Sustainable Spring Styles

Now that spring has arrived, it's time to clean out your closets, pack up your sweaters and boots, and pull out your short sleeves and sandals in anticipation of the warmer weather.

As you go through last year’s wardrobe, you might yourself in need of some new clothes to match this year’s latest trends. If you are one of those people and you’ve decided it’s time for some new looks, challenge yourself to commit to sustainable shopping this year. It’s no big secret that the fashion industry is not as good to the environment as it is to shoppers. Thankfully, it is possible to look good and protect the environment.

There are plenty of brands out there that have committed to ethical and sustainable production practices. These clothes might cost more than the fast fashion finds at your local mall, but you’ll be getting much higher quality clothing and peace of mind.

If you’re looking to save money, you can also go the thrift route. There are plenty of thrift stores where you can find these same exact styles that are gently used at a much lower cost.

Here are some of our stylish and eco-friendly suggestions for spring 2018.

Styles for Women

1. Pastels

Harpers Bazaar named pastel colors as one of the top trends to have on your radar for this upcoming spring. The multi-colored pastel blazer, pictured to the right, was an item for sale at the Planet Aid Thrift Center. Blazers are great for dressing up or even for wearing casually. For a more casual look, you could pair this blazer with a pair of cropped jeans and a subtle-colored flat.

2. Sheer

Sheer was another trend Harpers Bazaar mentioned in their list of spring and summer 2018 fashion trends. Reformation is a company that produces all garments using responsible manufacturing partners here in the United States and abroad using sustainable methods and materials. You can find the shirt pictured to the right on their website.

According to the RefScale, a tool for shoppers to see exactly how green each of their products is compared to the industry standard, six pounds of carbon dioxide, 1 gallon of water, and 0.4 pounds of waste was saved during the production of this shirt.

Styles for Men

1. Desert Boots

Esquire online, a destination for men's fashion advice, named desert boots as one of the top ten must-have shoes for spring/summer. These shoes can easily be dressed up or down and with or without socks, creating the perfect shoe for multiple occasions. Pictured to the right is a pair of boots similar to the desert boots that were for sale at the Planet Aid Thrift Center. Shopping secondhand for spring styles helps to still make a fashion statement while saving money and helping the environment at the same time!

2. Tropical Print Shirts

Fashion Beans also selected tropical print shirts as an upcoming trend for this spring and summer. The site suggests a shirt with a subtle color palette paired with dark tailored chinos or jeans.

Now that your up to speed on the hottest trends for the spring, head to your local thrift store to find items like these or shop online for brands geared toward sustainability. Not only will you look fashionable, you’ll be helping out the environment, too!

Check out our Spring Cleaning Guide homepage for other interesting spring cleaning tips and info!

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