POST-COVID STYLE
by Denise Geschke, Blogger at "Do I have chalk on my face?", Economics Instructor, Project Runway Fan
As our time in quarantine and athleisure begins to come to an end, I'm thinking a lot about what I will carry forward from this strange year. There are a few things from this pandemic era that were actually encouraging and thought provoking that I think should be valued and taken forward with us. One very compelling concept that became clear during this terrible ordeal is that the damage to the earth’s environment can be repaired. Images of the blue waters in Venice, Italy or the clearer air in LA and NY are just the proof needed to know that we can change the course of climate change.
With that inspiration in mind and one vaccine already on board, I have to look at my habits and think about how I can contribute to a cleaner environment going forward. One of the top 10 contributors to global warming is garbage. We are a society built on consumption - people buying new things all of the time and then throwing away what they don’t want or don’t use. Personally, my COVID anxiety management involved cleaning out and organizing closets, drawers and cabinets. This included giving away a whole lot of stuff that we no longer needed - or possibly ever needed - and gave me a strong visual cue that we have too much stuff.
I have always been a big fan of hand-me-downs and never felt good about throwing things out rather than finding new homes for them. Recently I realized what an enormous waste it is to throw away clothing or buy lots of cheap clothing that falls apart after 2 or three washes. A quick internet search made me realize that clothing is actually a huge part of the “garbage” that warms the planet (about 80 lbs per person per year!) and that clothing with polyester and nylon takes over 200 years to decompose in our landfills. So, as I prepare for my second dose of COVID vaccine next week, I have to make an action plan to be a better climate citizen by making some conscious changes to my shopping habits.
Think Twice Before Throwing out Your Clothes
First, I will continue to recycle any clothing or linens that we no longer use. Right now, I have one friend who collects clothes and takes it to her church to be passed out to families in need. and another friend who periodically delivers necessities, including clothing, to families who are just arriving in the U.S. from the Mexican border. I am really happy with both of these options because I think the donations land in needy hands very quickly. I was also inspired to focus my efforts on my closet after reconnecting with the DesignX founder. When I started on the topic of how I could incorporate some positive things from the last year into my life going forward, she had some great suggestions related to recycling, reusing and reducing my wardrobe.
I absolutely think I could improve my recycling efforts by being more “real” about what I’m going to actually wear and what can be given away. I used to have a strict “if you haven’t worn it in a year, give it away” policy but I suspended it during COVID. Now, I’m wondering if the guideline should be revised to be more specific. Something like, “If I had a wedding to go to this summer, would I wear this dress? And, how many other dresses in my closet would I wear before I wore this dress to any event?” This evaluation could also lead me to wearing something I already own rather than getting something new. Because, if I buy something new for a specific event, that means that everything that is already in my closet that was purchased for that type of event, should be headed for the give-away bag.
Buy FEWER Clothes
The second part of my “textile specific household global warming initiative” is to just buy fewer clothes. I am often guilty of panic shopping before a vacation - there is something about putting things in a suitcase and planning outfits ahead of time that makes me think I need to fill a fashion hole. But, it is rarely the case that I go on the vacation and realize the items I bought last minute were essential. I have a friend who shops with a ton of focus by sticking with the motto, “love it or leave it.” Going forward, my post-COVID wardrobe has got to be full of things I love and wear often and not things I thought might work and may be needed someday, somewhere. “Loving it” means buying something that you can’t wait to wear and can picture yourself treasuring for many years.
I realize that I am describing some really small changes in behavior that might have a tiny impact on the global climate crisis. However, I feel compelled to come out of this pandemic with some changes in perspective and an increased thoughtfulness about how I walk through the world. Right now, recycling and buying less are at the top of my list and hopefully will be followed by other deliberate post-pandemic changes.
A few ideas and further reading in case you want to jump on the recycling and reducing bandwagon:
This site helps you search for donation sites by city: Recycle Stuff: How to Recycle Anything in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
More good reading on textile waste.