Lots of luxury items are mostly hype. Cashmere, I’ve learned, is not one of them. For a long time, I would touch cashmere sweaters in the store and think they were soft, but not their price tag soft. This winter, I’ve been cutting back on expenses where I can. I didn’t want to turn on my heater unless necessary. My one piece of cashmere, a cheetah print cardigan my mom bought me for Christmas one year, hung in my closet, rarely worn. On one particularly cold day, I decided to wear it around the house. To my surprise, it kept me warm! I usually put on several layers of cotton garments and still feel a chill. But this one cashmere sweater made me feel like the heater was on.

Ok so what does my discovery that wool retains heat better than cotton have to do with zero waste? You can get these heaters in a sweater items 2^nd hand for reasonable prices. Buying 2^nd hand means you’re contributing less to landfills because the person selling it doesn’t toss it in the trash. You’re also reducing energy consumption because a new sweater doesn’t have to be processed and delivered to your door.

Next time you want to buy a sweater, consider skipping the low-quality fast fashion and opt for a luxury material 2^nd hand.