So if thrifting doesn’t appeal, why not vow only to buy from brands that pay a living wage this year instead? It might take a little homework, but it’s a great prompt to break up with fast fashion and discover small, ethical labels like Birdsong London, Pink City Prints, Lowie and By Megan Crosby instead.
Use the Clean Clothes Campaign’s Fashion Checker tool to suss out where your favourite brands stand – but be warned, not a single big high street player is paying a living wage yet.
4. I will make do and mend (the easy way)
In an ideal world perhaps we’d all have the time, talent and machine skills to mend our own clothes. But in this world, thankfully, there are apps for that. So make this year the year you finally tackle that ‘to fix’ pile of straggling hems and holey knitwear by finding a professional to help you repair, maintain and transform your existing wardrobe.
Launched in London but set to roll out across 10 new cities in 2022, The Seam helps match you with a skilled seamstress in your neighbourhood, for everything from tiny fixes to custom-made creations. “Our mission is to shape a world where people wear, rather than just consume, their clothes,” says founder and CEO Layla Sargent. “We’re building a community where clothes enhance a sense of belonging. They fit well. They last. They bring joy.”
Meanwhile Clothes Doctor offers a postal service for repairs and alterations, while the Sojo app will even pick up your clothes by bike and drop them off again, good as new. And for bags and shoes that have partied too hard, The Restory is better than rehab.
5. I will do less laundry
Yes, really. If we’re looking for easy ways to dress a little greener, washing our clothes less frequently has to be top of the list. Around 25 per cent of a garment’s carbon footprint comes from the way we wash and care for it, with tumble dryers by far the biggest villains, and synthetics shedding microplastic particles into our water supply. Overwashing, meanwhile, can lead clothes to fade, shrink, lose their shape and wear out far faster – so nobody wins, except Persil.
