7 Reasons Why Sustainable Fashion is Good for Mental Health

6 min readJul 13, 2021

It’s common knowledge that sustainable fashion is good for the environment. But did you know that it can actually be good for your mental health too? Here are seven reasons as to why that is.

Reason #1: Fewer Clothes = More Time to Focus on Yourself

This one’s pretty simple. Sustainable fashion means that you don’t need to shop as much as you did before. It also means that you aren’t constantly worried about what’s trending and how you’re possibly gonna keep up with it.

This frees up a surprising amount of time and (more importantly) energy.

You can redirect this is time and energy towards working on yourself and your mental health.

#2 Less Pressure to Keep up with Trends

In my opinion, the foundation of fast fashion is an innate need for approval. Think about it. Why else would people spend gobs of cash on cheap, popular clothes each year?

I don’t know. Maybe I’m overthinking it. Maybe people just like clothes that happen to be trending, and shopping is just a hobby for them.

The problem is, though, that fashion trends change fast. You finally feel cool with your new wardrobe, when all of the sudden, your clothes are so last year. So, you donate them to Goodwill as fast as you can (because you won’t be caught dead with your fedora collection). Then, you find out what all the new trends are, you purchase more cheap clothes, and the cycle eventually repeats.

To me, this is a perfect way to keep putting bandaids over feelings of inadequacy that have developed over time.

I don’t know if this is a hot take, but why are we all trying to fit in so much? Is that not boring to anyone else? Would you dare to go against the current fashion trends and wear what you truly want to wear?

Nothing is going to support you in doing that better than sustainable fashion. It’ll allow you to begin to examine how and why you’ve ever felt the need to stay trendy.

With slow fashion, you can put your bandaids down and start directly healing that wound.

(Don’t get me wrong. I understand the desire to purchase a pair of bike shorts and a bucket hat. The problem arises, however, when having an out-of-style wardrobe makes you feel truly not okay.)

#3 Breaks Bad Mental Habits

Trends don’t stand still. They are constantly changing year by year, month by month, even day by day. That’s totally fine. Things change. That’s a lesson we’ve all had to learn at one point or another, right?

The issue with fast fashion, however, is that it encourages us to become attached to certain trends. With every Forever 21 haul, a rush of dopamine enters our heads, along with a feeling of “I’m finally a cool person with cool clothes.” Then, the trend changes, the dopamine goes away, and we’re off to chase that high again.

This seems harmless, right? Seems like this way of shopping is just a fun little hobby?

I honestly don’t think that’s the case. I think that this shopping habit seeps into our everyday lives. It gets us into the practice of trying to grasp onto the moment in front of us and trying to solidify it in time.

Believe it or not, time won’t stop for you or anyone else. Change is a part of life, and I believe that the “harmless” act of chasing a trend only encourages us to deny the reality of change.

When will you be okay with what you already have?

Sustainable fashion teaches you to stop wanting more all the time. It helps you realize that what you have and what you are is enough.

#4 Less Stress

Fast fashion complements the anxiety-driven culture we live in. It’s non-stop, it’s never enough, and it moves fast. Slow fashion opposes this wonderfully. It encourages you to sit back, take a deep breath, and slow down.

Here’s a quote you’ve definitely never heard before: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

All sarcasm aside, sustainable fashion truly allows you to do just that.

#5 Feel Good About What You Wear

Gone are the days of cheaply made fabrics that sit on your skin in the most uncomfortable way imaginable.

I don’t know about you, but I’m fed up with low-quality t-shirts that get covered in holes in a month or two.

The quality of sustainable fashion is leagues better than that of fast fashion. Not only will your clothes last longer, but they’ll feel better. It’s amazing what changes take place when you dress to feel good.

#6 No More Fast Fashion Guilt

It’s no secret that fast fashion is highly unethical. A subtle yet constant feeling of guilt often underlies every fast fashion purchase. (At least, that’s been the case for me.)

The fashion industry is a huge contributor to our climate crisis at the moment. According to the House of Common Environmental Audit Committee, “textile production contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined.”

Does that not baffle anyone else’s mind?!

If the impacts that fast fashion has on our planet weren’t enough to deter you, maybe the unethical labor laws behind it will be.

Have you ever thought about how it’s possible that these clothes are incredibly cheap? It’s because fast fashion retailers employ thousands of people from developing countries to work an insane amount of hours for far too little pay.

According to Fashion Checker, “93% of surveyed [fast fashion] brands aren’t paying garment workers a living wage.” Are you kidding me?

I’d always heard that fast fashion wasn’t sustainable nor ethical, but I tried to sweep that under the mental rug. I chose to ignore those statistics for far too long, making excuses for myself to keep purchasing fun, trendy clothes for a few bucks.

This actually had a big effect on my mental health. Every time I put clothes on, I would feel this sense of guilt come over me. But after educating myself about sustainable vs. fast fashion, it’s safe to say my mental health is doing much better.

#7 You Save Money in the Longrun

“I can’t afford to shop sustainably!”

I’ve heard this before. I mean, I’ve even said it a bunch of times.

If you buy quality pieces for a bit more money than usual, however, they’ll last you twenty times longer. Seriously. Plus, they won’t decrease in quality over time.

Once your sustainable wardrobe starts to get full, you won’t have to spend any money on clothes anymore.

I know, I know. Money can’t buy happiness, but let’s be real. It sure can be a helpful resource. Without money, life can be difficult and highly stressful. Having some extra money because of a full and reliable wardrobe can only help the ol’ mental health out.