Zero Waste Wardrobe

   
   
   
  
   
   

If your entire wardrobe doesn't fit in a carry on, what are you even doing? I'm kidding, because numbers don't matter much. Everyone's ideal wardrobe size is different, and we need to step away from one size fits all approaches in favor of individualized ones. A person's wardrobe is one area where the paradox of choice and law of diminishing returns applies, however, so sticking to signature pieces (trench coat, sneakers, camel coat) and simple styles I love (bodysuits or scoop necks with a pair of jeans, tailored dresses) instead of always chasing the newest or latest is actually freeing. It also kept me creative, forcing me to figure out how to combine pieces in new ways (although all I really did was wear skirts over my dresses) and breathe life into old clothing. I learned how to shorten jeans while keeping the original hem, how to take in garments, darn socks, patch items, and knit in my quest for the perfect wardrobe. I think I can still express myself through my clothing because each piece shows that I value practicality and minimalism, but also that I live in the same city as Khloe Kardashian.

A well constructed closet is useless without proper foundations. I sold my Agent Provocateur sets because one day I looked in the mirror and was like, my Pansy sets are way cuter (FYI Agent Provocateur is something you buy for yourself, because men can't handle it). You can wear them with fully recyclable silicone Nippies to make them office appropriate. Most of my clothes are secondhand, but I like Pansy, Dôen, A Wool Story, Re/Done, and Reformation for new items because they're sustainable and ship plastic free. On Etsy, I like Rawson and Shopfuture. Poshmark is typically where I shop for brands like Re/Done and Reformation, but eBay is better for specific items, like my secondhand Dior Oui ring. Violette Leonie is pretty much the only place I ever bought clothes in Paris, apart from the long closed Vintage Bar, where I found my Louis Vuitton coat. Most of my Dior and Louis Vuitton items were from The Real Real, but I don’t recommend them anymore- their stuff is always dirty and they no longer ship plastic free. It's still better than Vestiaire Collective.

While buying secondhand seems like a no brainer, consuming too much of anything is never a good idea, and even donating responsibly sourced items can have far reaching impacts. Americans donate over 4.7 billion lbs of clothing each year, only about 1% of which is suitable for sale in thrift stores. The rest is sold to commercial used clothing dealers and textile recyclers for export. Thrift store clothing has a limited shelf life - about a month before being sent to clearance centers and exported. The influx of used clothing in destination countries impedes local industries and further burdens communities with the problem of disposal. To limit turnover in my wardrobe, I stick to shapes and colors I won't get sick of years from now, only replacing items as my size and lifestyle changes, which is why it took me all year to buy a second pair of jeans. 

1. Levi's Wedgie high rise, Coyote Desert, 26 
2. Levi's 646 bell bottoms, indigo wash (orange tab from the 70s), 26 in modern sizing
3. Levi's Wedgie cuff shorts, size 25 
4. Equipment cotton shirt (heavily tailored- cropped and taken in, it's still very loose and I might get rid of it idk. How do French girls wear such large shirts?) size XS petite 
5. L'ecole des Femmes Oui shirt, sz M (similar)
6. Black H&M tank top sz XS 
7. Black Re/Done bodysuit sz S (very high cut- if you buy it new, buy from Barneys or the Outnet- they ship plastic free) 
8. Reformation Lozita bodysuit navy sz SM 
9. Reformation Piper top sz S
10. Reformation Axel bodysuit sz S 
11. Dior black dress sz 36 
12. Dior navy dress sz 36 
13. Dior gray dress sz 38, taken in 
14. Louis Vuitton black wool skirt, 38, taken in 
15. American Apparel grey henley dress 
16. White American Apparel tank top 
17. Salt Dôen Brigitte t-shirt, size S
18. Tawny Dôen Brigitte t-shirt size S - these are the perfect t-shirts. The fabric will never get little holes and the colors don't fade. They're completely opaque, and hide my back fat  
19. Louis Vuitton raincoat sz 40 
20. Camel Dior coat sz S 36 (as you all know, I got this at a thrift store in NYC)
21. A Wool Story socks, hat, and mittens 
22. Nuria Couturiere espadrilles (I've had these for years- Sezane makes similar ones) 
23. Pact Organic socks (purchased new... I hate them. Their branding and packaging are so obnoxious, but they were at Whole Foods so I thought, why not) 
24. Christian Louboutin Simple pumps sz 37.5, 100 mm
25. Ferragamo Vara sz 7C, stretched at the store, although now they're a little loose since I'm not walking all the time
26. Stuart Weitzman boots sz 38 
27. Nike Wedge Sky Hi's sz 37 
28. Nike Air Force 1's flyknit sz 37 
29. Longchamp Pliage- medium shopper in grey. These bags have a lifetime warranty, so if the corners wear out and the bag can no longer be repaired, they will replace it 
30. American Apparel swimsuit XS 
31. Gucci sunglasses and Rayban glasses for me to wear while looking at the computer at work 
32. Dior ring sz 7 
33. Pansy sets in rose and black (two bras plus enough briefs for the week- and these bras do work for larger than a D cup) 
34. J Crew vintage cotton pajamas, secondhand. The reviews say they look like scrubs but frankly they're very cute on me 

I plan on buying leggings and a sports bra because I have to face facts and start working out, but I’m in no hurry. For the time being, I can just swim and hike and carry sheets of plywood around (and if you’ve followed me a while now, you know I mountain bike in my grey dress). Every season I wash my coats and sneakers with castile soap and air dry. This year I didn't need to take anything to the cobbler or tailor, but I let some seams out because of my new sedentary American lifestyle.

I tend to buy in store because of my strange body type, but not everyone has decent thrift stores in their area. Shopping online isn't necessarily worse for the environment- studies from MIT, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon indicate online shopping tends to have less environmental impact on its own. Brick and mortar facilities require energy, and driving to shops creates emissions, whereas delivery services have incentives to optimize and streamline routes for efficiency. Packaging accounts for 22% of emissions when buying online, whereas customer transportation accounts for 65% of emissions when buying in store, according to Carnegie Mellon.

This doesn't account for consumer behavior. People often supplement in store shopping with online shopping, and opt for faster shipping times or returns, resulting in increased emissions. So the best thing to do is buy less, plan ahead, and bundle shipments; research purchases to avoid mistake buys, refuse express shipping, and take public transport when shopping at stores whenever possible.