Five Tips to Ethical Fashion
Fashion in today's world has become so 'fast', so disposable, so trend led. The rise of brands such as Primark, TU Clothing, George, Pep & Co etc has meant that cheap on-trend clothing is available to us all, easily. But is this really the way forward? This week, over on my facebook page- Fairy Clothes Mother, our attention has been focused on how to shop more ethically, more eco-friendly, more sustainable. Surely we all need to think more about our planet, do more to ensure the best outcomes for us all. Just because you care about style and fashion doesn't mean you can't care about the planet! Here are my top five tips for following fashion ethically!
1- Taking care and valuing your clothes will ensure they last longer-
The best way to ensure your clothes last longer (therefore reducing your need to replace them/buy more) is to use good quality hangers! This means investing in hangers that will provide support and structure to your garments. Velvet non slip, wooden or sturdy plastic are the best. It's also a good idea to buy a range of hanger styles- 'clippy' for skirts, trouser hangers and wide, strong hangers for coats and jackets. This ensures your garments stay in shape. Wire hangers ruin your clothing!!! Although tempting as they often come free with your returned dry cleaning, but they offer no support and as a result ruin the shape of the garment. I always encourage my clients to #binthewirehangers.
Obviously, we are all aware of the excess plastic in the world, so avoid buying plastic hangers where possible. Why not accept the 'free' hanger offered when you purchase clothing. If you have spare hangers offer them to friends or pop them on Freecycle. Do your best to recycle!
Taking care of your clothes means washing them on the right temperature too. Most clothing, unless heavily stained, is fine to be washed at 30. This helps the longevity of the garment as well as being kinder to the planet.
2- Shop less, choose better, only buy items you love-
If you're a client of mine you have more then likely heard me say (and be sick of hearing!!) "Only buy it if it goes with atleast two other items you own" .That way it will be an item that you can wear often and in a variety of ways. This means you get better 'cost per wear' on your clothing.
I'd encourage you to have a styling session to discover your body shape and colours. That way you can ensure the items you buy are going to 100% flatter your figure, making them worth the investment. Items that don't flatter you will end up staying in your wardrobe meaning you wasted money buying them!
3- Buy for quality and durability
As previously mentioned today's society sees a culture of 'fast fashion', making it tempting to buy 'cheap and cheerful' items that can be worn once or twice and then discarded. But this is massively damaging our planet.
If you want to switch to a more eco-friendly style of shopping it is absolutely worth investing more money (and i'm not talking hundreds here!) in higher quality items that will last longer- therefore costing less in the long run. The quality of these items are often so much better, which is reflected in the price. Investing in pieces that are 'timeless' and classic' rather than high fashion is also more eco-friendly. That way these pieces can be worn time and time again, rather than falling out of fashion in a matter of months. Style is about how you wear it, not what you wear!
Fabrics that are durable and wear well include denim, leather, cord and cotton. It's worth thinking about fabric when making a purchase.
4- Buy Vintage or Secondhand-
This is something that is so close to my heart, I could honestly write a book full of tips on how and where to buy vintage! Maybe I will?!? But for the sake of this post I will keep it concise!
Buying vintage or secondhand items is the ultimate recycling. It's a great way to add your own unique stamp on your style, a way to buy designer or high end items without breaking the bank and it's a great way to buy key pieces for your wardrobe on a budget. My top reasons for buying vintage buying are;
* You're giving life to something that was once loved and now discarded or forgotten.
* The history or story attached to the item. Sometimes you will know the story behind the piece other times it's up to your imagination to create the previous life for the garment- what fun!
* The chance to wear something unique and different. You're less likely to arrive to an event in the same dress as someone else if yours is from 1956!
* Remember you can alter and change garments to suit your style if it's the fabric you fall in love with. So secondhand items can be seen as a blank canvas to shape into the piece you want.
Buying vintage is best done from a reputable dealer. That way the garment is likely to have been cared for, sympathetically repaired and the provenance will be known. Charity shops can be great if you know what you're looking for, but often they mislabel modern vintage 'inspired' items as genuine vintage- so be sure to check the labels.
Here are some recommended vintage dealers-
5- Buy from Ethical Brands-
But what makes a brand ethical? How do we know what brands to choose?
A truly ethical company will be one that is not causing damage to the environment, exploiting its workforce by paying low wages, using child labour, or producing products which are harmful or dangerous. When looking at most major fashion brands it becomes very difficult to place them in a 'truly ethical' brand box. But some smaller, independant brands are making leaps forward on this front and deserve the praise for being ethical. Below is a list of some to take a look at.
Thought-
Formerly known as Braintree Clothing, London-based Thought’s pieces are made from natural, recycled and organic fabrics. GOTS-certified organic cotton, hemp, Tencel and recycled PET all feature in the collections and dyes are azo-free. Thought also makes clothing in one place to keep its carbon footprint down. The range is characterised by eye-catching floral dresses and easy-to-wear, flowy separates. wearethought.com
P.i.C Style-
You know when fashion editors talk about a “capsule wardrobe” and you can’t imagine being able to whittle down your garments? Well, P.i.C does the hard work for you. The brainchild of two fashion-designer friends, the London brand’s philosophy is to help people buy less, know where their clothes come from and who makes them. Its collection of eight pieces, made in the capital from locally sourced organic fabrics, will give you 50 looks. www.pic-style.com
Mud Jeans-
Mud is on a mission to make this wardrobe staple as sustainable as possible – and the story is circular. It makes new jeans out of recycled ones from its collection, shredding old pairs and blending them with virgin cotton to spin into new yarns (and ultimately, a new pair). The brand also offers a leasing system. You just return them when they are worn out and the knackered threads will be recycled, while customers get a new pair. The whole process is as transparent as possible, minimising water waste, chemicals used in the manufacturing process and making sure workers get a fair deal. www.mudjeans.eu
I hope this has inspired you to think about where your clothing is coming from and how you can help make a difference. Do you try to shop ethically? Will you be trying any of my tips? I'd love to hear from you so leave me a comment below.
Be you, Always
Victoria xx