The path to sustainable, rather mindful living is never an easy one. One such obstacle for me was, decluttering my wardrobe. 

Do you know, we barely use 21% (approx.) of the entire 100% of our wardrobe?

It is estimated that more than 1 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every year, with most of this coming from household sources. 

Even though nearly 100 per cent of clothing is recyclable, about 75 to 85 per cent of textile waste ends up in landfills or is incinerated instead of being reused, thereby polluting the environment, according to the ITJ. - indiantextilejournal.com

The future of India, can lie in one of world's biggest landfill if we continue to consume at the current rate. The rich Indian culture of using a garment from 'riches to rags' (literally) is somehow diminishing. I am sure you all will have memories of waiting for a sibling to hand-down their fave t-shirt to you once they have outgrown it, of your fave dress being used as a wash cloth, or simply giving away old clothes in exchange of steel utensils. We did it all, recycled, reused and repurposed. 

WHAT HAS CHANGED?

- Fast fashion brands entering the Indian textile market, making garments cheaper than buying dinner. 

- Convenience of shopping online and easy returns.

- Faster developing trends 

- The need to follow those trends emerging from developed countries.

'A conscious closet journey begins with a clean-out. There is just no way around it. Our closets are meant to hold all the beautiful things that we are excited to wear. But they have been hijacked! And turned into dark recesses for impulse buys and fashion regrets, and clothes that we don’t like and don’t work and don’t fit.  supposed to hold all pretty things you need

My overstuffed wardrobe contained hundreds of items and yet I wore only a sliver of what owned. Each morning I opened the door and reached far enough to grab the same tops and bottoms again and again. I am not alone!' -

 

Could not relate more to this excerpt from 'The Conscious Closet'.

If you feel the same, read on…

I never empty my wardrobe at once. That can feel overwhelming, specifically if you are not the type who shops every month. I decided to do it in a certain way - I have one bag of a certain size and I would only give away the volumes that fit in that bag. That way, it did not feel like I was emptying my cupboard all at once.

Important tip : Keep the clothes you love! (be realistic)

You may have some clothes with sentimental values, like your teenage t-shirt, or something that is ancestral. There is no way, someone else is going to understand and value that item as much as you will. So keep it! 

Closet cleansing should be about mindfully handing down or re-using the clothes your already own, instead of buying new. Limiting your purchases to a few sustainable outfits and maximising the use ability of each outfit.

 

XO

Kimaya