What On Earth Are You Wearing?
Brits have an average of 76 items of clothing in their wardrobes.
Yet 8 in 10 are clueless about the materials they are made from or where in the world they originated.
We conducted research with over 2,000 UK consumers which suggests that, while fashion-conscious Brits have an average of 76 garments hanging in their closets. As many as 83% could not tell you where a single item originated from.
A further 85% had no idea what materials their outfits are made from. That’s despite 31% claiming they try to buy more sustainable items.
In fact, of those surveyed, as many as 74% had no idea that viscose was bad for the environment, while 62% were shocked to hear that nylon was a non-biodegradable synthetic.
And 56% were not aware that materials such as wool, recycled cotton and hemp were much better for the environment.
We want to arm the public with the knowledge to make more conscious decisions around purchasing fair fashion and decided to start by informing people on how to adopt these habits into their everyday lives.
We knew to make a real impact we needed to enlist the help of an expert with authority in the area.
This is where Aja Barber comes into it. Author, stylist and activist, Aja, is the author of ‘Consumed’ dealing with the intersections of sustainability and the fashion landscape. A newly appointed Elle Magazine columnist and has a highly trusted social platform with over 250,000 Instagram followers.
Our aim is to encourage you to pledge to shop more sustainably and we hope the tips below will help you achieve just that:
Create a sustainability check list
Before you buy, think carefully if this garment fulfils the criteria on your list.
Is it biodegradable? Recyclable? Organic? Is it made using sustainable manufacturing? Is it traceable? Has it already been recycled?
One garment probably won’t tick every box but if you feel like it’s ticking most then that’s a good start!
Save up for special pieces
Make sure your purchasing versatile pieces in order to work with your existing wardrobe and look good over the coming seasons.
Fashion changes so quickly nowadays that it is almost impossible to keep up with every trend. As a result, it is better to build up your own style, collecting pieces that suit you more permanently.
Shop creatively on a budget
If you must purchase for a special event or occasion, look outside of the box.
You can find really amazing pieces at wardrobe swaps or in vintage stores that will allow you to create a stylish wardrobe without costing the earth. Or why not try your hand at upcycling older clothing items?
You’d be surprised at how different an outfit can be using a little creativity.
Slow down
Thankfully a lot more people are considering and aware of conscious consumerism in 2022. But rather than immediately switching to new shopping resources, why not consider if you’re purchasing too much?
Is a new outfit for every life event an absolute must?
Do you really need another pair of jeans?
Educate yourself
Being better starts with having an understanding of what you were doing wrong.
Did you know that polyester, which is found in many fast-fashion items, is made through a chemical reaction which requires more energy than most other materials. And through its manufacturing, can also cause pollution to the environment? More than half of Brits didn’t.
Research, read and invest time into getting this right – it could literally save our planet.
We discovered that 81% of people said they would like to change their shopping habits yet simply don’t know where to start.
Britain produces a lot of wool, often from rare breeds, that it is massively underutilised. Many of these breeds have been developed over the centuries for the quality of their wool and are likely to die out if we don’t utilise them now.
Most wool used in the clothing industry is imported from abroad. Which is no good for our carbon footprint and also makes it harder to trace back and check for animal welfare standards and for the quality of the raw and spun material.
We should be proud of our British wool heritage and cherish it in order to preserve the rare breeds we have in the UK.