Sustainable Fashion
A guide to supporting sustainability and making more considered purchases.
From slow fashion, circular fashion, use of natural fibres, to delving into codes of conduct. The focus of this blog issue is to uncover some key considerations for those who may wish to shop with a focus towards more sustainability. While it’s not always possible to consider everything – let’s have a look at some of the things that might be worth some attention.
First Things First, Fast Fashion - What is it and what’s the Impact?
Did you know….The textile industry uses an estimated 98 million tonnes of oil globally and omits more greenhouse gases than all worldwide air travel? Each year, the fashion industry produces around 80 billion garments. The UK buys more clothing per person than any other European country, with the average life span of a garment being just over 2 years! Around 350,000 tonnes of clothing (used but still wearable) makes its way to landfill each year.
It’s a fact that over consumption and throw-away mentalities are damaging the environment. 63% of clothing is now made from plastic derived manmade materials, such as polyester and acrylic. Every time you wash a garment that is made from plastic, thousands of invisible microplastic fibres are released. It is estimated that over 700,000 microplastic fibres are released in a typical 6kg wash. These microplastics then make their way into our waterways and, ultimately, into the ocean. Wow, pretty staggering!
Circular Fashion
Some of the more environmentally conscious brands are now moving towards what is called a circular fashion business model. A closed loop system that aims at reducing waste and maximising the life of its clothing and textiles. The site www.commonobjective.co.uk offer an eloquent explanation:
“Circular fashion is a system where our clothing and personal belongings are produced through a more considered model: where the production of an item and the end of its life are equally as important.”
This can be achieved by paying attention to the following milestones in a product’s timeline: DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, WEAR, REPAIR, PASS ON, RECYCLE, GROW. The brand Celtic & Co, who are based in Cornwall and are supporters of British manufacturing with the majority of their products, present this model on their website.
The Move Towards Slow Fashion
From a consumer perspective, the principle of slow fashion encourages the purchase of high quality, well-made items that will last, made from natural materials such as wool, sheepskin, linen, cotton, for e.g.
In turn, the consumer is then encouraged (following their investment) to look after the clothing, perhaps making repairs where required, so that its life is extended even further. As consumers purchase the best they can afford, this sometimes means making an initial higher investment on an item. This might also mean that the average consumer then shops more mindfully, and ultimately purchases less. Due to the high quality and longevity of the item, the cost per wear (CPW) often ends up being less over time, meaning an item that may have once seemed expensive, actually works out cheaper in the long run.
CPW is based on the price of the item divided by the number of wears.
Building a Slow Fashion / Circular Fashion Mindset
How can one support slow fashion and foster a more sustainable wardrobe? Here are some things to consider:
Build a Capsule Wardrobe
When building up a capsule wardrobe, the idea is that you will invest in key classic pieces that will last a very long time, be worn frequently and that won’t go out of fashion. A good capsule wardrobe contains neutrals as well as accent colour(s) - perhaps applied to 10-20% of the wardrobe, and is super versatile. There are no hard and fast rules for building your capsule wardrobe, however, it will most likely be based around foundation pieces that fit with your lifestyle and needs. I aim for high quality goods that are timeless and will last. I have written about building capsule wardrobes in previous blogs which you can check out if you like - see link below:
Curating a Capsule Wardrobe
This bit can be a lot of fun, even though it does not really involve any shopping at all! We’re going to create the vision, while learning and getting an insight into what might work for us personally.
Say ‘No’ to Fast Fashion
For me, it’s a ‘no’ to fast fashion. I’m not a fan of acrylic jumpers as a rule - they are certainly not worth the money some brands are asking for them (£100 plus)! Nor do I appreciate cheap throwaway poor quality items, as in here is a low quality (new) top for just £15. Nothing like that ever feels good to wear anyway, and it will just end up thrown away, and that’s if it doesn’t fall apart first.
Go for Creativity over Consumption
Assess what you need rather than what you want. Yes, I know, this probably seems the less exciting option and it’s so very easy to be tempted by the latest products out there each season. Seriously, I know people who have over 100 pairs of shoes in their closet! That probably sounds like heaven on earth to some, but, what do we realistically need?
I try to make a plan of what I actually require and how it might be used in the coming season. My mind and world would start to feel very cluttered if I had to wade through 100 pairs of shoes each day or multiple wardrobes and dressing rooms packed full to the brim of garments - some hidden or difficult to get at, which would mean that some clothes would invariably never see the light of day!
I go through cycles - there will be times when I’m purchasing items more often (weight changes, lifestyle changes, work environment changes), and then it will settle down. There’s opportunity to get really creative with a capsule wardrobe too, continuously trying out new things - there’s lots of guidance and inspiration on YouTube from people who are really great at this!
With regards to reduced consumption, buying high quality goods means that ultimately I purchase less and consequently have less clutter, as well as saving money. Cost per wear of the item (as we’ve discussed) ends up being lower than a cheaper item, even if initially to buy, for some, it might have seemed expensive. I ensure my new items have a long standing purpose and will last.
Shop Your Closet
Those old items you still have can be re-imagined. Yes, this means up-cycling / re-cycling and involves even more creativity! I’m currently using many items that are almost 20 years old. A couple of items are 30 plus years old. I’ve got a good high quality tweed field coat that’s lasted me a decade to date. CPW on those items is now extremely low, of course. None of these items are in bad or worn condition!
The truth is, you can give life to old items that you have perhaps not worn in a long time, by trying them and thinking about them in a new context and just generally playing around with styles and colours.
Buy Secondhand / Preloved
Preloved to re-loved! Where possible I try to take advantage of second hand. I do this via charity shops on the high street (something else I’m keen to support).
Most high quality items have a lot of life in them, even if they have been rejected by someone else.
Many that I spot, to me, do not even look remotely worn. Some were perhaps unwanted gifts. It’s true, people do get fed up with stuff, but the item is often more than ready for a new lease of life with someone else. And while we are talking second hand, who doesn’t love vintage? I saw on a Facebook group recently someone who had sourced a lovely vintage Burberry trench in a charity shop for just £25!
Consider Repairs and Alterations
Repair what you can. Have items altered if you need to. Many high end designer clothes have scope for ‘letting out’ for example. Or, waistbands can be taken in - that kind of thing. So make sure you have a reputable person on your radar who can help with this. If you’ve taken pains to invest quite a bit in a good item then you are more likely to want to extend its life and wearability too, which is a good thing!
Code of Conduct
A brands code of conduct, if it’s published, will usually specify responsibilities around requirements for safe and hygienic working conditions, specify no child labour, insist on fair living wages and working facilities etc and will normally be based on the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code (ETI). Consider - what does the brand expect of their finished goods vendors, raw material suppliers, production sites etc?
Animal Welfare
Have a look at the brand you are buying from and investigate their animal welfare policy. For example, such a policy may ensure that wool/natural material items have come from animals that have been treated responsibly and that any land and biodiversity has been managed appropriately. They will usually specify something like a requirement for leather working group audit reports to be supplied from all tanneries supplying finished leather products, in order to demonstrate the country of origin and 100% traceability to the processing facility. For cashmere and wool products there will also be guidelines around animal welfare.
Consider Purchasing Natural Materials / Natural Fibres
Sustainable materials such as wool, linen, cotton etc support the environment as they do not pollute the planet once they come to the end of their life, due to safe decomposition. They also last longer.
Sheepskin/leather/suede are meat byproducts and are common natural materials that are long lasting when looked after well. Common for outerwear, shoe and handbag products.
Wool Products (merino, alpaca, geelong, donegal) are super warm. They have natural grooves that create tiny air pockets that allow the fabric to breathe and wick moisture away from the body.
Renewable and Sustainable Yarns (recycled cotton, viscose, recycled linen, lyocell & tencel, euroflax, linen), sheepskin, leather, organic cotton.
Responsible Cotton
It’s worth checking to see if the brand have a policy regarding the sourcing of cotton that is produced in a way that is better for the people who produce it as well as the environment in which it grows. Look out for reference to the responsible cotton scheme (Better Cotton Initiative -BCI, Organic Cotton, Recycled Cotton and Fair Trade).
Buying and Supporting British Manufacturing
Buying clothing that is manufactured in Britain is another consideration. It can be more expensive (although not always). But again we are back to that old CPW formula. Be mindful that while some may advertise themselves as a British brand or have ‘England’ on their labels, not all items are manufactured in the UK, so check the label on the garment or the details online, if this is something that is likely to be of interest to you.
Usually, if products are British made the brand will absolutely advertise the fact! If not, it probably does not say where the item is made online and you normally have to delve a bit deeper or see the label. I think its more about what they don’t say.
There are some great brands that pride themselves on British manufacturing - I’ve mentioned a few here, some of which have some great sustainability policies available on their websites. They may definitely be worth a look, particularly if you are interested in country inspired clothing for men and women - tweeds and the like:
Accessories from Clare Haggas, Waring Brooke, Tyler & Tyler, Otway & Orford and Fox Umbrellas.
Country inspired clothing and tweeds from Vantage Atelier, Maude & Fox, Celtic & Co, Frimble, Cordings, Elkin Skirts, Wolf in Sheeps Clothing, Ratcatcher, King & Carr, Hyde & Hare, Grenfell England, Holland Cooper (tailoring & tweeds).
Conclusion
It can be argued that it pays to change our habits. That said, the switch is probably likely to be a more gradual process for those that are interested in the topics discussed here. The intention of this blog was just to mention some points that might help in moving towards more sustainable fashion.
Making fashion more sustainable is in no doubt better for the image of the industry itself, giving it an improved environmental footprint, and it also helps the planet.
Jus this is an excellent blog. Very well researched & informative. I knew nothing about how much oil the textile industry use a year which is flabbergasting! to use an old expression. As for the pollutes from fabrics such as polyester & acrylic, it is frightening! Thank you for such a brill article. I do hope you can send this blog to get it published somewhere on line, it is worthy of interest to all those trying to save our planet.