Yes, the world might be on fire, but that’s no reason not to do your bit for the planet.
Case in point: Earth Day. Held each year on April 22, it’s a day that focuses on collective climate action, education and sustainability. And though most climate policies target things like recycling and petrol usage, there’s also something to be said for approaching fashion more mindfully.
Fast fashion is, in fact, a major driver of climate change. It’s responsible for 8-10 per cent of global emissions, which is more than aviation and shipping combined. Fast fashion-related emissions are also projected to increase by 60 per cent by 2030.
Clearly, our love of augmenting our wardrobes isn’t going anywhere. But it’s also possible to look stylish, and embrace your personal style, in a way that causes the planet less harm. With some help from industry experts, here’s how to do it.
Remake items
Got something in your wardrobe that you never wear anymore – but don’t want to get rid of? Good news: there’s an app for that. Founded by Daisy Harvey a few years ago, Loom connects shoppers with over 100 different designers who are ready and waiting to remake your clothes into something new and exciting.
“We work a lot with brides and take their wedding dresses, dye them a different colour, alter the length, turn them into crazy things like bags, jackets, suits,” Harvey explains; one bride apparently turned her dress into a zebra-print bag recently.
“I think people now are really looking for something that's personalized. I think we've all had that feeling when you go to a wedding and you're wearing the same dress as someone. I think being able to have something really unique is really exciting.”
The app is pretty easy to use. Simply upload a picture of the item, and designers will get in touch with ideas. When you send it off, they’ll remake it and send it back.
Get personal
One of the best places to start is by looking at your existing wardrobe and figuring out why clothes don’t work for you anymore.
“We all have so much in our wardrobe, and I think if you haven't worn something for a few years, it's good to think about why you don't wear it,” sustainability expert Lydia Bolton says. “Is it that you don't like the certain length of it? Is it the shape you don't like? Has it faded in colour?”
“I had a long sleeve t shirt top that I really liked the green stripes of, but it had a turtle collar. I realised I wasn't wearing it because of this little collar, so then I cut off the collar, and then now it's just like a nice, oversized long sleeve tee.”
If an item has a hole in it, has faded from overuse or simply doesn’t feel like you anymore, there are solutions: dyeing it, embroidering it or doing a bit of light DIY. “A shirt, is a really easy, easy item of clothing to repurpose,” Bolton says. “Cotton is a really good material to work with, and there's loads of different ways that you could upcycle it.”
In search of places to get started? London has hundreds of options, but Bolton also runs upcycling workshops aimed at teaching people sewing skills, embroidery and other creative outlets.
Shop sustainably
Of course, not buying new doesn’t mean not buying at all. The vintage and second-hand clothing market is undergoing something of a boom at the moment – Vinted and Depop are great places to shop for your own, but there are also shops that source their own vintage, saving you the trouble of hunting out quality pieces for yourself.
These exist online (sites like Retold Vintage and Curate and Rotate are perennial favourites for their capsule drops and high-end vintage finds). However, Hackney’s Positive Retail (which also has a branch in Margate) is a great place to shop second hand for brands like Ganni and Aligne – while new kid no the block, Sunshine Thrift, is a god place to pick up bargains on clothes as well as homeware.
Make your own items last longer
Got a hole in a jumper? Maybe it’s time to throw it away – or, maybe it’s a sign to invest in a better quality one.
“Something that we've driven home a lot is that the maintaining of your wardrobe and re-falling in love with the items you've got in your wardrobe actually start from the moment that you pick up an item,” Sunshine Thrift’s founder, Erin McDonogh, says.
“Picking up a better quality item and knowing how to take care of your items in the right way is a great way to maintain the appreciation of that item and make sure that it's something that you come back to you time and again.”
That means less synthetic material, and more natural ones: cotton, linen and silk (especially as we head into summer) and wool blends for winter.
When it comes to wool and overcoats, the key is to wash them less. Products like L’eaundry – essentially a perfume for clothing – is a great alternative to sticking them in the washing machine, where they’ll essentially lose their shape and fibres.
