Sustainability and Kids' Clothes: How to Build a More Sustainable Wardrobe for Your Kids

With the wide variety of clothes and shopping options out there today, it can be tempting to buy your kids every new thing you see! The outfits are just so cute and it's easy to get carried away. However, this is neither the most sustainable route nor does it make it easy to dress your kids. Even today, I find myself getting overwhelmed by the clothes in my kids' dressers, and that's after we've made a pretty concerted effort to scale back. As a millennial who's concerned about the state of the planet we're handing off to our kids, I've discovered one of the easiest ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle is through our clothing choices. This is something I've tried to be more conscious of for myself and our kids, so here are some ideas for how you can improve your family's sustainability through clothes.

1. Being more intentional about the clothes we buy.

The sets that come together are cute, yes, but they don't tend to mix well. And they often are gender-specific, so you end up with twice as many clothes if you have both boys and girls! Instead, I like to buy individual, gender-neutral pieces that can match with a variety of other pieces. Thinking ahead and planning what pieces I need for each child means I am less likely to overbuy and end up with too many outfits. This gives my kids' wardrobes versatility and longevity since I can use each piece for multiple children. This doesn't mean that their wardrobes have to be boring (both my kids have clothes that fit their personalities) but instead gives some staples to build into every outfit while having special pieces that outfits can be built around.

2. Setting boundaries around what people buy for us.

Admittedly, I need to improve on this. But, if you can be direct about the impact that you want to have and can share specific pieces that grandparents or friends can buy, that makes everyone's life so much easier!

3. Shopping secondhand/donating used clothes.

Shopping at stores like Goodwill, Thredup, or Once Upon a Child is a great way to find gently used clothes and help reduce waste. You can also donate or sell used clothes once your kids have outgrown them or if you decide you no longer need them! This post is a great resource for a good range of secondhand clothing stores where you can buy and sell. You may also want to look on Facebook for local buy/sell/trade groups.

4. Making your own clothes.

This is a bit more aspirational, but I've been drawn to the idea of making our own clothes for a while now. If you can find the right patterns and materials, with a bit of practice you'll be able to make pieces that will last—plus they'll be harder to part with since they're made with care.