sustainable-fashion – Emma Smith

There is no doubt that fast fashion is having a huge impact on the world & fashion is high up on the list for one of the biggest polluters for producing greenhouse gas emissions. Last week, just before Christmas jumper day, Oxfam shared the news that…

‘ A quarter (26%) of consumers plan to buy novelty clothing for Christmas this year that they will barely wear. The OnePoll study, which surveyed 3,000 shoppers who celebrate Christmas, found that 72% of those planning to buy festive fashion expect to wear their purchases less than five times while 15% said they will only wear them once. This means more than 12.7 million items could be cast aside after just a few wears, Oxfam warned.’

‘The charity calculated that if all UK adults planning to buy festive fashion items this Christmas bought them second hand, it could prevent 66 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere – equivalent to a plane flying from London to the North Pole 822 times’

I find this absolutely shocking & fashion brands need to do much more, but what can we do as consumers? The first thing we can do is extend the life of our clothes by wearing more of what is in our wardrobe & if things don’t fit, we can swap pieces with our friends & family, or sell them on sites like Depop, Vinted or Facebook market place. We can donate our clothes to charities like Oxfam, or use The Salvation Army recycling bins. We can shop on preloved sites like Vinted & Depop, you can find most high street brands on there & you will get great quality for a better deal too. We can also shop in charity shops like Oxfam, if you are on holiday in the UK, check out the charity shops wherever you are staying. If vintage is your thing, head to vintage fairs like Frock Me Vintage.

When we buy new, we can buy from more sustainable shops like Nobody’s Child, Omnes & Ninety Percent or from small independent brands who manufacture their clothes in the UK. We can change our shopping habits & can be more mindful when shopping, always think about whether you can still see yourself wearing your purchase in five years time. I will first look for preloved when shopping these days, but if I can’t find what I am looking for, I still buy from high street stores, but I am much more careful with my purchases, I buy staples that I know I will always wear, I try to buy natural fabrics, & natural recycled fabrics, that wash well & will last. If I see a statement dress or classic coat, again I am thinking of the long term.

So if you are after a knit for the festive season, why not try a preloved knit with a gentle nod to Christmas, rather than the full on Rudolf novelty jumper, that you may only wear once… Here is my selection of ‘preloved’ knits.