My Slow Fashion Summer: no new clothes for three months!

I know some readers are probably rolling their eyes at the title for this week’s blog post. I know I am lucky to be able to afford new clothes fairly regularly, and that many people have to prioritise other expenses when they really do need new clothes for themselves or their families.

Collaction's Slow Fashion Summer isn’t about shaming people for their shopping habits, it’s about challenging the way the fashion industry tries to drive consumer demand. With high street fashion chains launching new stock in store every couple of weeks, we are encouraged to become dissatisfied with our clothes faster than ever before. The average item of clothing is only worn four times before being discarded, so refusing to buy into this for a few months is a good way to reassess the way we shop.

The rules of the Slow Fashion Challenge only stipulated no new clothes, so here are all the alternatives I found to ensure I could still have a fabulous summer wardrobe!

Wear clothes that are waiting to be worn
Being a vintage fashion fan means snapping up those bargains whenever you see them, so I bought summer dresses in the autumn and winter, then had to wait for the appropriate weather to wear them! The wait was worth it though; I’ve had so much enjoyment (and some lovely compliments!) from wearing these fab frocks! You can check out some of my other vintage finds here.

Clothes swaps
Even when we shop sensibly, we still end up with clothes that we don’t really wear any more. As well as rummaging through my sister’s cast-offs and picking out a few gems, I also went to Walk In Wardrobe and exchanged some of my old clothes for some lovely new ones! Stylist Daisy Schubert has come up with an innovative “rule” for her swap shop: you’re not limited to a number of items, you just have to try everything on to make sure you actually like it! That way everyone ends up with clothes they will actually wear, rather than more items destined for the back of the wardrobe.

Charity shops
Giving to a good cause and stopping secondhand clothes from ending up in landfill means that buying clothes from charity shops is very much still allowed under the rules of the Slow Fashion Challenge! In the spirit of the challenge I didn’t indulge in a lot of impulse buys, but I did treat myself to this straw hat to keep myself cool in the heatwave!

Rent a one-off outfit
For anyone who is expected to have an ever-rotating wardrobe of fabulous clothes for events, clothing hire service Wear the Walk has you covered! I wrote about my experience hiring clothes from them in this post.

Transform the clothes you are reluctant to wear
I had picked up a silk playsuit at a clothes swap years ago because I loved the style, but I never really felt that the peach colour suited me. An hour with a bucket, a pair of thick rubber gloves and a sachet of hand dye, I had a playsuit that was much more my style!

Use up your fabric stash
If you make your own clothes, it can be tempting to fall into the trap of impulse-buying new fabric for projects before you use up the fabric that’s already in your stash. And if, like me, you love buying vintage fabrics, special finds can end up cluttering up your cupboards for months while you wait for inspiration to strike!

I only had a 70cm long piece of this blue fabric, and 90cms of the contrasting cream, so I knew I wanted to use them in the most efficient way possible. I ended up making this two-piece ensemble, with only a handful of scraps left over. I was also able to use up a few mother of pearl buttons from my button stash to add an interesting fastening detail.

Break the rules
So, did I go three months without buying anything new? Almost. I’d like to think that my one new purchase was for a good reason, though. Sophie, the owner of Gung Ho Design, also runs monthly beach clean-ups on the Thames foreshore. Seeing an ethical brand owner really living her values made me want to support what she is doing, so I treated myself to a pair of Gung Ho earrings (as well as going to the beach clean-up, obviously)!

Knowing what we already have in our wardrobes, and thinking about how we can transform average clothes into clothes we love, or swap clothes we don’t love for clothes we do, means we don’t have to head to the shops nearly so often. Organising or going to a clothes swap is much more sociable than filling our online shopping carts with impulse purchases, and sewing some simple alterations can make our clothes fit better, and give us a new appreciation for the people who made them! I might have to make a few new (ethical) clothing purchases as we head into autumn, but I’m also working on plenty of alteration and embellishment projects, so check back soon for more sustainable fashion inspiration!

Apps for sustainable clothes shopping

Since I started this blog 18 months ago, I made a decision not to buy any new high street clothes. I’ve really enjoyed discovering and buying from ethical brands, but I’ve had to budget carefully to afford the new clothes I’ve really wanted, and I have the advantage of already owning a lot of clothes. I still buy secondhand and vintage clothes, and I try to recycle my old clothes as efficiently as possible. I enjoy researching brands and searching for my perfect outfit, but plenty of people don’t have the time or the inclination to put this much effort into buying clothes.

Fortunately there are now a number of apps that take the work out of shopping ethically, discovering great secondhand clothes and even finding out where to recycle old clothes and textiles.

High Street Shopping
I’m lucky to have a bit of disposable income for clothes shopping; I know this has to come a lot further down a list of priorities for many people. Low wages in this country leave many people reliant on fast fashion’s cost-cutting to make clothing “affordable”. The inequalities in our current system mean that the CEO of a fashion brand can earn the lifetime’s wages of a Bangladeshi garment worker in a matter of days. There is a good argument for not simply boycotting these big brands though; as the biggest overproducers and polluters, we won’t see a huge change in the negative aspects of the fashion industry unless these brands are encouraged to clean up their act. If brands see their competitors being rewarded with higher sales due to increased transparency or better sustainability initiatives, they will follow suit.

So who do we choose to give our hard-earned money to? These two apps should be able to help you out.

Not My Style
Wondering how transparent your favourite brands are when it comes to their garment workers? Rather than trawling every brand’s website for information, check Not My Style, which rates brands on the information they choose to share about the men and women who make their clothes, and whether they are trying to improve pay and working conditions. Their ratings are a simple traffic-light system of stop, think and shop, and you can check a map of your area to see how the shops near you shape up.

Good On You
Originally based in Australia, Good On You also rates brands by how transparent they are, although as well as garment workers they also consider the brand’s environmental impact and whether the brand uses materials that require the killing of animals. Brands are rated from 1 (we avoid) to 5 (great), with 3 - it’s a start - encouraging brands to keep doing better. You can also adjust your preferences on the site to put more emphasis on the issues that are closest to your heart.

Secondhand Shopping
If you’re after some new-to-you clothes and have some lightly-worn clothes that might be suitable for selling or swapping, these two sites could help you out:

Vinted
Buy, sell or swap clothes with fellow fashionistas on this app. The more information you add about your clothes, the quicker they will find a potential buyer. I’ve swapped clothes that weren’t really me for a fun selection of frivolous new things, which I’ve ended up wearing much more than I expected to!

Depop
More than just a marketplace, depop sells itself as a community for style-conscious bright young things. You can follow friends, brands and influencers, find out what they are buying and selling, and set up your own shop too.

Textile Recycling
Even with the best will in the world, all of us are going to end up with clothes that are so far past their prime that the thought of giving them to a secondhand shop is downright embarrassing. Yes, you could chop them up into cleaning cloths or craft projects, but some things need to go through an industrial recycling process before they have a chance at a new lease of life. A lot of councils don’t provide textile recycling collections, so if you have no idea where to take your old clothes, you’re going to need this new app:

Impact Fashion
Providing a searchable database of charity shops and textile collection points, Impact Fashion can help you to find out where to take your old clothes, no matter what state they are in.

They are also set up to help you restyle as well as recycle; book an appointment with one of their stylists if your current wardrobe feels lacking in inspiration, and they will help you to find new outfit combinations and ways of styling your clothes that will make you fall back in love with your existing wardrobe.

I’ll have a selection of ethical marketplaces and brand directories up on my blog, which is getting a makeover, in a few weeks, so stay tuned!

Christmas Jumper Day: buying novelty clothes as a conscious consumer

It's Christmas Jumper Day today - all over the country people will be showing up to work in their best novelty knitwear and donating money to Children in Need. Other charities are also running Christmas  Jumper campaigns, so it’s likely you’ll have a reason to don your festive finery for a good cause. While I'm all for a fun and inclusive thing that encourages people to give to charity, part of me is worried that a heap of unethically-produced jumpers will be headed for landfill in the new year. So I've written a little guide for everyone who wants some extra nice-list points: how to participate in Christmas Jumper Day as a conscious consumer.

Buy from a charity shop: this way, you're making two donations to charity! You also avoid contributing to the overproduction of clothing, and the exploitation of the workers who will be working long hours for low pay to make these jumpers. If you're planning to give your jumper to a charity shop after you've worn it, please hang on to it until next Autumn/Winter if possible: charity shops won't be able to sell Christmas jumpers in January, but there will be a market for them as Christmas Jumper Day rolls around again in 2018. 

Pick a style you love: I know the idea is to wear the silliest jumper possible, but it just doesn't make sense to me to buy an item of clothing you'll only wear once in order to make a small donation to charity. If you're a vintage fashion fan, look for a sparkly batwing sweater instead; it will keep you warm as toast and work for lots of festive occasions!

Customise: if you've opted for a subtle sweater but are worried about being derided as a Scrooge, you can add a bit of festive flair fairly easily. Make a necklace from leftover tree decorations, a bow from recycled ribbon, or a brooch from crafty odds and ends. 

A jumper is for life, not just for Christmas: I bought this jumper years ago, and it's been worn for several Christmas Jumper Days, as well as countless walks in the park and trips to cosy pubs. The sparkly pattern of deer and foxes is striking, but not too much for regular day wear.

Break the Rules: yes, I know it's Christmas Jumper Day, but if you have some fabulous festive knitwear it deserves a chance to shine! An embellished cardigan or cape would be a great way to ring the changes and will save you having to buy new clothes that you might not get very much wear out of. 

You could also consider a Christmas Jumper Swap with friends from different workplaces if you want to have something different to wear but don't have the money to buy extra clothes (it's an expensive time of year!)

As I've said before, being an ethical consumer doesn't have to mean going without, or refusing to participate in novelty clothing events like Christmas Jumper Day. It just involves a bit of thought and forward-planning. I hope you are all having a lovely festive season!

Gifted and Thrifted: adding to your winter wardrobe on a budget

Our fashion choices can speak volumes about us, but we all need to be part of the conversation

Our clothing is a powerful method of non-verbal communication, and can have a really positive impact if we are able to make it work for us. But what do we do if the fashion industry isn't giving us the chance to say what we want to say? 

I've written about about the limitations of fast fashion when it comes to fitting or flattering our bodies, but I've also written about the fun we can have with our clothes, even indulging in some closet cosplay to give us the confidence of our favourite fictional characters when the going gets tough. I strongly believe that clothes should make you feel comfortable, both physically and psychologically, but I also think clothing works well as armour, equipping us to deal with challenging situations by projecting an image of strength, competence or resilience that perhaps we need a bit of help to feel authentically. 

I've been dealing with both physical and mental health issues recently, and sometimes the thought of everything I need to do in a day makes it almost impossible to get out of bed. But I know that flopping around in my pyjamas will only make me feel worse, so every evening before I go to bed I lay out a nice outfit, and every morning I force myself to put it on, to brush my hair, apply some make-up. Seeing the person I want to be looking back at me in the mirror reminds me that I am more than my problems, I have the strength to cope with difficult situations and work towards the goals I have set for myself. It might sound shallow, but looking good makes me feel much better about myself; it makes me feel like I should be out and about in the world, rather than huddling at home. 

My relationship with my clothes has changed and evolved since I became a more conscious consumer; taking part in Labour behind the Label's Six Items Challenge cemented my view of my favourite clothes as valuable and versatile rather than disposable, and while I'm thinking much more carefully about the clothes I buy new now, I also apply the same scrutiny to the clothes I already own. If my clothes aren't looking their best, or making me look my best, I alter them, mend them, or decide they weren't really meant for me and take them to a clothes swap or charity shop. I remember my dad making fun of the designer logo trend that was popular in the 90s ("they should be paying me if they want me to advertise their brand!"); it wasn't a fad I ever bought into, but I do want to be a good advert now for ethical and sustainable fashion. I want people to see that alternatives to fast fashion are smart and stylish, and to dispel the outdated and inaccurate stereotypes that occasionally still linger around eco-friendly or second-hand clothes. All the outfits I've worn this week feature clothes from swaps, second-hand shops, or are rejected manufacturing samples or things I have made myself! 

The fact that the clothes I am now choosing to buy are manufactured in ways that align with my personal values adds another feel-good factor to my wardrobe. I know I'm trying my hardest to have the smallest possible negative impact on other people and the environment; my values are lived, not performative. Ethical fashion blogger Tolly Dolly Posh makes a strong case for ethical and sustainable fashion as a feminist movement, and points out "FEMINIST" t-shirts need to be more than just a slogan stamped on a shirt that has been made in a sweat shop. This was certainly a concern for my friends at The Suffragette City, who didn't want their "Same Shit, Different Century" fundraising t-shirts and bags (created to raise money for Abortion Rights) to be asking for a better world through their slogan only. They chose to partner with Rapanui (through Teemill) a company who make their clothes and bags from organic cotton in an ethically accredited wind-powered factory.

There is an element of privilege here, because ethical products are often more expensive than their fast fashion equivalents, but there are also vast, global issues under the surface: if the average consumer's wages are so low that we are unable to clothe ourselves or our families without buying items made in sweatshops, should we be clamouring for more sweatshop-made clothing, or for global change that results in less wage inequality so that we can all have nice things? Ethical and sustainable brands are usually run by young entrepreneurs, keen to make a difference but aware that they have bills to pay. High street fast fashion brands are run by some of the richest people on the planet, who somehow still can't afford to pay their workers a fair wage. I know who I would rather give my money to! 

Ethical and sustainable fashion can be inaccessible for reasons other than cost; this Refinery 29 article features plus-size fashion bloggers discussing the problems they have faced trying to find clothes that fit their values and their bodies. I received a detailed and thoughtful email from my aunt, a savvy charity shop bargain finder (it must run in the family, my sister and cousin have a talent for it too!) who wants to find ethical fashion for older women at a price point she can afford on a pension. Although the new brands I have been looking at definitely seem to have more diverse models, it’s important for all customers to see themselves represented, so that ethical and sustainable fashion will be seen as the norm, as something for everyone, rather than as a niche purchase for people with money and the time to go searching online for the perfect piece of clothing. 

So what can we do to get the clothes we want, in a way that is good for everyone? We can ask for what we want! Contact small brands and ask if they can make something in your size (some of these brands work on a bespoke model in the first place to avoid the wastage of unwanted stock, so it might be possible without a large increase in price), or ask what their plans are for including your size in their range in the future. Sometimes a brand has to start with a capsule collection in limited sizes in order to fund a roll-out of a variety of sizes and styles later on. We should also contact bigger brands and ask them to increase workers' wages, or to use sustainable materials. We tend to demand more of smaller brands with accessible customer service when we have spent more (which is absolutely our right as consumers), but blame ourselves for buying cheap clothes that don't fit or are poorly made, and are more likely to give or throw away the offending item rather than complaining. Multinationals need to be made aware of their mistakes too; they are not going to change unless they think customers won't buy their products any more. 

It used to be normal to be demanding when it came to our clothes: if we were having an outfit made by a dressmaker or tailor we would select specific fabric, fastenings and trims, have our measurements taken, come back for fittings, and insist on quality materials and finish. The price we pay for low cost fast fashion isn't just the damage to the environment or the exploitation of workers, it's that, unless we are very lucky and exactly the same size and proportions as a shop's fit model, nothing will ever fit us perfectly. Fast and cheap also has an impact on innovation and vision; it's hard for designers to produce unique and inspiring work that pushes the world of fashion forward when they are being asked for eight collections per year instead of two, with high street brands following suit and cutting down on design details to save time and money.

We can support the brands that help us to look and feel like the best versions of ourselves, and ask the brands that are letting us down to do better. I'll leave you with this quote from author and sustainable living advocate Anne Lappe:

“Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want”

Festival fashion: find the weekend's worth of amazing outfits lurking in your wardrobe!

If you’re a festival-goer in the UK, you know the drill: it’s either going to be rainy and muddy or hot and dusty (or if you’re really lucky, both!), your clothes are going to be crammed into a rucksack and thrown around a tent in the dark,  you’ve got limited access to mirrors but everyone’s going to be taking loads of photos. I love dressing up for festivals, but I’m sceptical of what’s often advertised as festival fashion on the high street (the combination of playsuit and portaloo is a no-go for me, I’m afraid), so I always see festivals as a chance to give some of my unloved clothes their day in the sun rather than investing in a new selection of impractical outfits.

Festival classics:
There’s a reason why stylish-but-practical jackets, denim cut offs, wellies and chunky socks will always be festival staples; you’re ready for everything the weather might throw at you, and as my sister is proving here, you’re always camera-ready even when you are holding a broken long-drop door for a pal!

Clothes that are Too Much for the real world:
Festivals are a time to escape from day-to-day life and immerse yourself in the atmosphere that the organisers have created. There are no dress codes, so you can proudly wear clothes that might be hiding in your wardrobe because you feel they are too short, too low cut, too revealing for every day. I used to wear this dress a lot, then got a bit body-conscious, but I felt it was perfect to wear at Latitude to watch Sh*t Theatre’s show about Dolly Parton!

Fancy Dress:
Whether the festival you are attending has a theme or not, we all have clothes we’ve bought for fancy dress parties that we can re-purpose as perfect festival wear. My sister had a white lace mini dress from a 60s theme party that we persuaded her to wear for the day as the bride-to-be for her festival-based hen do, and the high-street rucksack ended up being more than a novelty festival purchase, she's now a backpack aficionado!

Grab an on-site bargain:
While each year has its festival-fashion cliche, and there will be no shortage of stalls selling those things if you want them, vintage stalls and pop-up charity shops offer festival bargains that you’ll still want to wear long after you’ve finally stopped finding glitter everywhere. A couple of years ago I found a red pleated maxi-skirt in a pop-up vintage shop at Folk by the Oak which has become a wardrobe staple, and this year the Oxfam shop at Latitude had a fantastic selection of clothes, including a brand new Ted Baker coatigan which kept me cosy at the festival and will slot perfectly into my work wardrobe.

Find your own festival style:
We all have clothes we’ve bought for a certain event and haven’t been sure how to incorporate into our day-to-day wardrobes, or old clothes which are comfy but not eye-catching, so why not try mixing and matching some of these to create fabulous festival outfits? Christmas party tops paired with faded shorts, or a vintage dress worn with an old hoodie, beach-holiday sundresses with a cardi and leggings for a chilly evening, you’re bound to find something that suits the festival and your style.

Respect the festival site, respect your clothes, take them home with you!
Most festivals are getting much better at providing recycling facilities, re-usable cups and places to refill water bottles, but you can avoid adding to landfill at the end of a festival by packing up everything you came with, including your clothes, and taking them away with you! If you decide you can’t bear festivals and you’ll never have need of your festival-specific clothes again, wash them and take them to a charity shop, but it might be better to hang on to them; who knows when you might next need a sparkly Grecian muslin dress, or a glittery mermaid tail...

Spring Cleaning My Wardrobe: a thoughtful approach to repurposing, recycling and re-evaluating (and maybe downsizing a little bit)

My partner and I moved into our flat seven years ago; it's not a large place and we've both accumulated a lot of stuff, so over the last few weeks we've been having a bit of a clear out.  Since I've been taking part in Labour Behind the Label's Six Items Challenge at the same time, it seemed like a good opportunity to look over my wardrobe and think realistically about the things I never wear, and the best way to give them a new lease of life.

I've seen a lot of articles recently about the benefits of minimalism, and I can see how cathartic it would be to rid yourself of everything that doesn't make you feel like your best self in one fell swoop. But I think that approach addresses a symptom rather than a cause, and that getting rid of surplus possessions slowly and thoughtfully helps us to address some of the (possibly uncomfortable) reasons why we owned so much in the first place.

A barrage of adverts inform us every day that the acquisition of stuff (or rather, this stuff in particular) will make us attractive, successful, happy. If you're able to recognise that and change your mindset that's fantastic, but it's an ongoing task when ads are specifically targeted for you online. We also live in uncertain times, so our tendency is to hang on to things, 'just in case'. I have good sewing skills and can alter or mend my clothes, but I do need tools and haberdashery to to this, so living a truly minimalist lifestyle is never going to be an option for me. I don't think this is a bad thing; recognising that we can't just get rid of things when they are no longer pristine and learning to fix things reminds us that it's not just the item itself that has value; the raw materials it is made out of are not in infinite supply and we do not have an endless, bottomless landfill in which we can discard anything that isn't 'on trend'.

The idea that we could throw out all our clutter and replace it with a few sleek items that will revolutionise the way we live is appealing, but what happens when those items fall out of fashion in a few years? Do we just repeat the process over again? And what about all the things we reject?

I love shopping in charity shops; I'm grateful to everyone in my local area who has given away barely worn, good quality dresses! Charity shops do a great job, but they need to be able to function as businesses to make money for the charities they are part of, and can't just be a place for us to dump all our unwanted, threadbare or broken clothes without a second thought. If you wouldn't wear it yourself in that condition, the charity shop probably isn't the place for it.

I have an ongoing repairs/alterations pile, and I have recently discovered the joys of 'visible mending' from Tom of Holland. This creative approach to fixing clothes means that your mends don't have to be perfect, they can be part of the ongoing 'story' of your clothes. Agy  creates beautiful embroidered patches to embellish her clothes as she mends them, illustrating that mending can be an enjoyable and practical way to practice crafting skills rather than a chore.

Claire Louise Hardie, aka The Thrifty Stitcher, runs sewing classes online and in person at her studio, including alterations, and you can also find free 'how to' video tutorials on her website. All her handy hints are beginner friendly and will help you carry out professional standard alterations!

If your clothes really are at the end of their lives, your local council should have textile recycling facilities. Alternatively, you can carry on recycling them yourself; I use clean but threadbare socks, or t shirts and leggings cut into squares, to clean shoes and boots!

I am running a Clothes Swap and Alterations SOS on Saturday, to give friends a chance to find new homes for clothes that aren't right for them anymore, or to ask questions and get some help with sewing projects that could transform unwanted clothes into something they'd look forward to wearing again. Living with a big bag of 'unwanted' clothes in my hallway for a month has made me reflect on my buying habits, and has made me more determined to stick to my 'thoughtfully replacing' policy and avoid impulse buying on the high street. Funnily enough, nothing has made it out of the bag and back into my wardrobe, although I can't promise not to re-home a few pre-loved items on Saturday!