conscious in their day to day life. Sustainable fashion, organic fabric or environmentally sourced material are recurring terms which keep popping up in the discussion about sustainable fashion trends and yet people are not aware of how to apply these principles of sustainability in theirdaily life and activities.

Reduce, reuse and recycle may sound like a menial task but many people are willing to give it a try- how to utilise this to generate maximum benefit out of it. Sustainable or ecologically conscious fashion is not solely limitedto buying expensive clothes, rather it is about choosing quality over quantity and understanding when to say no.

Practising sustainability in our daily life is not restrictive buying instead it is more about buying what you need and determining the quantity in which you need. It also becomes essential that no matter what we buy it should be bought from home grown, organic and ecological label as opposed to mass produced retailer or commercial brands. When we buy products from ecologically aware brands, not only do we contribute to the local business but it also helps in keeping the landfills clean of unwanted fabric and material.

To adapt reuse, recycle and reduce principle, wemust understand the psychological need behind the demand first. Distinguishing between a need and a want is crucial. Before buying anything, it’s essential that you ask yourself whether the product is a need or a want. More often than not impulsive buying leads to spending money on things which are not needed and this result in the clothes being hardly worn or even unworn and ultimately ending up in the landfill. If you need a particular garment for a particular occasion it’s suggested that you opt for renting or borrowing, instead of purchasing.

Renting clothes is emerging as one of the most sought after alternative to occasion wear clothing in India and abroad, as festive clothing is the most popular category of clothing which goes unworn. Different companies and brands are coming up with innovating renting platforms, which not only rent the garment but also provide altering, picking up and dropping off facilities. For those who are not comfortable with renting, recycling or dyeing an existing garment into something new and trendy can be another great alternative. Buying good quality products at affordable price from vintage dealers, thrift store or websites which sell pre loved/ pre owned luxury goods can be also a great opportunity to reduce our carbon footprints.

Fashion industry’s harmful effects on environment are becoming more and more prominent with each passing day and everyone from designers to consumers alike is trying to do their bit in saving the environment. Buying less, renting more, borrowing often and incorporating DIY practices in your routine life might look like a baby step but if practised diligently will yield results for greater good. Almost every majorlabel has set sustainability as their primary benchmark along with achieving their sales target for the upcoming year and it would be certainly interesting to see them achieve this in the next decade.