How to Have a Sustainable College Closet
Small spaces, low funds, and no car. In this piece, the challenges of managing a sustainable closet are tackled, including advice on where to thrift and sell clothes.
Interactive Story for Mobile Phone (tap here)
Sustainability is one of the most vague and daunting words, especially when targeted towards something as personal as your closet. Dressing as a college student can be hard enough, especially with Northwestern’s low temperatures and even lower amounts of closet space. With small spaces, low funds, and no car, trying to maintain eco-friendly shopping habits as a college student is extremely difficult. Here are some simple guidelines if you are looking for advice or even a place to start.
Where to Start
“There will can be the impulse of ‘my clothes aren’t sustainable, they’re all purchased first hand,’ but there’s no need to throw out these clothes,” says Adelaide Ray Young.
Starting to shop more sustainably can seem intimidating, but Adelaide advises to not try to make an abrupt change. Being just a little more aware and checking out some thrift stores is a great way to start. She believes living sustainably can start small, and can be as simple as swapping clothes with friends or selling and donating clothes you no longer use in your closet.
Closet Tips
“College students have a lot of clothes and not a lot of space,”
–Leo Dulitzky Gilman
Shopping for a sustainable closet can be difficult, but maintaining a college closet with a year worth of clothes is even more so. Students at NU find practical ways to both trim down their closets and their carbon footprint.
NU student Leo recommended the club Sustainable Evanston that hosts pop-up shops on campus for students to sell their used clothes and thrift while Adelaide believes that Crossroads Evanston is an accessible option to sell clothes, make some money, and have the opportunity to buy second-hand.
Online Options
In the age of online shopping, it is easy to look for something specific on a fast-fashion promoting site, such as Amazon or Shein, to find something specific you are looking for. To find more sustainable options to these sites, NU students have some suggestions.
Online thrifting stores have grown immensely, with some of Caleb Mistir’s recommendations being Depop and Ebay (with an intensely lengthy search of course). I recommend actually having two accounts on sites like these, a fake one on which you can low-ball prices, and a real one with more reasonable suggestions. This is the ultimate way to give Depop sellers who upcharge for a children’s t-shirt a reality check and get the stuff you want at your price-point.
While second-hand clothes are a great way to get more eco-friendly clothes, Leo recommended the online sustainable store Noah if you are looking for first-hand environmentally friendly options.
If you are looking for something super specific for the season, Adelaide said two online options she’s been looking at is Patagonia’s WornWear collection and Swap.com. Patagonia’s program sells used and updated versions of their older coats, which is a great option if you’re looking to invest. Swap.com is an online thrift store with actual online prices, which is great if you’re on a budget.
Where to Shop In-person
Shopping sustainably near our campus can seem daunting with the numerous options available, but sustainable NU students can provide guidance.
Leo gave us some suggestions, including the Village Discount Outlets throughout Chicago are a great option. The neighborhood Pilsen, home of Knee-Deep Vintage, which offers great deals on vintage clothes from the 50s to the 90s, are also some of Leo’s recommendations.
Caleb said Value Village takes some searching but was a great place to get him into shopping second-hand.
How to Shop
“People sometimes just want to focus on the brand,” says Caleb Mistir.
Caleb points out one of the most difficult aspects of shopping sustainably on a college campus, especially surrounded with other people you are. Thrifting can be difficult because it's often challenging to search for specific brands, items, or find things in good condition.
Young says Village Discount is a great place to find shoes. If you don’t want used clothes but still want to shop second-hand, she recommends filtering your search on common thrifting apps such as Depop to get new with-tag options. She also told us that searching for specific brands is also easier on online thrifting platforms, so even if you have a preference, it is easy to specify your search with online options.
How to Thrift
Walking into a thrift store and finding pieces that fit both your budget and style can be difficult, especially when you are new to it.
Leo told us a great place to start is to look at vintage t-shirts. They are easy to find, and the quality is not as important to analyze as it would be for a sweater of jeans. “There are so many cool t-shirts from the last 60 years, so it’s a great place to start and they’re easy to find
Adelaide’s biggest tip was to look at everything. She makes a whole day of her thrifting trips, and goes through every section because she never knows what could be hidden.