Featured in GREEN LIVING MAGAZINE x GOODWILL AZ
Until now Halloween has not exactly been know as a very sustainable holiday. For many Americans the routine goes something like this: Buy costume, wear it once, throw it out.
Personally, it always bothered me that I’d spend all this money on an outfit that I’d wear once, maybe twice, that would then collect dust in the back of a closet at best. There’s got to be a more resourceful way to celebrate this iconic holiday.
This post was originally featured in the October issue of Green Living Magazine. To see all the looks, please check it out here: https://greenlivingaz.com/current-issue/
Sustainable Lightbulb Moment: It could be just as fun to dress the part of a movie character I loved, such as Sandy from Grease, or from a time period I was intrigued by, like the roaring 20s, utilizing items I could repurpose in my everyday life.
For instance, one year I dressed up as Holly Go Lightly from the film Breakfast At Tiffany’s- very stylish, right? Not only was it easy and a ton of fun, but I could rework that little black dress for a number of different occasions and looks; the tiara, I used for other Halloween costumes and even a bachelorette party; that timeless string of pearls- well of course I’ll be wearing those forever (doesn’t everyone need a pair?)
Is there a time period you wish you could relive? The 60s? Roman times? Or a Movie character you’ve always loved? Grease? Indiana Jones? Pretty in Pink? Of course the reusability of certain items will depend on your own personal style and lifestyle. For example, an LBD and a string of pearls are items I know I can restyle many ways for many occasions, and for many years to come- not just to be worn for my Holly Go Lightly Audrey Hepburn costume.
Is your style more bohemian? Try a Flower Child or 60s glam costume, such as the one shown here. Are you more preppy? Try Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air or Cher from the movie Clueless.
Sustainable Shopping Tip: Purchase ‘costumes’ that could be repurposed as outfits worn in your everyday life, or that could be repurposed for future costumes.
Shopping pre-loved items from the Goodwill for your next Halloween costume will not only save you money compared to shopping at a Halloween Superstore or even online, but shopping secondhand is the most sustainable shopping you can do. By purchasing multi-purpose costume items, you’ll feel good knowing you can reuse those items again and again. Less waste!
Shopping for items that you can wear for different occasions and repurpose different ways is a very sustainable lifestyle practice that can easily reduce unnecessary waste. It is something we all can try next time we’re hitting the stores- whether for Halloween or your everyday wardrobe.
Reuse, recycle, repurpose. On the hunt for your next best Halloween costume? Head to your local Goodwill. Your purchase proceeds are helping other people, and also helping the planet by extending the lifecycle of clothing items that would otherwise end up in a landfill.
Shown here:
1. Poodle Skirt Girl (50s)
WHAT TO KNOW (1):
The apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions and remains the
second largest industrial polluter, second only to oil.
More than 150 billion garments are produced annually, enough to provide 20 new garments to every person on the planet, every year.
Americans throw away about 70 lbs of clothing per person every year.
Wearing clothing 50 times instead of 5 (the fast fashion average) reduces carbon emissions by 400% per item per year.
If you’d like to help me in my efforts to raise awareness of making sustainability stylish, please share this post. Also, please sign up for my email updates {HERE} and follow my Instagram {HERE}, where I share my sustainably fabulous fashion finds and advocate for more sustainable fashion shopping choices. I hope I’ve inspired you to explore more responsible, more creative and even more stylish alternatives to the fast fashion industry that is de rigueur.
Get involved. Become part of the movement for a healthier, more sustainable fashion world. I believe that together we can change the face of fashion.
Wear what you love and wear what empowers you. Also consider where your clothes were made and who made them. Your purchase may empower the person who made them (or not).
Shop wisely. Every purchase is a vote. Make yours count.
*The items featured on this blog are what I consider sustainable fashion and/or are items I have owned for a very long time- which I would then consider a sustainable fashion choice simply for the longevity of it.
Thank you to Goodwill Arizona. All opinions and styling are my own.
Photography by Aaron Blackburn.
(1) https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/12/03/making-climate-change-fashionable-the-garment-industry-takes-on-global-warming/#56dd89bd79e4