Guerilla Fashion: A Survival Guide

Like many other individuals, sustainability has become less of a matter of informed purchasing for me and more of an unwanted hobby that I don’t have the time for. It’s a given that combating fast fashion takes effort and can be difficult; however, for many—especially people who are trans, fat, and/or disabled—this effort quickly goes from making conscious choices to conducting deep dives of research. It’s an ongoing process, but over time, I’ve learned some passive tricks to develop my style while existing within an industry-centric world. It’s an uphill battle, and made to be that way structurally. However, there’s hope. Though this guide can’t promise a way to win the war, it can offer a way to improve your odds and achieve small victories. It’s not perfect or holistic, but at the very least, dear reader, you’ll leave this guide knowing what to look for and where not to waste your time.

There are three essential elements to consider when delving into sustainable styling: emotional needs, tangible means, and real constraints.

#1: Emotional needs — What core aspects of myself do I want to embody?

It may seem obvious, but your presentation should present you. When people see me, I want them to know that I’m welcoming and social, but that I’m also passionate about education and professionalism. This led to me using kindergarten teachers and children’s media as inspiration—simple, colorful clothes with fabric that is loose, yet visibly well-cut for my body type. Specificity like this will help you narrow down what clothes you do and don’t want. Too many times while thrifting, I’ve bought clothes that felt unlike myself just because I'd finally found something that fit. This generates nothing but waste: waste of money, waste of closet space, and waste in landfills when you inevitably discard it. A rule to live by: if it doesn’t represent you, it doesn’t deserve space in your closet.

#2: Tangible means — How does this purchase fit into my daily life?

This is a big one. What does your day usually look like? The busy early bird might want looser clothes with fewer accessories so they can simply slip everything on and get down to business. A frequent club-going kid would need to avoid thinner, rippable fabrics and larger clothes that would take up the whole dance floor at the discotheque. Participants in civil disobedience or protests will want clothing that’s harder to identify and easy to move in. Your clothes should fit your life, not the other way around. It’s easy for your impulse buys to end up unworn due to discomfort or impracticality. Attention to material, fit, and craftsmanship helps to circumvent this. When shopping online, check the sizing chart and keep a tape measure on you for reference. Familiarizing yourself with fabrics—how they interact with your skin and body both texturally and structurally—will help you online, in person, and especially when making your own clothing. If something’s 1-2 sizes bigger or smaller than your size, consider visiting your local tailor who can resize your purchases to your desired size for approximately $10-30, depending on the garment. Tailoring is often cheaper, recirculates clothing, and supports local businesses. We’re desensitized to impracticality, but wearing clothes that actually fit you really makes a huge difference in functionality and comfort.

#3: Real constraints — What is within my means?

For the longest time, I fantasized about regularly wearing suits. Impressed by my professors, I always associated them with unwavering competence and fervor for learning. However, I realized over time that wearing suits on a regular basis wasn’t feasible. Being fat, my body proportions change rapidly between weeks, rendering tighter suits ill-fitting. Additionally, paying for dry cleaning was out of my budget. Knowing your limits with money, time, and space are all essential to coexisting with your clothing. Finding ethical clothes for cheap is already hard enough; finding ethical clothes that suit both you and your budget can feel Sisyphean. When your rotation of thrift stores and online small business fail you, turn to your existing clothes. What aspects of your clothes do you already like? Cropping hoodies, cobbling together pants from clothing scraps, or making small alterations, like sewing on new buttons, can revive your closet.

While individual consumers can make a personal impact in conservation, the biggest necessary changes are broad, systemic, and can only be implemented by corporations. The path to sustainability is to put the ball in the fashion industry’s court. While pressuring this mobilization is important, it shouldn’t be at the expense of our livelihoods; resistance can be passive. Being knowledgeable about your needs as a consumer and not budging can help coerce the fashion industry to meet those needs by adopting slow fashion. It’s guerilla fashion: taking potshots and utilizing what little we have to fight back, hopefully making some dents in the process.

Your MagazineApril 30, 2023