New Year, Same Closet—Resolutions for Responsible Dressing
Words by Alice Hartwell
5 conscious fashion commitments to make in 2025
A new year is a fresh turn of page, a blank start to begin again, an uncharted opportunity to discover, learn and grow. Rarely do we feel more compelled to create and conform to new habits than in the invigorating chill of January days. Even small promises have the potential to make a big difference, often extending to areas of our lives we may not first expect. If, like many, you are drawing up a list of resolutions, vision boarding or simply sitting with yourself in reflection, we encourage you to think about your approach to responsible dressing in 2025. Muse on the following commitments, each easily attained and maintained, to consider the impact they could have on your life, and many others.
No new clothing for a season
Many New Year resolutions revolve around adding or removing elements from your routine, but what if you chose to simply let things be? You might just find the peace, beauty and inspiration you’ve been seeking. Before deciding what you need, you must first realize what you have—commit to a season of no new clothing purchases. This could last just for January, or beyond, allowing you to focus solely on what you already have hanging in your closet, and creating a more conscious relationship to consumption.
Invest in what you already have
With fast fashion readily accessible and cheaper than ever, an air of carelessness has come to define our approach to dressing. This means that clothes that could have been revitalized with a few stitches are discarded into landfills to pollute and perish. Rather than focusing on all the new pieces you want, first, invest in the ones you already have. Dedicate time and care to your wardrobe—this might be as simple as taking more care when washing, or having a tailor breathe new life into your worn pieces. As winter thaws, dry clean your coats for next year, keeping them feeling like new. There’s no reason for timeless pieces to ever feel old.
The wishlist rule
Impulse buying is one of the most detrimental effects of fast fashion. It drains our planet’s natural resources and, of course, your bank account. Moving into 2025, we urge you to think before you buy and do so by using the wishlist rule. Using this guideline, any new item that catches your eye will be added to a saved wishlist in your phone, rather than purchased right away, with no exceptions. Here this item will sit for two weeks, and if at the end of a fortnight you still feel the same pull to purchase, then go right ahead.
More often than not, however, your affinity for the item will have waned, and you’ll have saved yourself from investing in clothing that would sit stagnant in your closet. The wishlist is a versatile tool that can be applied to various aspects of your life, from beauty to home purchases, allowing you to consciously consume in all areas through 2025 and beyond.
Start checking the label
When did you last check a label before heading to checkout? The truth is, very few of us know what our clothes are made from, or how they are made. How are we to know if the item we’re buying is made from sustainable materials or a worthy investment? The answer is simple—go beyond surface level. When out shopping, make it a habit to check the labels of clothes for a full material breakdown—fast fashion, virgin fabrics like polyester and acrylic are best avoided. If you’re shopping online, seek out sustainable brands transparent about their material compositions. A titled “wool dress”, for example, may in actuality only contain 20% wool, or lower. Remember, a conscious shopper is an informed shopper.
Embrace outfit repeating
A society constantly seeking newness and overconsumption will tell you that outfit repeating is at best boring, and at worst, unsophisticated. The modern, responsible dresser knows this couldn’t be further from the truth. Outfit repetition offers a sense of identity, comfort and confidence in self. It allows you to get the most from ensembles you love rather than feeling stylistically lost in constant innovation.
Think back to outfits you felt best in through 2024, scroll through pictures on your phone if that helps, and look to pair them together in your wardrobe for daily access. Embrace, rather than shy away from, outfit repeating, for ease, environmental conservation and an everyday commitment to authenticity.
