Student Teaching Outfits: What to Wear

All students know that keeping up with the trends is a huge part of campus life. Even our strapped budget seems to allow for a new outfit every month, inspired by the pages of a magazine or the streets of Manhattan.

Clothing, though, is one of the biggest contributors to landfill waste. Because cheap garments are widely available at retailers like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target, people have come to view clothing as disposable and simply throw a shirt or dress out when they no longer like the style.

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Another problem is the heavy toll that clothing production takes on the environment. Cotton, the most widely used fabric, is responsible for 25 percent of the world’s insecticides and 10 percent of pesticides. Several of these pesticides are known human carcinogens.

This two-fold problem has a two-fold solution: buy wisely and discard thoughtfully.

When shopping for new clothes, really think about how long you plan to wear a garment; will you actually get some use out of it, or will it be banished to the back of your closet like all the other "it seemed like a good idea at the time" purchases? Consider fabrics that are durable and sustainable, such as the following:

• Bast (fruit and seed) fibers are lighter, less expensive, and more biodegradable than synthetic fibers. They include jute, flax, and hemp. Flax especially is ideal because it grows easily in cold-weather climates and requires little processing.
• Bamboo is considered a sustainable fabric because, as one of the most durable and fastest growing plants in the world, it is easy to grow without fertilizers or pesticides. However, the process requiring to convert the plant pulp into textile-quality fiber often uses toxic chemicals, so be sure to buy organic if you’re purchasing bamboo fabrics.
• Cotton and wool are great options if grown organically. This ensures that they are rid of pesticides and fertilizers, and that the sheep are raised according to organic livestock production standards.
• Look for the Global Organic Textiles (GOTS) label on products. Coming soon, this organic certification label on textiles will ensure consumers that organic practices for their garment are followed on both the farm level and during processing.

These fabrics might cost you a little more, but they’ll also last you much longer.

Of course, no one wears clothes forever, but when you do decide to get rid of your garment, consider its future carefully. Do you really have to send it to a landfill, or can you give it to a friend, relative, or clothing donation program? Used clothing also makes great dust rags or a new mop head for house cleaning.

Be chic. Be creative. Be conscious.