Treat your closet like a premium membership club—a garment must be deserving to be part of it.

Sustainability is a concept the fashion industry, both local and international, has been exploring in the past years. Thanks to social media and the internet, fashion savants everywhere can easily get information about their clothing and its effect on the world. Unfortunately, the industry still has a lot to do to make its practices better for the environment, the people that make the products, and the consumers of the goods. 

But in order to achieve that goal, a great effort must be made not just by creators (brands and designers) but by consumers as well. As much as we hate to hear it, we are also part of the problem. What is needed is for people to have a better understanding of clothing—that it is more than just a thing that is stuffed in a closet and, later on, can be easily disposed of.

To bring this mindset closer to shoppers, Levi Strauss Philippines launches the next iteration of its “Buy Better, Wear Longer” campaign, “making fashion more sustainable and prolonging the lifespan of its products.” The brand’s mission is to help consumers love their jeans for decades, not seasons. This sustainability initiative is present in both its design and the process of creating every piece. 

“As one of the pioneers in the apparel industry, Levi’s adopt new industry practices to have less impact on the environment. It is more beneficial not just to the planet but for all of us,” Charisse Chua, country manager at Levi Strauss Philippines, says. “We have adopted less water in our manufacturing process, better energy-efficient factories, and we are campaigning to change consumption habits.”

During the campaign’s launch, the brand invited Pam Quiñones, executive creative director of wardrobe rental service Qurator Studio and fashion director at Vogue Philippines, to help spread the word about mindful consumer behavior and ways to make fashion more purposeful. For someone who have been working in the fashion industry for more than a decade, the fashion stylist confessed that the fashion system was broken for the longest time, due to its perils on both natural and human resources. 

Before, fashion was all about the new—the “it” item—and is greatly trend-driven, making people want to buy more and throw pieces that aren’t in style without thinking about its consequences. Now, fashion is slowly changing its system with shoppers being more conscious about their every purchase. Fashion becomes more personal and not just an object one puts on their body.

“I love fashion… I love clothes. But loving clothes is not just about having the piece that everyone is wearing or something that is trending. It is caring, having this personal care, the conscious effort to want to care for your clothing,” Pam notes. “If something is broken, something is ripped, do you want to have it fixed? Make that effort, make that commitment to it.”

Be your own stylist

According to Fashion Revolution Philippines, the local leg of a not-for-profit global movement focusing on making the fashion industry accountable, fair, and transparent, the most sustainable pieces are the ones already in your closet. Curate your wardrobe and look at the pieces that are building blocks in creating your personal style. Check what works with your shape and play around with it and ditch the trends. As Pam says, “Anyone can be a stylist if you are styling yourself….Fashion is just a tool. What you make out of it is personal style.”

Treat your closet like a membership club

We can’t always fight the urge to purchase a piece and that’s the human (and fashion lover) in you. Keep this in mind, your closet is like a premium membership club, a piece must be deserving in order for it to be there. So before heading to the counter to seal the deal, it is essential to understand the commitment you are making to the item in your hands. To help you with that, here are some questions Pam wants you to ask yourself while you’re deciding:

1. Is it designed well, has good quality, and can last a lifetime?

2. Does the silhouette flatter my body shape?

3. Does it reflect my lifestyle and is it climate-appropriate?

4. Does it support the local industry?

5. Will I be able to commit to wearing and rewearing this item for the next 10 years?

Prolong the life of a piece

The life of a garment need not be a linear one. As defined by Vogue Business, circularity is “a model in which all the materials in a garment are reused and never end up as waste.” Pam’s advice is to explore reselling, give the piece to people who will wear it, put it up for rental, tailor and customize it for it to have another life, or find a way to repurpose the item. “Fashion should not be disposable,’ the stylist says. “When we buy something, mindful consumption is very powerful because there is a commitment.” And that commitment applies even if we can no longer wear the piece. 

Walk the talk

It is truly eye-opening when we talk about mindfulness in fashion. It makes our relationship with our clothes deeper and more meaningful. But it is just wishful thinking when we don’t put in the effort and restraint needed. Again, we are still part of the problem, but when we make good and sensible decisions about shopping and clothing, we slowly became part of the solution. All you need to do is apply it. 

To build on its message, Levi’s will also highlight stories from its partners and changemakers Xiye Bastida, Melati Wijsen, and Emma Chamberlain, who have been an integral part of the campaign since its launch last year and represent the next generation of voices on sustainability. For more information on its sustainability efforts, reports, and goals, please visit the Levi’s Sustainability page. 

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