This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
When they arrive there is an insert in the package which explains how we can all be more eco-friendly with our clothes which got me thinking about this so I have made a list of helpful tips. The first two are from Daiwear and I have added a few of my own.
- Donate Back: Give a second life and donate gently worn pieces to organisations such as Dress for Success Greater London. Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organisation that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. By donating clothes you can help young women to have an outfit to attend their first interview and then onwards to start a work attire wardrobe.
- Think Green before you clean: 75% of the energy consumption in the life of clothes happens during the use phase. Clean only when needed. When dry cleaning, look for greener, chemically safer options. You’ll save resources and your clothes will look newer for longer.
- Reduce the footprint of your fashion choices by curating your wardrobe with a choice selection of basics and favourites. Its simpler, and you can create a signature style.
- A key step is to source clothes that will last. No more flimsy fabrics and poor stitching that falls apart after a few outings – try and find clothes that are well made and easy to look after. This may mean spending a little more money for higher quality designs, but you will need to replace garments less often, so it all balances out.
- Don’t let your clothes go to waste. Donate them to charity shops, or take them to clothing re-cycling points. Shops such as H&M and M&S offer garment collection in store. M&S have teamed with Oxfam in their ‘Schwopping’ campaign. Since 2008 they have collected over 20 million items in their ‘Schwop boxes’ that are then re-sold, re-used or re-cycled.
Click HERE to go through to the Daiwear website.