Too busy to read?

Instead of asking, "Is there a chance I will wear this someday in the future?" you ask more disciplined, tough questions: "Do I love this?" and "Do I look great in it?" and "Do I wear this often?" If the answer is no, then you know it is a candidate for elimination.

As individual consumers, __the single best thing we can do for the planet is to keep our stuff in use longer__. This simple act of extending the life of our garments through proper care and repair reduces the need to buy more over time--thereby avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions, waste output, and water usage required to build the new products.

Always wear a Whatzit Whenever you go to a gathering, wear or carry something unusual to give people who find you the delightful stranger across the crowded room an excuse to approach. 'Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice your ... what IS that?'

__The most responsible way for a consumer and a good citizen to buy clothes is to buy used clothing__. Beyond that, avoid buying clothes you have to dry-clean or iron. Wash in cold water. Line dry when possible. Wear your shirt more than one day before you wash it. Consider faster-drying alternatives to 100 percent cotton for your travel clothes.

Buying used clothing and wearing it as long as possible is the most responsible thing you can do. When you give in to fashion trends, you doom used clothes to the trash heap.

2: Find your unique uniform. Steve Jobs always wore the same clothes: a black turtleneck by Issey Miyake, Levi's 501s, and a pair of New Balance sneakers, which even served as his attire for public presentations. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg seems to be fond of a gray T-shirt. Einstein is said to have always worn the same type of jacket. These people took the time that others spend on choosing clothes and chasing trends and turned their attention instead to the things that mattered most to them.

The second thing I learned on that flight--or confirmed, really--is that appearance matters. By the end of the flight, the CEO had handed me his card and almost guaranteed me a job at his company if I wanted it. Had I boarded the flight wearing my ratty jeans, threadbare T-shirt, and worn-out sneakers, things would have gone differently.