Sort your closet out
Credit: HunterHunter
We had a chat with Ange Foong, one of the 3 creators of High Tea With Mrs Woo, about slow fashion and how we can make a change to reduce fashion waste. Here are her tips! Have a listen to our episode where we chat about the brand, and the transition from fast to slow fashion:
OK folks, you can do this. Fast fashion is out of fashion, for good. Slow and sustainable is the new normal, for keeps. Fast track to the way things were and pace yourself into the future.
Everyone lives on different budgets, and some clothing choices are more affordable than others. But fast fashion often leads to a throwaway mindset. Change your mindset to make better clothing choices. Slow down the way you consume fashion and increase the use and care for your clothes.
We don’t have all the answers but we do have some tips on how you can start to sort your closet out and make the shift from fast fashion to slow fashion.
1. Start where you are.
Observe the handful of garments that you wear all the time. Understand why you enjoy wearing them. Wear and care for them, make them last.
Keep the clothes that have value to you. Make a pile of garments that don’t.
Fold, roll, hang and organise the remaining garments in your closet. This will help you appreciate what you have and to access them easily.
2. Re-sell, repair, re-use, re-invent, re-purpose.
Re-sell garments of great condition that you don’t need or want anymore on Ebay, Gumtree, Facebook groups, consignment boutiques, online second-hand stores and markets to name a few avenues.
With the help of YouTube or an alterations specialist, learn how to fix broken zips and ripped seams, mend tears, darn holes – how to extend the life of your favourite clothes. Alter garments to make them fit and flatter.
3. If you wouldn’t give it to your mate, do not donate.
Donate only your best quality pre-loved clothing to local charity stores and community organisations for re-commerce. Please don’t relinquish responsibility of your fast fashion choices to these charities. If you choose to buy poor quality clothing, you need to deal with it properly – not pass it on to a charity organisation. It still ends up in landfill and worse, these organisations end up having to pay to dump them.
Best approach is not to buy it in the first place!
4. Recycle your textiles.
Drop off your unstained garments to an SCR Group clothing hub for up-cycling and recycling. Avoid sending your stained Ts, unrepairable jeans, underwear full of holes and unwanted old clothes to landfill. Get together with your friends and family to collectively send them to be recycled with TerraCycle. You can also drop off these worn out garments at H&M and Zara stores, and your odd socks to Manrags, for textile recycling.
“Buy less. Choose well. Make it last.”
5. The most impactful decision you can make is at the point of purchase.
Curb compulsive shopping. From now on, before every clothing purchase decision, ask yourself -
Who and how are these clothes made?
What are the materials used to make these?
What is the quality of construction and material?
Does it fit well? Does it suit me? Will I wear it more than 30 times?
Does it work in with the rest of my clothes?
Buy less. Choose well. Make it last.
6. Materials matter.
More than 60% of clothing worldwide is made from synthetic fibres such as polyester, nylon, acrylic and acetate, which are created from petrochemicals. Basically, synthetic materials don't break down and shed microfibres when we launder them and end up in our waterways, oceans and in our bodies.
Choose clothing made from natural fibre fabrics as much as you can.
7. Calculate the cost per wear.
A poor quality $20 garment that becomes misshapen and unwearable after 2 wears and washes actually costs you $10 per wear. Ouch!
Your investment in a $150 well-made, well-designed, ethically-produced garment in quality natural fibre fabrics that ages well (becomes softer and better over time), that you love and care for over many years, will cost you less than $1 per wear because you’ve worn it over 150 times over the past 5 years and it’s still going strong.
Invest in your clothing and the people who made them.
8. Support local.
Discover the local makers in your community. Attend makers’ markets and get to know who makes your clothes.
Shop from local, independent brands that align with your values. When you buy from a local business, it has a powerful knock-on effect for your community and local economy.
Support responsible brands like ours that design and manufacture clothing in Australia; that use natural fibre fabrics; that have created their own second-hand marketplace, take-back program or circular economy.
9. Explore pre-loved and clothing rental.
Consider renting a garment, especially for one-off and special occasions. Include second-hand clothing in your closet mix, join or get together with your friends for a clothes swap – extend the lifecycle of existing clothing.
10. Engage, be curious.
Ask questions – simple or complicated – and become better informed about sustainable clothing options as the world moves to create better ways, materials and systems. Sign up to newsletters, subscribe to podcasts. Discover designers like us. Attend events like The Conscious Space and initiatives like Fashion Revolution Week to learn, to explore and be inspired.
““Fast fashion isn’t free. Someone, somewhere is paying.” ”
And anyway, what’s the point in buying poor quality clothing? Your decisions and dollars count. Switch from fast to slow fashion – save your pennies, people and the planet.
Check out High Tea With Mrs Woo online here.
