It’s Fashion Revolution Week, an annual global initiative that sees the fashion industry mark the sad anniversary of the Rana Plaza clothing factory collapse – and encourages consumers to ask, ‘who made my clothes?’.
The focus is on broader global issues that impact fashion at all levels – manufacturing, production, transparency, supply chains and the evils of fast fashion. But also, how can we bring about change in our day-to-day lives?
The challenges can seem insurmountable – and will require legislative change to make a real difference – but it is a timely reminder to bring more sustainable habits into your wardrobe and shopping habits.
That’s something we regularly try to champion, whether it be showcasing local fashion and retail that’s worth supporting, featuring inspiring people who have their own tricks or offering handy style solutions. Keep scrolling for some wardrobe hacks and simple ways you can have more ‘mindful’ style.
READ MORE:
* Think secondhand shopping is environmental? Think again, says thrift-shopping researcher
* Ask Trash Queen: Why you shouldn’t throw out your old film cameras
* Inflation is helping drive a boom in secondhand shopping
* Festival of Fashion: What’s the oldest thing in your wardrobe?
* Fast fashion is ‘evil and immoral’ – here’s how some designers want to change that
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Fashion’s waste problem is huge, but we can all implement some simple things into our wardrobes that can make a big difference.
Bring new life to old things
Most of us have enough clothes in our wardrobes to last for years, but it’s true that some items get worn out and are beyond repair. What to do with old woolly jumpers, old swimsuits or underwear that you wouldn’t donate, but no longer wear? Trash Queen, who has a column in Sunday magazine each week, has some practical tips.
Know what things you can actually recycle
“Some surprising things can be recycled. But you can’t just chuck any old thing in the recycling bin,” writes Stuff’s Forever Project Life Editor Sarah Heeringa in this piece, which offers advice for what to do with unwearable clothes and footwear that you no longer have use for – but don’t want to contribute to NZ’s collection of waste.
Try some quick, cheap fixes to revamp what you already own
Heeringa also shared these helpful tips for refreshing some of the favourite items that are already in your wardrobe – saving money and help to reduce textile waste. Think whitening whites without bleach, refreshing faded vintage jeans using a hot fabric dye and re-stretching a jumper that’s shrunk in the wash.
Sarah Heeringa
Good as new(ish)!
Become a proud outfit repeater
“The idea of ‘outfit repeating’ is – bizarrely – so looked down upon,” wrote London-based Kiwi Anny Ma in 2021 when talking about her personal style – an inspirational read with lots of tips and thought-starters to make you think about your approach to fashion.
“I know buying quality clothing or having time to vintage shop is absolutely a privilege, but that doesn’t mean we have to default to fast fashion,” says Ma. “Aja Barber, author of Consumed, has pointed out it’s not the poor who are upholding the fast fashion industry, it’s the people who do have the choice to not purchase from them, but still buy to excess.”
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London-based Anny Ma offers a refreshingly outspoken and mindful view of fashion.
Understand the privilege that allows some to shop sustainably
Can you be eco-friendly and still shop fast fashion? The answer is complicated, but two fashion sustainability educators offered some compelling thoughts when interviewed by Stuff style reporter Tyson Beckett last year.
The issue isn’t cut and dried for Ella Martin, who has a bachelor’s degree in fashion and sustainability and is the ethical officer at social enterprise Sustinnoworx!. Having dedicated her academic and professional lives to sustainable fashion, Martin thinks discussion about the fast fashion problem often sidelines and unfairly demonises people who rely on the sector to clothe themselves and their families.
“It’s people with disabilities who have issues with physical access, people in remote areas that don’t have online access or [face] proximity access issues, and single parents who don’t have means and time to source other options.”
Deal with stains the right way
Pesky stains can damage a garment, but there is a science behind dirt and stains. Stylist Karlya Smith has had years of looking after fancy clothes, and has a stain game plan that’s worth saving for when you’re dealing with a spill – find her laundry hacks here, and extend the life of your favourite garments. Some might help reduce your reliance on drycleaning too.
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A stain game plan may help extend the life of your clothes.
Rescue your wet shoes
“Recovering from a thorough soaking is relatively straightforward with clothes: hang them up to dry, tumble dry if you must, or – if really necessary – use a hairdryer or bathroom hand dryer. Footwear, on the other hand, can be ruined or scarred for life if mishandled after a single weather event, or a lost umbrella,” writes Smith.
“Leather shoes can get wet, but it is not ideal. The main problem with wet leather is as it dries. The natural oils in leather bind to water molecules so, as the water molecules evaporate from your shoes, the oil goes with it. Do this quickly, and leather can shrink or become dry and brittle. That leads to cracking.”
Extend the mindful approach to your beauty cabinet
There’s a lot of ‘greenwashing’ in the beauty industry, but how do you cut through the noise and what should we be looking for in terms of packaging?
Trash Queen shares some advice for those wanting to make their beauty routine more sustainable, as well as tips for recycling all those scented candle jars.
Stuff
There’s a lot of ‘greenwashing’ in the beauty industry.
Don’t give up on garments that are pilling
Dreary by name, dull by nature, ‘pilling’ is that familiar phenomenon where little fibre balls work their way to the surface of garments.
Pilling makes your clothes look tired and rough to the touch – but there are some easy ways to deal with the issue, so you can extend the life and wear of your favourite sweaters.
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Lint removal can refresh a jumper that’s looking a bit unloved.
Be aware of where your donated clothing can end up
Donating clothing is much better than throwing it out, and contributes to the circular economy. But some of the clothing that is donated through clothing bins is not always being reused in the way we might think, writes Trash Queen in this insightful advice column.
“A lot of the poorer quality clothing that doesn’t have a secondhand value in New Zealand ends up going into a landfill or gets shipped to other regions such as Asia or the Pacific where it eventually enters the waste stream in other countries.” Knowing the context is the first step, but there are other ways to donate your clothing in a way that won’t contribute to that waste.
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Most of us already have what we need already in our wardrobes.
Don’t buy anything new
Four years ago, when Gina Sinclair stopped buying new clothes, saving money wasn’t on her mind. Saving the planet was. Previously the 36-year-old would shop at chain shops like The Warehouse, Glassons and Jay Jays, but now you’ll find her re-wearing items, swapping clothes with friends or upcycling pieces she buys secondhand in op-shops. Read more about Sinclair’s make-and-mend approach, which is easier than it may seem.
