You’ve seen the news about textile waste lately, and it’s all shocking.

From retailers slashing perfectly good items before tossing them in dumpsters to the impact fabric manufacturing has on the environment, it’s not alarmist to feel outraged. But on a large-scope, global issue like this one, what impact can we have as consumers? The truth is, we hold all the cards. And as daunting as it seems to change habits, and as difficult as it is to resist buying into what the industry says we “need” every season, there are people out there who have made the switch to waste-free style.

I’ve made major strides in living a more sustainable life in one breath, I’ve stumbled and failed in the next, and I’ve been open about the whole process via my social channels. Blogger Tiara Jackle is admittedly lapping me in the journey to zero-waste, so I look to her Raw Fashion blog as inspiration. I recently caught up with Tiara to discuss how she got started, what she’s learned along the way and how other people can best take action. If you’re interested in reducing your footprint without sacrificing style (and you should be!), don’t stop reading now!

It was almost a decade ago that Tiara made the decision to try to source everything she needed second-hand instead of buying new.

“I have been able to find almost everything I need second-hand,” explains Tiara, “however, an initial challenge was that it did take longer to find a particular item.” And while I allow myself a few new purchases to punch up my second-hand and existing wardrobe for the season, Tiara found a system that works for her to keep “new” in quotation marks.

“I created a list of things to look for every time I went to thrift, vintage or consignment shops. When I would find the item I was looking for, it was an incredibly exciting moment. Shopping second-hand gives me so much joy.”

See, to me it makes sense for hunter-gatherers to find that thrill in the game, but not everyone loves it and not everyone has time for it. That’s why Value Village and other huge thrift shops are heaven to some and the opposite for others. If you’re not a needle-in-the-haystack kind of person but love the idea of buying fewer new pieces, Saskatoon has a variety of curated options. Goldie’s General is a haven for vintage pieces with lots of character like siwash jackets, furs and boho leather purses, for instance. If you know chef Christie Peters of The Hollows, you know her mandate “waste not, want not” means sourcing locally, putting every part of a food to use, wild harvesting and staying local, so leave it to her to create the perfect little side dish in the form of the shop upstairs from the restaurant.

Tiara frequents Hazlewood Vintage, which stocks beautiful, minimalist second-hand pieces, each thoughtfully selected by owner Michaela Michael. There, the focus is on wearable clothes that continue to be eco-friendly over the course of their life. And if you’re wondering how a piece of clothing that already exists could ever be problematic, have a think on how much plastic is in our clothes and what happens to it when they get washed.

“Just because something is bought second-hand doesn’t necessarily make it a sustainable purchase,” Tiara clarifies. “For example, an item made from polyester, nylon, elastane, Lycra, viscose, spandex, acrylic,or any other synthetic material releases microfibres into the waterways when it’s washed. These synthetic microfibres pass through filters, polluting rivers, lakes and oceans.”

And synthetics don’t decompose. Instead, they can increase endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the environment, absorb harmful chemicals and enter the food chain at the smallest sources.

“Ingestion of microfibre plastic by humans and animals is now virtually unavoidable,” Tiara tells me, bluntly.

And, there is a problem within the problem that Tiara is passionate about resolving: products made of recycled plastic or manmade materials, stamped as “sustainable.”

“That is what’s referred to as ‘greenwashing’ a product,” she says. “Clothing made from recycled plastic releases even more plastic microfibres than non-recycled materials. Now, in my efforts to reduce my environmental footprint, I try to only purchase clothing made from natural materials, which can eventually biodegrade.”

If you buy or currently own synthetic clothing (which I do), Tiara recommends the Guppy Friend Washing Bag from STOP! Micro Waste; it filters synthetic microfibres and stops them from entering waterways.

So, where do you begin if you want to make an impact? Simply by buying fewer new pieces. I shop my closet and repurpose what I have, archiving favourites instead of donating immediately, and pulling others back into rotation. Yes, I still treat myself to a couple new pieces to feel current, but compared to my old ways of essentially buying a new wardrobe every season, I’m a changed woman. I keep a running list in my mind of pieces that can make my closet work harder and put the idea of second-hand first. Local buy-and-sell sites, thrift shops, Kijiji, consignment stores, clothing swaps and curated shops are all great resources.

Tiara’s approach has evolved even further.

“I used to think I had to follow trends and be fashionable. I would search for these ‘trendy’ items second-hand; however, they usually were not my style and I wouldn’t wear them for very long, which makes that second-hand purchase unsustainable.”

Instead, Tiara says she started to focus on her own personal style, wearing what made her happy.

“That’s when I had my breakthrough that trends and fashion did not matter to me whatsoever and trying to adhere to them was ultimately disappointing and expensive.”

Instead, she began searching for items she loved, incorporating them into her wardrobe.

“I no longer pay attention to what is popular. I only wear what makes me feel and look best, mixing and matching vintage clothing from different decades to create outfits. My mindset, in my journey in fashion, has shifted from fashion blogger to personal style blogger.”

You, too, can shift your mindset from fashion to personal style. And don’t beat yourself up if you’re just taking small steps now; it still means you’re further ahead than you were. Even Tiara admits there are challenges.

“I purchase things second-hand, bring my own reusable bag when I shop and ask to have my item remain unwrapped, but it’s difficult to avoid all waste when it comes to fashion.”

Her advice?

“Really think about what you are purchasing. Invest in the highest quality of items that you can afford and reduce your overall consumption.”

I wish you all the best in your journey to do better for our Earth, dear reader, and I hope you’ll wish the same for me. We are, after all, in it together.

-Maygen Kardash