Woodward’s ideas of hidden sustainable practices within everyday life resonate much with my personal experience with fashion consumption. Fast fashion is indeed a major problem, but many individuals are not active participants who have the ability to constantly add and dispose of clothes in their closets. Fast fashion brands are the most accessible to the masses, but that does not mean that consumers who buy from them do not have sustainable practices. Clothes have a life from the design, production, and distribution side, however, they also have another life once they are purchased.
As Woodward states, I, along with many other individuals, add to my closet in reference to what is already there. Many pieces that I own have been with me for years because they are versatile enough to compliment many outfits, therefore, they have a long lifetime in my wardrobe. When new trends come, I never find it necessary to completely change my closet. Instead, my clothes change as I change as an individual, when my tastes evolve and new clothes are gradually added to my closet over a long period of time. Additionally, specific items of clothing hold sentimental value, making it hard for me to get rid of them, thus elongating its life in my wardrobe. I am not unique in these practices, and many others similarly hold onto their clothes for a long period of time. Even a cheaply made and bought garment can be worn for a long time if the wearer chooses to maintain it well.
Individuals can be sustainable beyond their purchasing methods. For example, it is unnecessary to wash clothes frequently if the load is not full, because it wastes water and deteriorates the fabrics, shortening their lifespan. In my household, clothes are passed between all members of my family, optimizing their full potential of usage and giving them new life in the different ways they are worn. When clothes are finally worn out, we repurpose them into cleaning cloths. So, unsustainably sourced clothes can still be worn sustainably.