5 Easy Ways to Build a More Sustainable Closet

At Myco Threads, we believe clothing should help you move through the world without asking more from the planet than necessary. But making your closet more sustainable doesn’t mean throwing everything out and starting over. In fact, that would defeat the point.

The most practical place to begin is with the clothing already hanging in your closet. From caring for your favorite hiking layers to repairing well-loved leggings, here are five realistic ways to lighten your fashion footprint.

1. Wear What You Already Own

The most sustainable purchase is often the one you don’t need to make.

Before adding something new to your closet, take another look at what you already have. A forgotten tee might work with a different layer. An oversized button-up can become a lightweight trail cover. That climbing top you rarely wear might find new life in your Pilates rotation.

A few ways to rediscover your closet:

• Build new outfits around pieces you rarely wear
• Restyle basics with different layers or accessories
• Dye, crop, patch, or customize older garments
• Organize a clothing swap with friends
• Sell or donate pieces that no longer work for you

The goal isn’t to stop enjoying fashion. It’s to make sure the clothing you own is actually being worn.

2. Wash Less and Wash Smarter

How you care for clothing can affect how long it stays in rotation. Unless something is visibly dirty, sweaty, or holding onto odor, it may not need to be washed after every wear.

When laundry day arrives:

• Follow the garment’s care instructions
• Use cold water when appropriate
• Wash full loads instead of several small ones
• Choose a gentle cycle to reduce unnecessary wear
• Air-dry whenever the fabric allows
• Avoid using more detergent than you need

Synthetic fabrics can also release tiny fibers during washing. This is especially relevant for fleece, leggings, sports bras, and other performance clothing. A laundry bag designed to capture microfibers, such as a Guppyfriend, or a washing-machine microfiber filter can help reduce the fibers entering wastewater.

3. Shop Secondhand First

Thrifting is one of the easiest ways to experiment with your style without creating demand for an entirely new garment. It keeps existing clothing in use longer, gives you access to pieces with more personality, and often costs less than buying new.

Explore neighborhood thrift stores, vintage markets, gear swaps, consignment shops, and online platforms such as Depop, Poshmark, eBay, and ThredUp. Outdoor-specific resale programs can also be great places to find jackets, hiking layers, packs, and other technical gear.

Try shopping secondhand for items that don’t need highly specific performance features, then invest more carefully when fit, support, safety, or technical construction really matters.

4. Look Beyond the Sustainability Buzzwords

Sometimes buying something new makes sense. You may need a sports bra that actually supports you, leggings that can survive the climbing wall, or a rain layer designed for the conditions you’ll face.

When you buy new, look beyond words like “green,” “natural,” or “eco-friendly.” Instead, ask more specific questions:

• What materials is the garment made from?
• Is it designed to withstand frequent use?
• Does the brand explain where and how it was made?
• Are its sustainability claims specific and verifiable?
• Can the garment realistically be repaired?
• Will you wear it often enough to justify adding it to your closet?

Certifications can provide useful information, but it helps to understand what each one covers. GOTS addresses organic fibers along with environmental and social requirements across certified textile processing stages. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 means a textile has been tested for harmful substances - it is primarily a product-safety certification, not a blanket guarantee that the garment is sustainable.

Materials matter, but durability, versatility, transparency, and how often you’ll wear something matter too.

5. Repair Before You Replace

A loose seam, missing button, worn hem, or small tear doesn’t have to end a garment’s life. Basic repairs can keep your favorite clothing out of the waste stream and make it feel more personal in the process.

Start with a few simple skills:

• Sew on a missing button
• Reinforce a loose seam
• Patch a small hole
• Mend worn socks
• Replace damaged elastic or a broken zipper
• Cover stains with embroidery, dye, or a visible patch

For more complicated fixes, visit a tailor, alteration shop, cobbler, or outdoor gear repair service. The repair doesn’t have to be invisible, either. Visible mending can turn wear and tear into part of the garment’s story.

Progress Over Perfection

A more sustainable closet isn’t built through one perfect purchase. It’s built through dozens of small decisions - wearing what you own, caring for it properly, shopping secondhand, asking better questions, and repairing the things worth keeping.

At Myco Threads, that’s the kind of relationship with clothing we want to encourage: buy thoughtfully, wear often, explore freely, and keep your favorite gear in the wild for as long as possible.