How to Create a More Sustainable Travel Wardrobe

For some travelers, booking a trip is a great excuse to update their travel wardrobe. But often, the cost of that flowy dress or on-trend bikini is more than the dollar amount on the price tag. According to Earth.org, a website dedicated to environmental data analysis and research, the fashion industry is one of the world’s biggest polluters, accounting for nearly 20 percent of global wastewater and 10 percent of global carbon emissions each year. And it’s not just the production of clothing that’s the issue—each year, humans discard more than 92 million tons of clothes-related waste.

Doing further damage? The fabrics commonly used in fast fashion: Synthetic fabrics like acrylic and polyester are essentially plastic. Derived from oil, the fabrics are produced with an energy-intensive process that involves toxic gasses and chemicals. Plus, with every wash and wear, synthetic fabrics shed microplastics that wind up in the ocean.

While the bleak statistics are enough to make you swear off shopping forever, there are sustainable alternatives to the global fast fashion industry. Between resale apps and thrift stores, vintage and second-hand clothing have never been more popular, and companies across the globe are finding creative ways to repurpose old clothing and textiles. Below, we walk you through how to buy less, shop smarter, and get more use out of the clothes you already own in order to create a more sustainable travel wardrobe.

All products featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Shop sustainable fashion brands

Certain fashion brands have been making strides toward creating a more earth-friendly industry, starting with a shift toward sustainably-produced or recycled fabrics like silk, wool, organic cotton, and hemp—all of which are biodegradable. Brands have begun to innovate, too, creating new plant-based fabrics like lyocell and tencel to use in place of polyester and nylon.

Workout brand Alwrld is among the companies developing entirely new fabrics. Alwrld uses seacell, made from seaweed in a closed loop method, along with its new biodegradable nylon as earth-friendly alternatives to synthetic fibers.

Using sustainably-sourced materials doesn’t mean sacrificing style, either. Made in Los Angeles from rescued deadstock fabrics, repurposed vintage clothing, and eco-friendly materials, Reformation’s designs are the kind of clothes your suitcase dreams about—perfectly tailored linen dresses, buttery soft silk slips, vintage-inspired mini-dresses, and even formal gowns for special events.

Top indie designers are taking a sustainable approach to fashion, too. With dramatic silhouettes, bright colors, and over-the-top details, Collina Strada brings environmental awareness to runway-ready dresses, bodysuits, and pants by using eco-friendly materials like recycled cotton, deadstock fabric, and rose sylk, a biodegradable fiber made from rose bushes.

When shopping for sustainable fashion, it’s not just the materials that matter. Safe working conditions and fair wages for employees are core to a sustainable business. Kotn, a brand creating effortlessly cool loungewear, only uses cotton grown on small, family-run farms in Egypt. Committed to honoring the people and places where its product comes from, the company uses a portion of its profits to build schools in the farming communities that supply their cotton. Christy Dawn, a brand that creates ethereal, romantic dresses that look as good on vacation as they do at home, also works directly with a farmer collective, using ethically-sourced cotton that’s part of a land regeneration effort that has sequestered 38 tons of carbon from the atmosphere, increased plant biodiversity, and supported a community in southern India with living wages.

Prioritize supporting brands that are transparent about all aspects of production. Based in Los Angeles, Mate the Label is a woman-owned company creating travel must-haves like linen jumpsuits, cozy athleisure, and perfect white T-shirts. The company is committed to ethical business practices that support employees on every step of the supply chain, ensuring that everyone from farmers to designers to tailors earns a living wage and has access to a safe working environment.

Create a capsule wardrobe

An easy way to reduce clothing consumption: taking a minimalist approach and filling your closet with fewer quality items that can be worn repeatedly. Capsule wardrobes are usually made up of 15 to 30 pieces of clothing—look for classic, versatile pieces that can be worn in different settings, dressed up or down with the right shoes and jewelry. Choosing neutral or monochromatic pieces makes it easy to mix and match and multiply your wardrobe. For instance, five tops and three bottoms can create 15 individual looks—perfect for travelers who never check a bag.

To create a sustainable wardrobe, you can work with a stylist to decide what styles, hemlines, and fits suit your look. Alternatively, websites like Cuyana, Everlane, Epoque Evolution, and Vetta offer collections of simple and well-made travel-ready items that can take you from the airplane to a Michelin-starred restaurant in style.

Consider shopping alternatives

Buying pre-owned or vintage clothes is by far the best option for an eco-friendly wardrobe. If you have a specific item, brand, or style in mind, online marketplaces like Etsy, eBay, Depop, and Poshmark are a great place to start. If you’re more interested in browsing a curated selection of vintage goods, stores like Beacon’s Closet, Noisaf Bazaar, and NXC Vintage resell gently used vintage and contemporary pieces.

For those who want to experiment with different styles and trends, clothing rentals and subscription services like Nuuly and Rent the Runway allow users to rent everything from evening gowns to activewear.

Some clothing brands are working harder to turn old styles into something new, too: Re/Done, Urban Renewal, Patagonia Recrafted, and Rave Review sell upcycled clothing, like patchwork denim jeans or coats made out of blankets and duvets, while Sun Child, based in Goa, India, uses old saris to create dresses, robes, jumpsuits, and more. Cuyana just launched Cuyana Revive, a resale platform that allows customers to buy and sell used Cuyana bags and small leather goods, and donate any other used items from the brand, which will be sent to women in need through the H.E.A.R.T. organization.

You can also breathe new life into old clothes by tailoring and upcycling things you already own: For example, put a fresh spin on older pieces with an updated hem length, turning jeans into cut-offs or tailoring a dress into a skirt.

Keep clothes out of landfills

While conscious consumption is key to creating a sustainable wardrobe, it’s equally important to dispose of unwanted clothes responsibly. Check with your local thrift store to see what donations they accept and where any unsold clothing goes. When in doubt, you can always donate to your local Goodwill. If you have items that you’d rather sell, ThredUp will send you a prepaid mailer to fill up. Once it’s received, they’ll photograph, list, and sell your unwanted clothes. You’ll get to keep a percentage of the profits, which you can use as a shopping credit on ThredUp or one of its many partner stores including Gap, M.M. La Fleur, and Reformation. For big-ticket items like designer clothes, bags, jewelry, and shoes, schedule an appointment with The Real Real; they’ll talk you through the selling process and either schedule a pickup for your items or send you a prepaid shipping label to mail them in.

Items that are damaged or aren’t in a condition to be sold or donated can still be kept out of landfills with recycling programs that turn clothes into textiles, rugs, insulation, and more. Ask about clothing recycling programs at your local farmers’ market or visit RecycleNow.com to search for recycling options by zip code. Some clothing companies like For Days offer a discount for sending in clothes for recycling, while H&M has clothing recycling bins in its stores.

Of course, the most sustainable travel wardrobe is the one you already own. As consumers, the most tangible way for us to make a difference is to buy fewer clothes and wear the things that are already in our closets.