In many ways, the most sustainable textiles are the ones we already have. Join Bobbie as she begins working through The Sustainable Closet Audit guidebook from Fibershed.org, re-examining the clothing she owns, and planning for future purchases or projects to make.
by Bobbie Williams
Sometimes things just come together. Sarah Thornton recently gave a presentation to the Victoria Handweavers & Spinners Guild about the Fibreshed goals, and Carly Stephanowich from Lorelei Textile Design did another presentation on upcycling and eco-dyeing. I have been thinking about redoing my wardrobe, using natural and local fibres, dyes, and fabric. However, I already have what seems like a large collection of clothing, much of which no longer either (a) fits or (b) matches what I want to be wearing. Luckily, the Fibershed “mother ship” recently published an official guidebook for redefining “your wardrobe, one conscious choice at a time.” You can access and download the guidebook with this link: https://mailchi.mp/395ed0254780/sustainable-closet-audit . The Guidebook will walk you through the steps necessary for evaluating what you have and planning for the future.
I printed off the guidebook and decided to take the plunge. My clothes are in two locations — I have an attic full of garments from my “professional workdays” and a closet with post-retirement clothes that are more in keeping with a casual lifestyle. It has been an eye-opener going through the Audit, reviewing my collection through the perspective of a “Soil-to-Soil Framework”.
One of the first steps to The Sustainable Closet Audit is to look at what one wishes to achieve – reduce environmental impact, support ethical labor, or “simply understanding my purchasing habits better.” I will be honest – my professional clothes were picked with the concept of “look good”, cost and “easy to travel with and maintain in a hotel room while providing itinerant pediatric-focused services”. Little thought was given to sustainability, factory work conditions, etc.
I tackled the attic collection first and decided that despite emotional attachment to some of the items, I really did not need or had much opportunity to wear much of what was there. Good quality items that could be used by someone else went into a bag to be donated to local agencies. A few items that were in bad shape went into a “let’s try to mend or repurpose” bin in my sewing room. I kept some natural fibre items and moved them into the closet with the rest of the “post-retirement clothes.”
The Audit recommends organizing clothing by categories and working through them that way. I have a few “night on the town” items and put them aside – they are so few I don’t feel a need to weed them out. Instead, I will focus on the rest and evaluate them in terms of the steps recommended by the Closet Audit. Eventually I hope to weed my existing items down to a capsule wardrobe that fits my lifestyle and my new textile ethics: natural fibres, locally sourced as much as possible, traceability, etc. This will also apply to any new purchases or sewing projects that I hope to make for myself out of handwoven fabric. It is a goal for the upcoming year and, frankly, I feel quite brave for taking the plunge!
