Its no secret that the fashion industry is trashing the planet in a variety of different ways…
…but giving up your NEXT, TESCO CLOTHES {instert high street shop name here} fix can be hard! Maybe you are already well fed up with the fashion industry or perhaps just dipping your toes in…
Wherever you are, don’t worry, there are some fantastic alternative options out there to fast fashion shopping and once you get into the way of shopping differently its no hardship!
The thrill of the chase and the excitement of a bargain – the joy of properly sourced clothes which you can feel good about. Sometimes all it takes is clicking on a different website!
We’ve compiled a list of the most environmentally friendly ways to boost your wardrobe!
1) Charity Shops
Of course! If you love the physical act of shopping – these are your thing! You can get some amazing bargains. Look out for high-quality fabrics, designer items – and of course the ‘almost new’ discarded fast fashion item as well.
2) Apps & Websites for pre-loved clothes
If raking around charity shops isn’t your thing, maybe you prefer your clothes presented to you on models, with nice white backgrounds, grouped in colours, and easy to digest (this is me)?! There are some great options out there! Depop – is an app which allows you to browse some amazing clothes, beautifully. Gives you a lovely online shopping feel without the guilts! Hardley Every Worn It is a website selling beautiful high-end clothing in a format normally reserved for brand new shopping items. Look out for more and more sites specialising in upcycled or second-hand clothes.
3) eBay is your friend!
You can get brilliant deals on eBay, so what you would normally pay for a misshapen Primark jumper, instead walk away with a high-quality designer number!
4) Facebook groups
There are a lot of clothes for sale on facebook either through groups or in the marketplace. Scandily Clad Ladies is one of my favourite groups – where like-styled woman don their clothes and put them online for bargain prices. There’s always a flurry of comments to get in quick and reserve the item you like! If you have any favourite facebook clothing sale groups please let me know. Pictured is myself wearing a recent and happy facebook purchase from Scandily Clad Ladies.
5) Organise a clothes swap.
These go down a treat and can be done either in a small group with just your friends or on a larger scale as a fundraising event for your school / club. A social gathering and a good shop – what could be better than that!
6) Minimise that wardrobe.
Sometimes you really just need a good clearout, realign yourself with your wardrobe, try on the things again which you’ve got out of the habit of wearing. You might be pleasantly surprised and if not – pass the item on. Sometimes when our wardrobes are overflowing we forget the little gems we have stashed away. A good wardrobe rejigg can satiate the need to buy without even leaving the house.
7) One Month / One Dress Challenge
I follow a gal who would wear the SAME dress for the whole of October and post a picture of her outfit every day. It was inspiring to see how she could dress it up or down or make it look entirely different depending on what she paired it with. Sometimes an enforced limitation brings out the creative side which we all have. Have a little search for October Dress Challenge to see all the people who have done this and documented it. Why not try the challenge yourself?
8) If you must – buy organic cotton
Go for Natural Fabrics. If you really need to buy new then go for items which are made of natural fabrics like organic cotton. Some high street shops like H&M sell quite a nice range of organic cotton items.
If you’re buying new, look for these symbols
9) Or buy handcrafted / local.
With all the money saved on a quick fix of fast fashion, we can save to buy truly special pieces created by local people (or buy a bottle of gin, you know, whatever floats your boat 😉 ). There are a tonne of talented seamstresses and fabric workers in the UK – it’s always better to support our local economy rather than global brands.
10) Choose an ethical clothes company
And lastly but possibly most importantly – if you do need to buy new- choose an ethical supplier! We speak with our wallets and when we make purchases from ethical retailers we are making a stand. Showing that we do care about how our products are made and who or what is harmed in the process. By doing this we raise the bar for everyone!
Some Ethical Clothing Suppliers
- For men there is a fantastic website which is a hub for sustainably produced fashion.
- Surfer style Casual clothes from Raipuni
- Try local artists, likeFabric Artist Morag Macpherson textiles
- Outdoor ethical clothing from Paramo
- Organic Cottom School uniforms from Eco Outfitters
- Young Children’s clothes from Pigeon
- More Children’s clothes where kids are kids and the material is organic – heaven!
- Frugi – for more kids clothes!
- One more for kids – I just cant resist! Tilly & Jasper
Useful Links for Further Reading
- Ethical Consumers ratings on high street shops. Spoiler alert – the best score is just 9/20 😮
- Proposed tax introduction on fast fashion items to raise funds for environmental causes (BBC)
- Inspiration from others who choose a different way with fashion (Guardian)
- Wear Only What You Have – a facebook group based in the borders who focus on not buying.
