Developing Your Sense of Sustainable Style

 Check out thredUP for 5 tips for refreshing your closet this spring.

A sense of style is one of the great things children can inherit from their parents, but why not pass on a sense of sustainability at the same time? Seeing your little one in that sparkling holiday dress or adorable seersucker overalls makes a picture-perfect moment, but they grow up so fast that those outfits barely last much longer than the snapshot!

So, we recommend investing in timeless options—like the denim jacket or the little black dress—that will stick around in your wardrobe and save you resources. But, hey, we know it’s also fun to play with fashion and mix and match those classic elements with some in-season style. Shopping vintage and consignment stores is the classic way to keep your closet current without breaking the bank or creating waste (especially since certain styles always come back into vogue). And thankfully twenty-first century technology has made it possible for fashionable families to rock fresh style that is both rad and recycled.

Integrating technology, sustainability, and style, serial entrepreneur James Reinhart co-founded the San Francisco-based thredUP in 2010 to turn hand-me-downs into stylish pick-me-ups for moms and kids without ever leaving the comfort of your home to shop. Clean out your closets and clear your kids’ drawers and thredUP sends you a postage-paid bag to fill and leave at your door, covering shipping costs and paying you up front for every item they can sell to other families. Of course, what comes around goes around: You can shop their Web site for all your favorite brands at a deep discount with quality, like-new items for women, girls, and boys. If you’re a fashionista in the family, it gets even better. Consign selected brands and you’re eligible for additional credit. You don’t have to worry about the family’s carbon footprint making your way to the mall and instead can support Teach for America through shopping on the site.

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mary Fallon and Dori Graff, fellow moms and co-founders of Kidizen, created an online marketplace and community that buys and sells based on kids’ needs, all pre-loved and picked by parents. Doing more with less can be tough with tots to take care of, but once you set up shop with their easy app, you’ll see firsthand that sharing is caring for the families in your community. Take a quick pic of your goods, name your price and track transactions, like your very own consignment boutique. With the support of an online guide, parents can ship directly to buyers and keep a little more pre-loved profit. Filters for shopping allow you to see and sell exactly the kid stuff that speaks to your little one’s size and style.

Whether it’s your closets or your conscience, there’s nothing like a little sustainable spring cleaning to start the season in style!

What are your tips and favorite sites for eco-friendly shopping?

Images and video by thredUP and Kidizen.