How to Reduce Your Fashion Footprint | ewmoda
 

6 Tips to Reduce Your Fashion Footprint

Follow these steps to reduce your environmental impact.

Posted on

17 October 2019

6 Tips to Reduce Your Fashion Footprint

All Credits: PA

According to the European Clothing Action Plan, each person will buy on average 26.7kg of clothing each year.

If you gathered all the garments you bought in a year, how would you stack up compared to the average? Do you purchases amount to a neat pile of carefully considered items – or are you staring at a mountain of clothes you can barely remember buying, let alone wearing?

If you’re closer to the latter, chances are you could do to rein in your fast fashion habit.

SEE ALSO: Top Tips on Keeping Designer Handbags in Perfect Condition

‘Fast fashion’ is defined as cheap, mass-produced clothing designed to cater to the latest trends, and it’s having a huge impact on the environment.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, clothing production has approximately doubled in the last 15 years, while the annual value of clothing discarded prematurely is more than £300/AED1,416.92 billion.

The fashion is also the second most polluting industry (after oil) and produces nearly 20% of wastewater globally.



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From the outside, the world of #fashion may seem glamorous and alluring, but the reality is, today’s #fashionindustry is extremely wasteful. Our #clothes are highly underutilised. Worldwide, the average number of times we wear our garments before leaving them behind in our drawers and throwing them away has been decreasing steadily, with a decline of 36% compared to 15 years ago. Under the current system, less than 1% of clothing is being recycled into new clothes, representing a loss of more than $100 billion (!) worth if materials each year. ___ Hear from our @make_fashion_circular Lead, François Souchet, as he explores why now is the right time to move to a #circulareconomy for fashion. ____________ #makefashioncircular #circularfashion #fashionvideo #closetheloop #fashionfacts #businessoffashion #zerowastefashion #thinkdifferent #goodfashion

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But with social media creating pressure on people to look good and have an endless supply of new outfits to post in pictures online, is it any wonder fast fashion is spiralling out of control?

So, in a bid to help you reduce your fashion footprint, here are six ways to cut back on wasteful purchases and shop more sustainably…

1. Limit your exposure to influencers

A new survey by the Fashion Retail Academy reveals that more than half (54%) of people believe social media influencers have at least partly caused a rise in this type of clothing, a figure that’s even higher (73%) for 18 to 24 year olds.

The study also found that Instagram is a source of fashion inspiration for 17% of people, up from 8% five years ago.

Being bombarded daily with enviable images of stylish people – and now with the option to shop directly from their Instagram posts – is a sure fire way to make you want to hit ‘buy now’, so try to limit your exposure to digital influencers.

Whether that means unfollowing accounts that post daily #outfitinspo pics or cutting back on time spent on social media sites, you’ll reduce the temptation to shop the latest flash-in-the-pan trends.

2. Choose quality, not quantity

The very nature of fast fashion means these clothes aren’t designed to last. Made from cheap materials, they often come apart at the seams or stretch beyond repair after just a couple of wears, which is why so much clothing ends up in landfill every year.

To prevent needless waste, try to buy higher quality clothing that will last longer. It may be more expensive, but a cashmere jumper in a classic cut will serve you for years to come, as opposed to a flimsy polyester top where the threads come loose and the neckline gets stretched.

3. Try a fashion fast

The shopping equivalent of going cold turkey, a fashion fast means committing to not buy any new clothes for a certain amount of time – it could be a month, three months or even a year.

Quitting shopping will force you to reassess what you already own and find new ways to style existing outfits.

This is the perfect time to do a Marie Kondo-style clear out. You might be surprised what you discover when you go ‘shopping’ in your own wardrobe.



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9 months ago I committed to #BuyNothingNew. My intention was to create mindfulness around how I spend my time and money by not buying any new clothes, I could shop second hand or sew my own clothes though. Admittedly, the first few months were hard. I had extra time in my hands that would have previously been spent shopping online or in a store. I found some amazing second-hand treasures and I sewed a few pieces as well. 7 months into this practice, I went to the mall and bought a new pair of jeans because I was so in between sizes, at the time, I was having a hard time finding a pair second-hand. The experience was overwhelming at first but then it felt really good to treat myself to a brand new pair of jeans that fit so well. It brought happiness! I started to feel my Buy-Nothing-New practice as a bit oppressive. Just another way to assert control over myself that was lacking joy. As a creative person, I love clothing that helps me express my style and who I am. So, I’ve decided to end my practice of Buy-Nothing-New and adopt a practice of mindfully shopping in moderation to bring joy and love into my life! #secondhand #moderation #buynothingnew #buynothingnew2019 #buynothingyear #mindfulshopping #mythoughts #treatyourself #selflove

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4. Go ‘swishing’ not shopping

‘Swishing’ events are public clothes swaps, where you bring your clean, unwanted clothes for donation and take your pick from others’ pre-loved garments.

According to Eventbrite, the number of swishing events in the UK has tripled since 2017. Some are free, while others charge for entry.

If you’re in the UK, why not try: Sustainable Style Clothes Swap Shop in Manchester on October 27; Little Green Wardrobe in Bristol on November 13; Walk in Wardrobe in London on November 30; or Swap Shop in Glasgow on the fourth Wednesday of every month.

5. Arrange a clothes swap of your own

Chances are, you and your friends have got similar taste in fashion, so why not hold a clothes swap party of your own?

Here’s how to do it fairly. Gather all the clothing and set aside some time for browsing and trying on, say half an hour. Then, go round the group and take it in turns to choose one item at a time.

If more than one person is keen on a garment, you could always arrange to swap it at the next event. Sharing is caring, after all.

6. Shop for secondhand clothes

There are so many ways to say no to high street chains and find good quality secondhand clothes.

Charity shops are one way, of course – our top tip is to head to affluent areas where people donation designer cast-offs – and vintage stores are great because stock is curated to fit current trends.

Online, eBay is a treasure trove for retro bargains and unworn secondhand pieces – look for ‘BNWT’ on listings which means ‘bought new with tags’ – while Depop is where the cool girls go to sell their unwanted garms so you can snap them up.

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