Research suggests we have £30 billion worth of unused clothing lurking in our wardrobes and we’re guilty of not wearing 1/3 of the clothes we own.
According to WRAP, if we were to use our clothes just 9 months longer, each item’s carbon, waste and water footprint would be reduced by as much as 20-30%.
Now that our days are shorter and our nights are colder, if you’re anything like I usually am at this time of year, you’re probably planning a huge winter shopping trip. You’ll stock up on coats, hats, gloves, scarves, thick socks, cuddly PJs and Minion onesies.
But STOP! Do you really need all this stuff? What’s up with the coats you’ve already got? I find it hard to believe that the one you bought last year has fallen apart after just a few months’ wear. Jesus. I’m starting to sound like my mum!
I’m not telling you what to do. If you wanna treat yourself to something special, go ahead. Treat yo self! But it’s easy to fall into the overspending trap. The Youtube hauls are dangling snuggly slippers and luxurious fluffy throws right in front of our eyes and it can be hard to say no to the temptation, especially if you’ve just got paid. But chances are, you could put that money towards something else. Something more meaningful. What about a holiday or even a deposit on a house?
I know the idea of not spending money is hardly revolutionary. Some might argue it’s common sense. We all know how to save money, but we still don’t do it. It’s like eating healthy and losing weight. We know we shouldn’t be eating cake frequently, but it just tastes so good!
We’re still getting ourselves into debt by overspending during the festive period. We’re wasting money we don’t necessarily have on things we don’t really want or need. We can’t afford to buy houses. We spend a ridiculous amount of our wages on rent and bills. But we can still afford to spend more than £100 a season in Primark because we reassure ourselves that everything we’re buying is cheap! I know this won’t apply to everyone, but I also know that many of you will be nodding your head right now and staring guiltily at the gigantic paper bag filled with winter goodies at the end of your bed.
As much as I’d love to treat myself to lots of wintery treats to make all those nights in (and trust me, there’ll be lots of them) that little bit cosier, I’ll be making do with the stuff I bought two years ago. And I dare you to do the same.
I’ve got 5 pairs of scruffy pyjama bottoms that are two dress sizes too big after last winter’s weight loss and the holes in my fluffy winter socks have been sewn up countless times. But I will make do!
Making do with what I already have has got me a long way over the last year. Sure, the first couple of months were tough but once I got out the habit of frequently buying new clothes for the sake of it, it actually started to feel really good! By making do and mending, not only can we save money towards bigger and better things, we can also declutter our wardrobes, reduce that feeling of guilt that comes with overspending, and help to save the planet one fast fashion garment at a time!
Last night Jake and I went out with a bunch of his friends from work for his leaving do. He’s saying goodbye to the world of retail and starting his first graduate job on Monday. Having had very little of a social life recently, I decided I’d make an effort and wear something nice. It’s not often I get an excuse to dress up fancy these days! A few weeks ago, after landing two new jobs, I treated myself to a pretty white blouse with bunnies on it from H&M, but as I finished work yesterday I realised I’d need a black skirt to go with it. So back I wandered to H&M, my go-to place when I urgently need something simple and don’t have time to rummage through a charity shop and pray for a lucky find.
It’s common knowledge that you can find out exactly where a dress was from and how much it costs simply by complimenting a woman’s outfit. I don’t know why us women so often feel the need to share all this information as soon as someone says “nice coat” but we just do. And “Thanks! £5. Charity Shop!” is the type of phrase I’ve found myself uttering on numerous occasions recently, having picked up some absolutely amazing second hand bargains.
Far too many people seem to be under the impression that charity shops are filled with junk that no one wants to buy, but this simply isn’t the case. With trends changing on a regular basis and many dedicated fashion-lovers replacing their wardrobes every season, charity shops are often bursting at the seams with both high street and designer garments. Here are just three charity shop items that I’ve picked up recently…
At £14.99 the dress below was a bit pricier than I’d usually pay in a charity shop, but considering it is brand new with tags and was originally a whopping £169, I decided I’d hit the jackpot! Big thanks to whoever donated this beauty to Oxfam in Withington.
I’m currently on a bit of a mission to smarten up my wardrobe (without spending a ton of money on brand new items) so as soon as I spotted this gorgeous long sleeved lil number in The British Heart Foundation, I knew I had to try it on. I’ve worn it several times in the last few weeks, so already feel like I’m well on my way to getting my money’s worth.
Another British Heart Foundation treat, it really was love at first sight with this Henry Holland dress. I love how it’s casual enough to wear with leggings and trainers, but could easily be smartened up with tights, shoes and a blazer.
Snapped up any gorgeous second hand bargains lately? Whether its from a charity shop, car boot sale or eBay, I’d love to see your finds.
Fur has long been thought of as the baddie of the fashion world and as a result, as soon as Autumn comes around our high street shops are filled with faux alternatives.
However, these alternatives can be extremely bad for the environment for a number of reasons:
The impact these alternatives have on the environment is only half the problem. Although we’re doing what we can to save animals we’re inadvertently showing a complete disregard for humans. We already know that many of the clothes that we wear have been created by small, poverty-stricken children in developing parts of the world but does that stop us from buying and wearing them? Not really.
As a result, some campaigners are saying that we SHOULD be wearing fur after all, because not only does its production rarely involve sweatshops, it’s also a sustainable alternative to the fast fashion that we’ve grown so accustomed to.
Besides, what use is saving animals if we’re gradually working towards destroying the whole planet?
But HANG FIRE! Before we choose to add a fur coat to our wardrobes once summer is over, let’s take the pro-fur propaganda with a pinch of salt. While fur does actually seem like a more natural alternative to wearing plastic that’s been made to look and feel like an cuddly animal, the idea of animals being slaughtered for fashion still doesn’t seem quite right.
The good news is we have other options. What can we do to minimise the impact that our purchases have on the environment, animals, and people around the world?
Well, let’s use Meat Free Mondays as a source of inspiration. The initiative was introduced to encourage people to reduce their meat consumption. With meat production having a detrimental effect on the environment, giving up everything from burgers to chicken breasts for just one day a week can make a significant difference. Maybe we need to do this with fashion too?
So I’m not saying we have to give up shopping on the high street, buying fast fashion, or even…wearing fur if that’s what you want to do. What I’m saying is that if we all did our bit to REDUCE the amount of the stuff we buy brand new (because constantly buying new stuff is a large part of the problem) we will be helping to implement change.
Here are a few ideas for shopping more sustainably:
Although the above suggestions may help many of us to reduce the impact on the environment and animals, unfortunately so much more needs to be done to fully tackle the issue of poor working conditions in sweatshops. It’s disgraceful that so many people in developing countries are being so cruelly taken advantage of in the name of fashion.
I’d like to think that by doing what we can to reduce the number of new purchases that we make, we can at least prevent the demand for this type of clothing from increasing. We need to show retailers that we care about ethically sourced garments. If you want to know more about the the effects of sweatshops, I’d definitely recommend having a look at the Who Made My Clothes? campaign.
What do you think? Do you wear fur, faux, or neither of them? Have you got any other ideas to help people be more sustainable without completely turning their back on the world of fashion?