sustainable fashion

As the end of the year (and the decade) draws to a close, I thought I would round things off by answering some questions I’ve received lately. The end of this year has been one of work, activism and personal-related growth which explains the lack of longer-form content I’ve managed to publish as of late. 2019 has been a big one, so, let’s talk about it…

WHAT I WORE: Faux Fur Coat (Jumble sale – old) // Carhartt Dungarees (Depop) // Ruffle Blouse (Vintage Kilo Sale) // Teddy Jumper (Old) // Butterfly Sneakers (PO-ZU)* // Hat (Hand-me-down)

What are you most proud of this year?

My confidence. At the beginning of the year, I was only just starting to tip my toe into the waters of public speaking, attending events and taking part in direct forms of activism. I remember being extremely nervous to take part in my first demo (which was about protecting the rights of garment workers in Bangladesh), so much so that I lost my appetite on the day.

Since then, I feel so much more at ease when it comes to speaking on panels or putting myself in vulnerable positions for the causes that are close to my heart. I’ve realised that I do know what I’m talking about and that the reason I’m invited to speak and have my voice is heard is that people believe in my work and trust my point of view. 

It’s been a huge lesson in the fact that practice makes (almost) perfect. The more you push yourself to do something, the easier it becomes. Once you’ve pushed past that initial barrier of anxiety and nerves, you won’t have to go through it again.

It’s just been a very big year for me both personally and for my work. I’ve done more than I ever have before and that’s exactly what I wanted out of the year. 

What started your interest in sustainability and climate change?

Although I may not have answered this question directly on my blog before, I’ve answered it a dozen or more times this year in various interviews. The word ‘interest’ has started to baffle me though because shouldn’t we all have an interest in the climate? It’s about all of us, not just certain individuals who seem to have grasped the concept.

But to answer this question in more simple terms, my sustainable journey started in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse when I watched The True Cost documentary for the first time. It was my lightbulb moment that started the line of questioning which has since led to me realising that we are facing a climate emergency and that big industry and those in power play a huge role in it.

Fashion will always be my main interest but in educating myself about one aspect of life, I have in turn realised the true scope of so many issues that are at play.

What’s inspiring you right now?

As much as I’ve spoken about how we need to move away from relying on youth activists and praising them rather than acting on their words, I have to say that the clear cut, no-nonsense attitudes of people my age and younger is just so incredibly refreshing. We will not take inaction and we will not stand for injustice. 

For as long as I know there are these strong, powerful voices from people who are sticking to their guns and not taking half-hearted commitments from those who can enact real change, I will feel supported and motivated to keep going.

I’ve also been inspired by fellow digital artists who are using their talents to spread information in creative ways, such as the duo from Adapt and collectives such as No Planet No Fun. The #ProtestByDesign hashtag has also been really enjoyable to follow.

  LOCATION: Paris, France 🇫🇷

How did you become an activist and get such a big platform?

I think I became an activist accidentally. I suppose before participating in any form of direct action, I would have described or seen myself as an advocate for certain issues but the activist label never felt right until I was on the streets and actually practising what I was preaching.

It feels like the right term for me, especially as somebody with an online presence because I often get categorised as an influencer and I’ve always been unsure about what that means. I don’t want it to implicate that I’m selling products constantly and that my platforms are like billboards; I want people to know that I’m doing a lot more than just tweeting links to petitions and reposting news articles.

In terms of having a ‘big platform’, I have the past year and a half to thank as I’ve seen the biggest amount of growth in the shortest space of time. I’ve been fortunate enough to have received some incredible features and interviews from various publications and platforms which have enabled many more new people to discover me.

I also think there’s a growing need from social media users to find the types of people who align with their values and who are able to easily educate them on a relatable level and that’s exactly what I’m aiming to do.

Do you have plans for 2020?

I’m officially a rent-paying individual so, I’m expecting a lot of my time will now be focused on generating an income as an artist! But at the same time as that, I want to continue going with the flow and learning as I go along. That’s one huge benefit to being self-employed; I’m not restricted which means I’m able to explore whatever avenues I want to.

I’ve been thinking about how I could start to use my knowledge as an activist to advise others and to ensure that the term ‘climate emergency’ isn’t used loosely and that change genuinely happens, no matter what it might look like. This is thanks to my experience of attending Climate Launch Pad in Amsterdam, which made me realise that my voice could be used in more ways than it already is.

In terms of solid plans? I’ve been confirmed as an ambassador for an upcoming event next summer alongside some other activists who I already love and admire, so, that’s something to look forward to.

If you have any more questions for me, my comments are always open for you to use…

Thank you for your continued support over this past year. Here’s to another which hopefully brings about the radical action we’re looking for…

All illustrations are based on photos that were sent to me along with written submissions.
For more information on hiring me as an illustrator, click here.

Back in 2017, I wrote love stories to some of my favourite items of clothing in order to recognise that loved clothes tend to last longer in our wardrobes, whether that’s because we look after them and end up repairing them as the years go by, or whether that’s because when we initially purchased them, we knew they’d be perfect for us.

However, mainstream media tends to ignore this and seems to make clothes ‘re-wearing’ headline and clickbait news. I’m not the only one who finds this frustrating in a time when consumption rates are at an all-time high despite the environmental crisis we are experiencing.

Inspired by the reaction to a tweet I published that stated that making re-wearing newsworthy doesn’t actually promote this conscious mindset (it actually makes something such as re-wearing, which is essentially common sense, into a far bigger deal than it should be), I decided to show that if this is the example the media wants to be set, then celebrities shouldn’t be the only ones in the spotlight – people of all ages, genders, shapes and sizes, should be praised for re-wearing too.

So, here are twenty stories of clothes (submitted to me via email) that are being re-worn more than once. I hope they make headlines.

~ 20 RE-WEARING LOVE STORIES ~

Theresia
25

I actually had to choose something from many, many, many pieces in my closet. But my trousers have been with me for around 10 years now. I’m quite impressed with this fact because I bought them in a fast fashion store which is not known for producing long-lasting items, but I love them very much. They are high-waisted and I like the floral pattern. They are quite thin so I wear them in summer mostly, but with leggings or tights layered under them, they work as well in colder months. I actually have the same pair in all black as well (bought 10 years ago, also) and wear them as much as the floral ones.

Tean
13

I have loads of second-hand items but one of my favourites is a purple, grey and green striped jacket. It was my mums and she got it when she was 16. It’s 29 years old and in incredible condition, there’s no holes or anything like that. I’ve worn it a lot recently, and I hope to do so in future as well.

Katie
30

I have a lovely Monsoon dress I bought to wear to my brother’s wedding back in 2014. It’s maxi-length and has a really bold print and dressy fabric, so, I don’t have a lot of occasions to wear it. However, every time I do a wardrobe clear-out I hang on to it, as it’s such a lovely dress, and now that I think back on it, after the initial wedding, I’m pretty sure I’ve worn it to at least 4 or 5 other events in the last five years, including my own 30th birthday party this year. It’s a relief to know I have something to wear already if I get invited to a fancier occasion, and it’s also fun to have something that’s not so precious I can’t wear it dressed down as well.

Ms. E
32

I have a fake fur vest that I’ve had for so long. I use it like coat in winter with sweaters underneath. It’s really warm.

I believe I bought it in 2013 in a second-hand store in Moscow, and I took it to two other countries when I moved. That is my only winter coat. So if it’s below 7 degrees Celsius this is what I am wearing from 2013. No exceptions.

Bea
16

My favourite love story is about my vintage two-piece ski suit (ORANGE – like really, really orange and puffy and with lots of handy pockets). It’s worth mentioning that I definitely come from a re-wear family, of which my mum has worn the same clothes all my life. When I started getting into clothes I’d borrow hers all the time; they would either be her mums or pre-my birth.

So… The ski suit! I was on my way home and had time to kill, so, I browsed some charity shops; in maybe the third one I was casually looking at the ‘fancy dress rail’ when I saw the most wonderfully orange, puffy, 2-piece. After trying it on it was love at first sight (wasn’t aware it was a ski suit yet).

Unfortunately, I was £2 short of the asking price (£15) so I had to heart-wrenchingly leave the shop and my darling 2-piece behind. This was the day before I was going away on a school trip so I wouldn’t be back for about 10 days in which I was sure someone else would snap it up. Anyway, like any true love story the couple re-unite above the odds and on returning home I got the train straight into town to see if it was still there and it was!

Although many were sceptical (mum included) of the practicality of this buy – “But are you really going to wear that out?” – I proceeded to wear it around the house every day except for the really hot days. It was the first time ever I was excited for the cold as then I could wear my ski suit with pride. I wore the coat consistently all winter every day to school, out of school and around the house. If I was feeling particularly low I would put the whole suit on and would feel like I was in a duvet all day!

The coat has seen snow once but not the trousers; maybe this year. I’ve worn the two together and been likened to a traffic cone or pumpkin. I’ve worn the trousers to parties, to supermarkets, to pick up my sister from school, to concerts to ice-skating and to marches.

They are now going into their second winter where I have so far worn the coat 8 times to college and the trousers once. I will continue wearing it until it’s too hot. To beat my mum’s record of wearing the same coat for 13 years and counting I still have a way to go but we’re going strong and I can’t wait to give this to another kid one day (maybe my own) and tell them all about its adventures!

Antonia
21

I love wearing my clothes a lot because it’s almost like they’re old friends I make memories with. I’ve had my low Dr Martens for a few years and they’re my absolute go-to’s for any situation. I still have the first crop top I bought in 2014 which was the first ‘fashion risk’ I ever took. But the piece I love most is a pair of pink trousers; I’ve worn them to weddings, birthdays, even my nan’s funeral. I’ve worn them to uni, to three job interviews, or just hanging out. They’re one of the most me pieces I own and I love them so, so much. They’re starting to wear out at the bum but I’ll keep them for as long as possible!

Stowe
24

I bought a fake leather hoodie from an Italian high street store in 2016, and I wore it almost every day. Probably like 75% of the time I left the house. Sadly after 3 years of regular use it’s decaying and dying; no longer wearable. But it’s proof that clothes last and can be worn many, many, many times, especially if you love it. Honestly, I’m really sad it’s now dead.

Isabella
19

I have a few items that I have had quite a while and love. First, is something that my mom had before I was even born, that is a denim jacket. I ‘took’ it a few years ago and wear it all the time, especially through late spring to early fall. It’s a basic light denim jacket and works with everything. The jacket is a soft worn denim which I love, and it has a few holes on the arm cuffs but it is still in great condition.

The next item is a shirt I got when I was about 13. I have worn this top so much, it’s my go-to top. The top itself is basic, it’s a dark green, form-fitting, and has quarter length sleeves. To be honest, it was from a fast-fashion brand and the quality of it shows that. It is thinning and piling, and a bit see-through in the chest area. I know that it will be too worn out to be used anymore soon.

Another item isn’t necessarily something I’ve had too long or have worn tons of times, mainly because of the item itself; a dress. I bought this dress with the initial intention of using it for prom, but I also wore it for my graduation and one photoshoot. It is not a dress I can wear every day, as it is a special occasion item.

I will continue to use this dress where I can, as I truly love it and I feel good in it. I wanted to mention it because similarly to the original scenario [of Kate Middleton ‘re-wearing’ a coat] many celebrities are called out when they re-wear a dress or outfit to an event. But if it works for multiple events why not re-wear it?

Anonymous

I have so many items of clothing that I have worn for years and years. What started out as a lifestyle born from lack of money, time and energy (college student with depression) morphed into a rather deliberate anti-capitalism statement and has now settled happily into an anti-capitalism, pro-environment stance.

An item of note is a black H&M tank dress that I borrowed from my younger sister in 2010 and never gave back (whoops). I’ve had to sew up seams multiple times and I usually wear it with a sweater or shirt overtop because the fabric of the body is starting to wear through. I NEVER would have guessed that I’d be wearing it (2-3 times a week) almost a decade later but I’m actually pretty proud.

I also have two cotton long-sleeved shirts from the GAP, probably 5 years old, that I wore almost exclusively this summer (and others as well). They’re actually in amazing condition. I know the Gap and H&M are vile as far as corporations go and I wouldn’t buy from them again but I’m happy that I hoarded all my old clothes and didn’t/couldn’t buy new stuff so that at least I am giving these (and will continue to give them) a full life! I have many more but those are my favourites for some reason.

Maria
28

The vast majority of my wardrobe is actually ‘hand-me-downs’ from my mum! My dad’s a fashion designer and we have a ridiculously large amount of vintage and (Japanese) designer clothes around. I wear my mum’s clothes all the time – whether it’s woollen jumpers she’s made or stuff she bought for weddings. But without a doubt my favourite stuff, and the things I want to continue wearing forever, is the stuff she’s made (or that my grandma made). My grandma made a grey sweater, and it’s just so simple, but I love the fact that it’s boxy and I love the wide neckline.

At age 20, my mum made this tiny woollen crop top that fans out at the back. And it’s so great! You’d never find that in a shop. But I think my favourite is this amazing woollen sweater my mum made for my dad – it’s oversize, and it uses Escher’s Bird Fish pattern. I just love the fact that I get to wear something that was made with such love and skill! And it’s super comfy.

I think the most important thing about reusing clothes is actually – A) Never throwing away anything and B) Buying stuff that will hold up and will look good years later. There are so many things in our house which we just didn’t throw/give away, and waited for it to come back in fashion, and now we get to wear it again!

Lucas
42

About 7 years ago I first started being more conscious about my consumer choices. One of the first items I researched and bought was a pair of jeans from the brand Denham, they have a repair-for-life service and were using quality cotton (I did not yet consider all other social/environmental aspects of sustainability).

They are disintegrating now but I still wear them with love, they are also beyond repair as the denim is now so thin it wouldn’t hold the stitching together.

I bought a leather belt in a Mexican street market while on holiday in 2010, and I’ve worn it at least once a week ever since, the quality is so good it still looks presentable with a pair of chinos and a dress shirt. I expect to be cremated while still wearing this belt.

I dropped out of the corporate world in 2015, packed a few t-shirts and a pair of hiking shoes and took off for about 8 months, one of my favourite long-sleeve is made from merino wool and has been through the heat of hell and served as a great layer in colder climates, that thing is still intact except for a tiny little hole that’s not noticeable.

The shoes trekked with me through northern India and most of SE Asia, then served as running shoes when I took that up and now I just wear them to roll around town.

Adriana
18

My favourite item of clothing I’ve worn many times is a long black dress with little flowers all over it. This dress had belonged to my mother and before that, to my grandmother. Both of them used to wear it when they were pregnant. I don’t plan to get pregnant anytime soon, but I would love to wear this dress while I’m pregnant with a daughter that will get to wear this dress when she grows up.

I love to wear this dress, especially to parties, since it is very comfortable yet very pretty. I’ve been wearing it for the past three years and I wish I will for a much longer time.

Phillipa
22

One of my most loved pieces is a pair of corduroy orange shirt-dungarees that my boyfriend thrifted for me in Brighton. They are special to me as after I could not afford the price tag of them in a vintage shop, I sadly left them behind. However, my boyfriend returned to the shop behind my back to buy them for me – which was the cutest surprise!

I’ve had them for two years now and they’ve been well-loved ever since and have come with me to Berlin and Slovenia and will soon be departing with me on a trip to the Netherlands! Because they have a story behind them I love them even more and cherish being able to make them, even more, my own with every wear.

Emily
24

I have many items of clothing that I’ve had in my closet for years, but there are a couple that are particularly special to me I will share. The first is a Wrangler jean jacket that was owned by my Grandma Sheila on my dad’s side. She died when I was quite young, so it’s nice to have a piece of her. I believe that items, especially those we have worn, can carry the energy of the person left behind and of those who made it. I feel safe when I wear it.

I don’t know the exact age of the jacket, it could be anywhere from 30 – 60 years old depending on when she bought it. I like to think it’s the apparel embodiment of ageing gracefully, and wear it all the time – easily one of the most worn items in my closet. I’m excited at the idea of being able to mend and care for it over the years!

Another item I have around that I really love and have worn a ton is a varsity jacket that I keep adding to. The one my high school was selling was 300 USD, and I didn’t want to pay that much so I went to Forever 21 hoping to find a similar one during a varsity jacket trend that hit right at my senior year.

I got lucky because there was a version that happened to be my school colors, green and gold! I know this is about stopping fast fashion, but I have had it for about 7 years and have kept adding to it!

I have my marching band letters; concert band award pins; pieces from all my taekwondo belts and uniform; a sharpshooting patch my Grandma Sheila won, and a bunch of other random ones I have gathered over time!

I always get asked about what is on it, and it’s fun telling the stories. I want to keep adding patches and pins indefinitely until there’s no space left! I think this would get easily spotted as a re-wear because it’s very distinctive! I love wearing it because it jingles a bit when I walk.

Tee

I have had a love affair with vintage clothing as far back as I can remember.  The punk era of the late seventies was when I was a teenager; I found the DIY ethos exhilarating! Role models such as Debbie Harry and Poly Styrene customised their look with thrifty, charity shop chic, it was punk couture, very individual.  At this point, I wore original sixties winkle picker shoes, oversized men’s shirts and diamanté paste jewellery.

As my income increased, I was fortunate enough to be able to buy designer investment pieces and mix them with my retro finds.  And so it was that in 1986 I purchased my beautiful, bottle green, wool gabardine trench coat, by Cacharel. It cost a month’s wages, even though at the time it was half price in the sale in a boutique on Bond Street – but I still wear it today!

It has never dated and is so well made as to have rarely needed repair and is my signature item.  It isn’t especially distressed – but has a worn-in feel that means it’s aesthetic is not arriviste and it has accompanied me on all my life adventures, it holds so many memories and will no doubt join me on more! Fast fashion quite simply holds no allure in comparison.

Dora
35

I have a second-hand Mango dress I bought on eBay and loved it ever since. The two summers I couldn’t wear it were when I was heavily pregnant with my children but before and after, it is my must-have for the summer.

Nicole
21

When I was 14 years old, I got a pair of shoes (which I wished for) for Christmas. I absolutely loved them. They were made of leather and you would hardly see me outside not wearing them. They were my all-weather shoes. I wore them from the beginning of September to the beginning of June.

I only gave them a three months long summer-break because it was too hot to wear them (I live in Vienna, Austria). I had these shoes for six years straight and would still wear them if I could find someone who can fix the sole of the shoes because I can feel the ground so much that it nearly feels as if I was going barefoot.

My second piece of favourite item is a green jacket which I ‘borrowed’ from my dad around five years ago for one single night. He never got it back. I love this jacket so much because it is oversized on me, so, I can wear it in the early spring or winter with some other layers underneath it, as well as on a colder summer night. And since it is a men’s jacket, it has a total of six pockets, each so big that I can fit a Penguin book inside. I just absolutely adore and love to wear it.

I am going to wear them until they fall apart and I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world. I also love to be able to see these items and know that they carry so many stories with them.

Carley
28

I purchased a used Nicole Miller dress at my favourite second-hand store, Wasteland, in San Francisco about two-and-a-half years ago. I was starting to attend more weddings (joy of getting older) but I didn’t want to let the societal pressure of needing to wear a different dress to every wedding I attended.

I also didn’t want to simply purchase a plain black dress to at least have the dress not be memorable if I wanted to wear it over and over. I purchased a used dress I loved, patterned and all. It is now my go-to dress for every wedding—religious (hello long sleeves), secular, indoor (it breathes!), outdoor (did I mention long sleeves), LA, NYC, etc. Maybe I’ll even wear it to be own wedding one day…

Hannah
25

I have always been a massive hoarder who hates throwing things away. I stopped growing as a young teenager and can’t reach the top shelves, but it does have the benefit that most of my old clothes still fit so I’ve never had to get rid of them! But I particularly love the vintage 80s prom dress that I bought when I was 15 and was beginning to take an interest in thrift shopping.

It has a velvet bodice (which was too long, so, I took it up) and these amazing puffy electric blue sleeves and skirt. I can’t count the number of parties I’ve worn it to but I wore it the New Year’s Eve just gone. 10 years and this dress is still going strong.

Izzy
22

It’s really hard to pick one item but I will just talk about one because otherwise, I’ll discuss most of my wardrobe, but a pair of hand-me-down dungarees that I found in the back of a cupboard, once belonging to my sister, are definitely one of my most worn items of clothing. They’re comfy and practical and I just love wearing them.

Sadly, they are getting a little bit small for me now but my Nan is very happy to take them off my hands when I find another pair of second-hand dungarees! I’m happy they’ll stay in the family and keep getting worn even if I can’t.

Do you have a love story about clothes re-wearing you’d like to share? Share it in the comments or submit it below (in case of a Part 2)!

All images in this post were taken during Extinction Rebellion Bristol‘s ‘Disrupt the Circus of Excess’ action, protesting against the damaging and harmful fast-fashion industry. Join Extinction Rebellion at London Fashion Week SS20 to be a part of the next Boycott Fashion action.

“I want to be a fashion designer” is a statement I’ve clung to since I was a child.

I was that too proud girl in the class at school who knew exactly what she wanted to be and what she wanted to do with her life. I was the one being praised by the adults because I’d decided exactly what I wanted to do with my life before all of my peers. I needn’t worry about how I was going to get there, so long as I knew it was what I wanted. It came from my family, my teachers, anyone who was approaching me with small talk, and eventually, interviewers and journalists who were interested in knowing more about ‘where my blog all began’.

It’s never been an untrue statement. I used to think up plans for hypothetical dream catwalk shows; I focused a lot of my home education work on designing and understanding how to properly formulate research in order to support a collection’s vision. It’s always been there and it’s always been something I’ve wanted to do. But now, there’s this big bad phrase that seeps into every thought and idea I ever have…

CLIMATE EMERGENCY

I’ll take from the Extinction Rebellion handbook here, referencing a paragraph from page 70, written by Matthew Todd:

“With a broken planet, we will have no gay rights, no feminism, no respect for trans people, no attempt at fairness and justice for people of colour. What we will have is a fight to survive and a lot of violence.”

I don’t quote this to compare fashion to any form of oppression or unjust inequality (although it definitely exists within the industry) but with a broken planet, we will have no fashion. The fashion industry – the glitz, the glamour, the trends, the fads, the ‘conscious collections’- will no longer exist as it stands because we as citizens of the planet, will have much bigger problems in our hands.

Well, we already do. If we’re paying attention, we’ll be acknowledging the fact that global warming is already seriously at play. When I originally began writing this piece several months ago, India, being one of the largest garment manufacturing countries in the world, was already facing heatwaves of over 50c, causing deaths by heatstroke, melting asphalt roads and extreme water shortages – but since then, even the UK has been hit with extraordinary temperatures of almost 39c, alongside Paris, France, which reached a staggering 42c.

And although there may be no fashion-related link, the Arctic (yes, the Arctic) has just experienced wildfires due to dry conditions following on from ice-sheets melting. We have also even more recently seen the Amazon rainforest set alight, not only from dry conditions but also through intentional action which was supported by the Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro. This and previous acts of illegal land clearing have not only been linked to the demand for meat but also to the demand for leather for the fashion industry.

With the textile industry more polluting than maritime shipping and international flights combined (according to Parliament’s inquiry into the Sustainability of the Fashion Industry), I think it’s reasonable for my perception of fashion to have changed, or perhaps even, evolved.

If someone were to ask me now, “Do you want to be a fashion designer?”, my answer would undoubtedly begin with the words, “Yes, but”.

Yes, but only if I can be assured that my Government is doing everything it can to lessen the effects of the climate crisis.

(Including acting on recommendations put forward by the Environmental Audit Committee.)

Yes, but only if there are regulations in place for major corporations and global businesses to ensure they’re not overproducing.

(I’d like to include this post from Helpsy, which shows a piece originating from the BBC, with a representative of H&M saying that they’re not going to cut down on the amount of product they offer, despite claiming to be aiming in a more sustainable direction.)

Yes, but only when exportation of manufacturing has become less polluting, less toxic, less exploitative and unethical and we’re doing all that we can to support third world countries which are already experiencing the dangerous impact of the climate crisis.

Yes, but only when we’ve done absolutely everything we can to avoid reaching a disastrous tipping point.

Of course, that’s not to say that there aren’t brands out there already complying with what I consider, ethical and sustainable standards. There are, and as much as I never like to imply ‘we need’ anything – we do need these brands to continue being leading examples. No brand or designer can have zero impact whatsoever, even if you’re reusing fabrics and running your factory on solar power, but those who are headed in that direction, shouldn’t stop. They do indeed provide a purpose.

But that purpose needs to be reevaluated, especially when it comes to how the current cycle of fashion works; including how designers play a part in the likes of London Fashion Week, which this season is said to be its last, at least in a symbolic way, for those attending as part of Extinction Rebellion’s funeral protest on the 17th September 2019. (This will be my first time attending fashion week – oh, the irony).

Fashion week – fashion month, fashion season; whatever you want to call it – is based on the idea of looking to the future. It’s a way of the fashion industry, whether it be fast, luxury, couture or independent, showing the world what to expect to see in stores and in our wardrobes over the coming months. For September 2019, it’s a look at Spring/Summer 2020. A summer which will most likely, be even hotter and more unpredictable than this year. 

In my opinion, when looking to the future is becoming ever more daunting and quite frankly, terrifying, the idea of a spectacle as coveted as fashion week continuing on as business-as-usual seems almost inappropriate.

Shouldn’t we be using that time and that energy to focus on how we can make positive changes for Spring/Summer 2020, rather than focusing on clothes that will quickly be replaced next season?

One argument which has been raised since Extinction Rebellion announced their planned presence at London Fashion Week, is that fast-fashion should be the focus and that we should still be appreciating the creative side of fashion month and what it does for independent designers.

What this point-of-view misses though, is that fashion week (at least in the UK) is in no way detached from fast-fashion and that there is a lot of power and influence in attendance. For years, the British Fashion Council (which organises London Fashion Week), has had the Topshop Showspace on the schedule, with Arcadia Group being one of its patrons and we have seen A-list celebrities and major industry leaders grace front rows.

To say it is a hub of creativity that needs to be protected ignores how intrinsically linked London Fashion Week is to fast-fashion and to how much power the event and its attendees have in creating what could be incredibly influential change.

When it comes to my own – former? – ambitions, the phrase “I want to be a fashion designer”, climate emergency or not, is a pipe dream I’m nowhere near close to making a reality. Sorry, ten-year-old Tolly who had plans to own a store in London by the age of 21 and send her very own models down a catwalk, not only are there slightly more pressing matters to attend to, there’s also life and all of its ups-and-downs to take into account, too.

If I am to start answering the “So, what do you want to do?” question differently, I could start to see my new answer as a selfless act because the truth is – the world doesn’t need me to design new clothes. Just like how it doesn’t need an event to predict upcoming trends when there is already science predicting what will happen if immediate action isn’t taken in the face of our current emergency.

Go into one high street store, browse on one website for clothing or keep up-to-date with just a single luxury designer’s frequent collections, and that’s enough of a reason why. Times it by a thousand, and so on.

Even the fashion industry of years gone by doesn’t need me because the material ghosts of old collections still hang in thousands of second-hand shops and the unworn depths of peoples wardrobes.

I wouldn’t rule that option out completely, of course. I would rather reuse what is already there than contribute to the production of anything new or virgin. Upcycled and remade clothing can be done and it can be done well. Take a look at Christopher Raeburn and Zero Waste Daniel for two prime examples. Get me a studio and a new sewing machine and I’m sure I’ll be off with my best attempt at this.

This isn’t exactly a new realisation; that maybe I, and the planet, have outgrown my childhood dream. I’ve known it for a while now, that I would never want to start my journey as a designer on a path that leads to more environmental and social impact. I would only ever want to do it right.

In fact, this isn’t the first time I’ve announced this publicly either – the first time I did, was during a speech I made on College Green, for Extinction Rebellion Bristol’s Summer Uprising.

No matter how many times we say small steps matter, or that we don’t need to do everything perfectly – I know this is something I would have to do perfectly. I could never start creating something that would harm the planet or my future, more than it already has been and this is the mindset that I believe is lacking from those who continue to support fashion week (and have criticised Extinction Rebellion’s upcoming actions).

This is where I suppose you could say things get a little sad. It reminds me of being in London during Extinction Rebellion’s first International Rebellion Week. A young boy explained that despite the crisis we face, he still really wants to be a musician. That’s his dream, as well as having a family. But, this boy, much younger than me, was questioning it due to the uncertainty of knowing if he has a future that will give him enough time to achieve these dreams.

Kids, who are 10 and 11, will only be in their early twenties by the time that twelve-year countdown comes to an end. That’s where I’ll be soon, and if my life now and everything I’ve ever heard about being a young adult is anything to go by, I still don’t have anything figured out. Even less so, when “I want to be a fashion designer” is something I’m willing to start letting go of.

This is an emergency. If there’s anything I – or other designers – should be designing, it should be a life vest, suitable for wearing in extreme heat and weather conditions when the ice has melted (completely) and sea levels have risen.

If I have the time, that is. In between all of the protests and the fear, I’d quite like to enjoy myself whilst I’m still able to.

Will you be at London Fashion Week? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

I’ve said this numerous times over the past couple of years but it really is necessary to return to my roots of blogging sometimes and truly appreciate the parts of it that I’ve always enjoyed (like editorial shoots and focusing on second-hand style). With the climate crisis heavy on most of our minds, taking a breather from talking about it directly is a form of mindful self-care…

WHAT I WORE: Orange top (Jumble Sale) // Vintage Skirt (Charity Shop & DIY) // Sneakers (YATAY)*

Notably, this outfit isn’t an everyday look but when I come across the perfect shooting location, I tend to lean towards more creative and bold choices to match, even though this is technically just a three-piece look which takes little to no effort to put together. Of course, it’s all sustainable with the top and skirt both being second-hand.

I found this skirt in a charity shop last year. It was originally a very sheer and frail vintage piece which was much too large on me but the print wouldn’t leave my mind, so, it ended up being one of those “I’ve got to go back and get it!” purchases.

In the end, I sewed together an elasticated underskirt in some white cotton that my mum had lying about. The fact that I didn’t attach it to the floral skirt itself means I can always reuse it for another skirt if it were ever needed. It’s the closest thing to a princess dress you’ll find in my wardrobe and it was quite literally made for me (by me!).

Not only is shopping second-hand far more environmentally friendly but it also brings with it sentimentality and the memories behind each purchase. If we want to love our clothes for longer, we need to connect with them emotionally and I think that’s a little harder to do when browsing through shops which are filled with almost identical pieces, rail after rail.

Having said that, I don’t have much recollection of where this orange top came from. I know it was from a second-hand sale but I can’t remember from where or from what country. It’s one of those tops that I don’t reach for constantly but whenever I wear it, I appreciate its purpose (and its almost perfect colour match to my skirt).

In terms of the shoes, they’re pretty self-explanatory. They’re the sort of shoes that I never would have seen myself wearing a few years ago until I started to realise the only truly versatile pair I owned were a pair of white platform heels. So, in came these to my feet’s rescue and now they’re my go-to summer footwear choice. You can read more about what makes them sustainable, here.

I will be honest though, it’s extremely hard for me to completely compartmentalise my eco-anxiety from what should seemingly be a straight-forward fashion piece, especially when the location I was shooting at seemed like a glimpse into our future. A deserted waterpark or a planet left with what used to be?

I’ve had quite a few of these thoughts lately, especially in my local area where the green spaces and parks are surrounded by houses and roads. If we’re not going to be here, what are we going to be leaving behind? What have we done to what used to be natural and wild?

If I’m to attempt to apply these musings to my clothes, I suppose it circles back to sentimentality, again. I’ve written about this before and I’ve contemplated what items in my wardrobe I would like to pass down to my children (if I have them this is – that’s a whole other conversation to touch on at some point; the fear of bringing a new generation into a world that is going to suffer).

My collection of Dr Martens (which are both second-hand and years old) are going to be passed down no matter what, considering how long-lasting they are. I might cling onto my calf-high pair though, seeing as they’re becoming a piece of history as my ‘protest boots‘.

Speaking of which, like many movements which came before the likes of Extinction Rebellion and Fridays for Future, we’re leaving behind a mark in more than a directly change-making way. We’re leaving behind an identity and memorabilia which we will hopefully look back on as a positive mark of our existence. 

I actually recently touched on this subject for AJ+ (part of Aljazeera News), as they interviewed me about fashion and activism and how I use what I wear and create to play a part in demanding climate justice. I used to feel alone in this but there’s such a sense of inclusion when there are ways of indicating your belief in something. Extinction Rebellion flags are already displayed in the V&A in London, so, it’s hard to deny that we’re leaving a mark.

I hope that what we leave behind will be salvageable, whether it’s our clothes or whether it’s waterparks which are starting to overgrow and rewild themselves into something actually rather stunning. Let this be a reminder that what we use, what we own and what we dispose of will remain in some shape or form; that our clothes, much like our buildings, need to be passed down and appreciated rather than left in disarray.

There is so much beauty and life in what has already been used, so, as much as I may fear what the world will look like without me – us – here, you have to imagine everything with the sun setting behind it and be proud of all the things that we’re leaving in an attempt to avoid that ever happening.

So much for a light-hearted return to what should have just been a style post, eh?

How is your eco-anxiety showing up for you? Let me know in the comments…

Whenever I’m asked for advice on experiencing fashion sustainably (I’ve decided I prefer to say experiencing over shopping because consumption isn’t the be-all and end-all of this issue), I tend to always answer with, “Ask questions“, which initially stemmed back to how I came to educate myself on fast fashion’s human and environmental impact.

Fashion Revolution, the organisation that played a big part in my education and understanding of the industry, bases its main campaign around “Who made my clothes?” and asking brands for transparency but to me, this sense of curiosity and urge to ask questions should go further.

With the likes of Extinction Rebellion’s new fashion boycott spurring on more people to analyse their shopping habits and questioning whether we need to be buying any clothes at all (once we already have a decent amount to wear), I believe it’s important to evaluate how we approach shopping – or avoiding it (which I’ve discussed here) – and the language we use.  We need to ask ourselves. We need to slow down and understand how we truly feel, and especially when shopping, we need to avoid certain phrases…

“I need this.”

Admittedly, there are times when necessity does come into play. Whether it be for work or school or because something you already own has been damaged or stained to a point of no repair, there are times when ‘needing’ something is excusable. However, there’s a stark contrast between genuinely needing something and labelling an impulse purchase as a necessary one.

I’ve definitely experienced plenty of those, “That’s so me!”, squeal-worthy moments, so, it might seem nitpickish to call this out as an issue but it’s all part of consciously shifting your mindset and attitude towards shopping.

Now that the majority of my shopping occurs on a second-hand basis, I truly understand the difference between needing and wanting. This doesn’t mean that I’m numb to impulse and spontaneous purchases; charity and thrift shops can still bring out that sense of excitement and temporary fulfilment in you but it just comes with minimised guilt.

For me, this distinction between necessity and longing extends to my blog and my approach to receiving samples and gifted products. If I don’t need it or if I already have a similar item in my possession then I will politely decline.

There’s no issue in wanting, in fact, I’ve previously written all about actively lusting over items and why I believe wish lists can be more useful than I once deemed them to be.

“I probably didn’t need this.”

Similarly, this is a phrase which derives from impulse purchases and is almost the exact opposite attitude of what somebody who labels themselves as a ‘conscious consumer’ might have. In simple terms, if you probably didn’t need it, then why did you buy it? ‘Treat yo’ self’ culture is something that we’ve all become fairly desensitized to and it’s understandable, seeing as retail therapy is scientifically proven to be just that – a form of dopamine-inducing therapy.

Shopping sustainably though (or avoiding shopping altogether), is all about taking your time to mull over your decisions and work out what the best option is. To shop, or not to shop? That is the question!

Limiting the number of times we fall back onto the excuse of treating ourselves, is a way of not only restricting the size of our wardrobes but a way of saving ourselves money in the long-run.

“I’m not sure why I bought this.”

I see this to be different to the previous two phrases because it doesn’t just suggest that what you bought was an impulse purchase; it also suggests the attitude you might have towards the item in the future. Shopping sustainably also means owning responsibly.

Fashion Revolution coined the phrase “Loved clothes last”, meaning that if we care and respect our clothes, no matter how ethically produced they were or what materials they are made of, they will ultimately last longer because we will do our best to look after them.

(However, this is not a reason to fall back into the habit of supporting unsustainable and unethical brands just because we know we can make their products last. That’s like continuing to use single-use plastic bottles just because you can refill them over and over; there are other ways of doing things that won’t be harmful to start off with.)

None of these phrases strictly imply that you’re living and consuming unsustainably but I believe that what we say and think about our clothes and what we bring into our lives can have a huge effect on our mindset towards consumption. So, if we can change our attitude towards genuinely knowing why we buy what we buy, it could help us all be far more considerate.

“It’s really in trend right now.”

Aside from the sustainability aspect, the lack of guilt and the fact that it’s a habit I’ve had since I was a child, one reason I love shopping second-hand is that it allows so much more room for individuality.

Clothes are not separated into styles and seasons (at most, you might find clothes organised by colour) and there are no look books and stylised campaigns to influence your decision making. There are no trends, which makes avoiding this phrase relatively easy.

Trends and the vast amount which are generated by the fashion industry’s constant cycle of seasons, maintain the rate of production of new garments and feed into this idea that what we are wearing and searching for, is never enough. There will always be another season with another set idea of what we should be wearing, therefore, another reason to buy.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying trends but I recommend taking the time to sit with those feelings and analyse them once the peak of the trend has passed. I use apps like Depop and the Saved function of Instagram to store trend-led items for sale so I can source them sustainably in the future if the style is still something I appreciate.

“I really need to stop buying more [insert item of clothing]…”

This is the phrase which I believe is easiest to scrap entirely. Don’t get me wrong, it’s understandable (and even appreciated) when somebody owns something in their wardrobe in a selection of different colourways because it’s a dress/shirt/pair of trousers that fits and suits them better than anything else – for some people, that’s essential, especially when it comes to finding the right sizing (even more so from an ethical or sustainably focused brand which might not always have the most inclusive size-ranges).

When it comes to your wardrobe as a whole though, it’s time to recognise when enough is enough. For me? I don’t need any more blouses and tops. I have too many to balance out the number of bottoms (trousers, shorts and skirts) that I own.

That doesn’t mean that I’m going to suddenly decrease the size of my wardrobe (a smaller wardrobe doesn’t necessarily make a more sustainable one) but it does mean I need to be making the conscious effort to stop adding more in the future, even if it is from a guilt-free source like a local charity shop.

Analyse your wardrobe and figure out what your limit is. From my experience, physically limiting myself (with a lack of storage space or from living out of a suitcase) has meant I’ve been able to calculate this more easily.

What other phrases can you avoid to achieve a more sustainable mindset? Suggest them in the comments!

This is my third piece dedicated to focusing on the UK Parliament’s inquiry into the sustainability of the fashion industry. This piece focuses on how the Government has responded to the final report, put forward in February 2019. You can read my initial piece and interview with Mary Creagh MP here, and the second follow-up, here.

The Government’s response to the Fixing Fashion report can be read in full, here.

On May 1st 2019, UK Parliament approved a motion to declare a climate emergency. Now, not long after, we have a response from the Government when it comes to the fashion industry’s crucial role in it. This response clarifies the Government’s position on different key recommendations from the Environmental Audit Committee, including those of which I covered in my most recent post covering the inquiry.

In line with my opinions in that post, I’m going to run through each response from the Government and explain what is actually being done to make the fashion industry more sustainable in the UK.

However, it’s important to note (not only with fashion-based climate-related issues), that in the UK, we export a huge amount of our manufacturing overseas. This means that our contribution to pollution, carbon emissions and social issues can often look like they are reduced (or are reducing) due to the fact that statistics and numbers, often refer to those contributions made solely in the UK, rather than what we contribute to elsewhere, globally.

Protest in support of the Bangladesh Accord, January 2019

Made in the UK should mean workers are being paid fairly…
Work in progress.

In response to evidence suggesting that garment workers based in the UK directly are not receiving the National Minimum Wage, the Government states that with increased budgets, more is being done to ensure the minimum wage is being enforced, and that it’s recommended that textile retailers sign up to the likes of the Global Framework Agreement.

The Global Framework Agreement is in place to protect the interests of workers across multinational companies, ensuring the best standards of ‘trade union rights, health, safety and environmental practices, and quality of work principles across a company’s global operations’.

Retailers failing to report and comply with the Modern Slavery Act should be faced with a penalty…
No recommendations adopted.

In the response, it’s said that the Transparency in Supply Chains (TISC) provision in the Modern Slavery Act has led to thousands of businesses publishing statements in regards to how they are addressing slavery in their global supply chains.

The Government “agrees that greater transparency is essential to tackle modern slavery” and that they are “committed to improving business compliance with the Act”, however, this recommendation will not be adopted. 

The Government should ban incinerating or landfilling unsold stock that can be reused or recycled…
Recommendation rejected.

Although the Government agrees that recycling and reusing unsold stock should be prioritised, it doesn’t believe that placing a ban on incineration or landfill is the way to move forward, despite the financial and environmental impacts and the imbalanced proportion of energy produced when unsold stock is incinerated.

In my own personal opinion, I am unsure as to why this has been rejected and isn’t being explored further. The Government say they want to focus on ‘positive approaches’ yet I see nothing negative in this recommended ban.

GIF originally featured in a post about embroidery for #MAKESMTHNG Week

Lessons on designing, creating, mending and repairing clothes should be taught in schools…
There is scope.

This section of the Government’s response focuses on the current curriculum and how there is already room for these topics to be approached within schools, whether it be in Key Stage 3 (age 11-14) geography that “covers how human and physical processes interact to influence and change landscapes, environments and the climate” or whether it be in the design and technology curriculum.

An Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for companies that take positive action to reduce waste, should be introduced…
Not accepted.

Under the Resources and Waste Strategy, which aims to set out how we preserve natural resources by reducing waste and moving towards a more circular economy, a commitment has been made to review and consult on “measures such as EPR [Extended Producer Responsibility] and product standards for five new waste streams by 2025, with two these to be completed by 2022″.

With the UK announcing a commitment to reducing emissions to net-zero by 2050, it’s concerning to me that approaching the issue of waste and overproduction could take us into 2025, with what seems to be little urgency.

The Government should reduce VAT on repair services…
Not accepted.

Although in other responses it’s been suggested that the focus should be on reuse and recycling, when it comes to repairs, reducing VAT on repair services is unlikely to happen, due to the fact that VAT funds the Government’s spending on priorities such as education, health and defence. The Government claims that not enough evidence has been found that supports Sweden being used as a prime example in the original inquiry.

Extinction Rebellion at Oxford Circus, London, in April 2019.

Other thoughts…

Some of the language used and statements made within the response were in some ways, rather contradictory. Although the Government “recognise how crucial it is for the environmental and social impacts [of the fashion industry] to be well managed, particularly in this era of fast fashion”, in the next breath, it also suggests that “the industry has the primary role to play in achieving change, helped by consumer behaviour”, almost entirely ignoring the fact that fast-fashion is a double-edged sword when it comes to consumption.

Yes, the industry thrives off our demand for more and how we vote with our money but that demand is only maintained by the fast-fashion industry’s role in the normalisation of over-consumption. Within the inquiry, fast-fashion brands openly disclosed the selling of ‘loss leaders’ (products which are sold simply for the sake of driving site traffic and which are produced at a loss for the company). Just look at one controversial example in recent times, with Missguided selling a £1 bikini made from synthetic materials.

This addictive nature to fast-fashion will only ever be strictly controlled if regulations (or penalties) are in place to slow down that consumer demand that we’ve become so accustomed to.

Along this same vein of brand responsibility, the Government praises retailers for “offering in-store take-back and resale clothing collection services”, despite the fact that many of these in-store take-back services are often incentivised with vouchers that once again, keep consumers in a loop of consumption.

I don’t want to have to point it out but there seems to be one common theme here – money. 

The only positive that I can find related to consumer behaviour, is the suggestion of a ‘domestic ecolabel scheme’ that the Government seeks to develop, enabling consumers to be provided with better information when shopping.

In summation, I am disappointed in the Government’s response to the inquiry as I do not believe it aligns itself to the targets which we need to be reaching in order to face the climate crisis head-on or the weight of responsibility that is on us as a country when it comes to fashion as a global industry, whether that be environmentally or socially.

What do you think of the Government’s response (or lack of)? Let me know in the comments…

Not too long ago I took a whirlwind 24-hour tip to Amsterdam. I wandered along a canal, ate a waffle and was inspired by the stories that came out of the TOMS event I’d kindly been invited to. I also found myself at the Fashion for Good museum; a place that had filled my Instagram feed since its early days and not somewhere I thought I would end up anytime soon…

  LOCATION:
Fashion for Good
Rokin 102, 1012 KZ
Amsterdam, Netherlands 🇳🇱

Fashion for Good is the first of its kind. It’s a museum specifically showcasing sustainable fashion and a hub for educating yourself on the harmful impacts the industry creates. Whether you’re like me and are already well-versed in what the phrase ‘fashion for good’ can possibly mean or whether you’re completely new to it all and have spontaneously found yourself at the museum on a tourist trip, it’s now at the top of my recommendations list.

I met up with Nicola who heads up Digital Marketing for Fashion for Good, and it’s clear that everyone working there and behind the scenes is extremely passionate about what the space represents. I asked Nicola and the team some questions about the museum and I’ve spread out the answers within this post and mini-review. Even if you’re not heading to Amsterdam anytime soon, hopefully, you can still be inspired from afar…

The aforementioned RFID-bracelet (pictured above) is one of the most interactive parts of the museum. It’s a bit like a more technologically advanced version of my eco-habit tracker. You wear it on your tour around and tap into any of the displays that resonate with you, making a commitment to whatever change or small action it’s suggesting.

At the end of your tour, you can check in and have a digital ‘action plan’ sent to your email. Some of the actions I committed to, included – washing my clothes on a cold wash (as I always do), asking questions and finding a tailor (something I recently did for a second-hand pair of dungarees I invested in).

These actions are small but they’re all achievable and that’s what I love about the museum. Although there are still some hard-hitting facts to face up to, it’s also an experience of celebration and empowerment. If we had more spaces like this elsewhere, hopefully, the idea of educating yourself on fast-fashion and sustainability, wouldn’t seem so daunting to so many people.

What did I discover on my visit, I hear you ask? I discovered the likes of Frumat, which is an extremely realistic leather alternative made from apple skins. I found this on the second floor of the museum which was a space highlighting the future of fashion, with examples of new innovations and the innovators themselves.

If the educational side of things isn’t enough to hook you in, there is also a GIF booth now available to visitors (you know how much I love GIFs!), as well as a customisable t-shirt station which provides you with the chance to add a custom graphic design to a Cradle Certified GOLD T-shirt. If you’re not sure what Cradle Certified means, you can take a look at when I covered the Cradle Certified G-STAR RAW denim collection, here.

Additionally, you can visit Fashion for Good to buy fashion made for good, with a pop-up store which changes depending on the museum’s current focus. When I was visiting, the focus of what the museum calls, ‘The Good Shop’, was ‘NAKED‘ and the idea of transparency within fashion brands. The ready-to-purchase collection on display included pieces from brands such as Swedish Stockings, as well as Reformation, which isn’t currently available to purchase in-store in Europe.

Fashion for Good is situated near the canal in Rokin, Amsterdam, just opposite an easily accessible Metro station and many little shops and cafes. Admission is free and it’s open from 11am to 7pm (6pm on weekends).

Have you visited Fashion for Good? Share your experience in the comments!

It’s been a fair amount of time since I’ve used this space on the internet to be indulgent and talk simply about clothes and although this piece will still be sprinkled with nods to sustainability (it’s almost impossible for me not to, now), I want to ease your minds a little and get back into my creative and editorial groove…

WHAT I WORE: Vintage Suit – £10 (Originally Retromania London) // Silver Blouse (Jumble sale) // Platform heels (Vagabond – old) 

Not too long ago, I was walking the streets of London thinking of ways to kill time before my journey home and obviously, me being me, killing time often comes in the form of browsing vintage and charity stores. Enter, Retromania, a tiny old vintage store tucked away in Pimlico, that appeared on my phone as a Google Maps suggestion.

Unbeknown to me, Retromania was having a mega sale and when I say mega, I mean, upstairs was £10 and downstairs was £5. It explained why there was a lady hauling a gigantic mountain of clothes to the till; it was a vintage shoppers goldmine and only for a temporary period of time.

So, sure enough, I was grabbing different pieces from rails and dashing to the changing rooms, expecting to come away with treasures. Sadly, my first try on wasn’t as spectacular as I was envisioning.

That’s the thing with vintage or any second-hand shopping; you can pick out an item and have a specific vision for how it will look on you, only for it drape unevenly and hang off all the wrong places…

That’s until I was about to dash out the door, my departure time drawing closer, and my eyes returned to something that had stood out as soon as I’d entered. It was a mint green wool suit, about five sizes too big and a price tag of £40; a little too steeply priced and a little too oversized for my liking, especially when I’m no longer a fan of impulse purchases. I prefer the more considered approach.

But of course, the sale was on, and I was reminded that this piece was actually only £10 and well, I’ve adjusted trousers before, so, how hard could it be? I flung myself back in the changing room, stripped down all my layers once again and decided to take the plunge. This huge minty suit was destined to be mine.

And now it is; in all of its Life on Mars, Bowie-esque gloriousness. It took me a few days to adjust and tailor to my size but that £10 sale and the clock ticking to rush me out the door was all matter of destiny. My suit collection has officially grown and you can see a snippet of the adjustment process, over on my DIY Highlight on Instagram Stories.

Just like how this suit recently entered my life, so did colourful eyeshadow. You may or may not know but make-up just isn’t for me. I’m at a stage now where even though my skin is far from perfect, I would rather face the occasional day where I lack in self-confidence than keep up a strict skincare routine or buy single-use beauty products which I probably wouldn’t know how to apply, anyway.

Yes, even my disinterest in make-up turns out to be an incidental sustainable lifestyle choice. However, I do love colour and I’ve never been against the idea of creative make-up which allows you to enhance your personality. In fact, I’ve reblogged a lot of posts on Tumblr which explain my feelings about it all, in various different ways.

I’m embracing it and allowing myself to explore something I’ve, well, resisted for so long. My eyelids match my suit, my suit matches David Bowie, and all of what I’m wearing is sustainable (second-hand clothes and extremely worn in platforms). What more could a girl want?

If you own a sewing machine or know a friend who’s willing to help you out, this is a PSA – get that mint green suit which looks like it would never fit you. Save something from ending up unworn (perhaps even in a landfill), get creative and live your sartorial dreams.

How would you have styled this suit? What’s your best vintage bargain? Let me know in the comments!

Last year and into 2019, the UK’s parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee has been investigating the sustainability of the UK fashion industry, leading up to the final report which includes recommendations for the Government, who have two months to respond.

The Fixing Fashion report can be read in full, here.

For those of you who missed my initial piece on the inquiry, I would highly recommend going back to take a read. I interviewed Mary Creagh MP, who is the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee. In the piece, I discussed the purpose of the inquiry and some of the main issues and concerns being raised as evidence was being put forward.

Now, after over six months, the final report – Fixing Fashion – has been released. Although the Government does have two months to respond, it is under no obligation to accept the recommendations suggested in the report – which would be a crushing blow, considering the fact that the majority of the issues raised throughout the inquiry haven’t exactly been surprising.

It would also be a defeat because, as the report states, in the UK, we are buying more clothes than any other European country; therefore, we are also responsible for a greater environmental impact, than any other European country – which of course, doesn’t just affect the UK, alone.

If you’re less aware of some of the key issues we’re facing when it comes to effects of fashion in the UK – specifically, fast-fashion -, here are some of the main facts to remember:

And although there might not be a specific statistic or piece of data to show for it, we also know that transparency within the industry is a factor that plays a part too; sustainability and ethics-wise.

For example, in the report, Boohoo (or Boohoo Group), stated that they do not see the benefits of joining the ETI (the Ethical Trading Initiative; an alliance that protects the rights of workers around the world). Carol Kane, Boohoo Group’s co-founder and joint Chief Executive said, “being members we will be required to publish our whole supply chain, which is currently our engine room”.

Carol Kane was also asked about Boohoo’s position on workers unions and the report quotes her saying, “if the workers would like it”. You can read my piece that covers the Bangladesh Accord, here, as it goes into detail as to why initiatives similar to the ETI, as well as unions, are so vital to the protection of garment workers.

Boohoo wasn’t the only brand which provided evidence to the inquiry. Within the report, there is a table of retailer’s responses which is an eye-opening record of the actions and commitments that many well known British brands are and are not achieving. Missguided and Boohoo were two of the worst offenders, shockingly alongside Amazon UK.

So, what are the recommendations being put forward to the Government? I’ve listed below some of the suggestions that stood out to me. They are a mix of ethically focused and sustainability-focused suggestions but the two go very much, hand-in-hand…

Made in the UK should mean workers are being paid fairly…

There is known evidence that garment workers in the UK (yes, the UK itself, not just overseas) are being underpaid. Leicester is one of the main textile manufacturers in the country, home to 700 factories employing 10,000 textile workers, and under a study by the University of Leicester, it was found that the majority of garment workers in the city, were earning below the National Minimum Wage – this is the attitude towards a known situation onshore, at home.

This one quote from the chairman of the Textile Manufacturer Association of Leicestershire, Saeed Khliji, stood out to me in particular – “None of the retailers are giving us an ethical price. An extra £2 or £2.50 on a garment would sort everything out. Instead they squeeze us for pennies. If they don’t sell everything, they send it back and charge us for the carriage. If we are an hour or 30 minutes late with delivery they fine us £500. I have been told of one retailer who is making £2 million a year from fines.”

The committee urges that HRMC’s National Wage team (which the report states, investigates employers at a rate meaning the average employer can expect an inspection around once every 500 years), is provided with greater resourcing, in order to ensure the ‘Made in UK’ label, actually means what most of us believe it to.

Retailers failing to report and comply with the Modern Slavery Act should be faced with a penalty…

According to the report, the Public Accounts Committee raised the concern that the Government does not monitor whether statements made under the Modern Slavery Act comply with legislation and that it has never used its powers to penalise companies that do not comply.

The Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins MP said, “In terms of companies that have reported: we know that around 60% of businesses that we believe to be within scope have put up statements; 60% of companies in total.”

From my own personal reading of the report, there is an awful lot of uncertainty surrounding the Modern Slavery Act, when it seems as if it should be the bare minimum when it comes to the expectations put upon major brand names.

The Government should ban incinerating or landfilling unsold stock that can be reused or recycled…

This recommendation is another I would hope the Government would read as a matter of urgency. Lucy Siegle wrote about this topic when the news broke that Burberry was destroying old stock –

“There are 101 processes that go into making a garment, from harvesting plants for raw fibre, to the processing and finishing of textile yarns involving thousands of litres of water. There are hundreds of hours of human labour too. Similarly, high-end cosmetics are a drain on resources in terms of both raw ingredients from the natural world and processing. To input all of these resources and then to squander them by burning (recovering only a tiny proportion of that energy) is pure madness given the backdrop of ecological emergency that we face.”

For anyone curious, Burberry’s 2017/2018 Annual Report stated that the cost of finished goods physically destroyed in the year was £28.6 million (2017: £26.9 million), including £10.4 million of destruction for Beauty inventory.

Lessons on designing, creating, mending and repairing clothes should be taught in schools…

I was fortunate enough to go to a school where I experienced using a sewing machine and learning how to thread a needle but for a lot of people, going out and buying a new coat to replace the one you own that’s missing a button, is often the easier option due to this lack of knowledge.

Not only does this recommendation approach the issue surrounding throw-away fashion, but it also approaches the added benefits to a make-do-and-mend attitude being taught from a young age, as crafting is known to be beneficial for mental health and those tackling anxiety.

An Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for companies that take positive action to reduce waste, should be introduced…

An EPR is a policy where producers are given responsibility for the treatment or disposal of products they put on the market, whether it be financially or physically. An EPR has already been introduced into other countries across Europe, including France.

A charge of one penny per garment could raise around £35 million, which could be invested into better clothing collection and sorting around the UK, diverting a large number of unwanted and unusable clothes from landfill.

The Government should reduce VAT on repair services…

This is another recommendation which would help slow down the rate at which consumers dispose of clothing, making repair services more accessible, allowing for people to hold onto their clothes for longer and take care of them when wear and tear begins to occur. Sweden has already taken this approach successfully, reducing VAT rates on repairs to bicycles, clothes and shoes from 25% to 12%.

If you’re wondering if there is any way for you to get involved – there is! Fashion Revolution has just released a postcard template you can use to send to your local UK public officials, to ensure they know how important the report is to you and the future of the fashion industry. Click here to download it and print it off.

With time running out and the fashion industry working faster than ever, I would hope that these suggestions would be taken seriously. There are many other points raised that I haven’t even touched upon, so, if you have the time, I would highly recommend reading through the report and seeing what stands out to you the most.

If you could add a recommendation to the Fixing Fashion report, what would it be?

I know that bite-sized breakdowns of information are often the best way of getting things across, so, in this post, I’m going to explain what the Bangladesh Accord is, in simple terms. It might not even be something you’re aware of, so perhaps this will even be a little eye-opening…

Scan of Fashion Revolution’s Zine Issue #1 – Artwork by Alke Schmidt

What is the Bangladesh Accord?

The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh was founded in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse, in May 2013. It was initiated by trade unions – organised groups of workers formed to protect their rights in the workplace – in Bangladesh, as well as global unions and labour rights groups.

The Accord required all companies and brands who signed it to be completely transparent in revealing their factories and putting in place building inspections to ensure that the factories being used were safe from any dangerous hazards, relating to fire, electricity and structural safety.

It is also asked of those brands signed onto the Accord, to be responsible for finding the funds to implement any changes or safety measures that were needed should they appear upon inspection.

One of the most important factors the Accord put in place, was the right for workers to refuse unsafe work without losing pay or suffering any form of discrimination or harm – I highlight this, as it is known workers involved in the Rana Plaza collapse voiced concerns about the factory’s condition before it occurred.

Essentially, the Bangladesh Accord ensured the safety of garment workers, those of which provide the clothes for hundreds of brands worldwide, including those which had signed on since 2013.

H&M, G-Star RAW, Arcadia Group, Debenhams, Fat Face, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Matalan, Mothercare, New Look, Next, Primark, and River Island, are some of the names included.

What has the Bangladesh Accord achieved?

In 2012, prior to the Rana Plaza disaster, there was the Tanzeen Fashion factory fire, which killed over 100 people and injured over 200. Similar incidents have also occurred since then, with 24 people killed in a packaging factory in 2016 (although not directly linked to garments, it’s a clear sign that this issue goes further than clothing production).

In an update released by the Accord in December 2018, 97% factories inspected lacked safe fire exits and 91% of factories required an adequate fire alarm system. These are basic needs you would expect of a factory, yet, they were still lacking and putting workers at risk. Instability of factory buildings was also found at 62% of those inspected.

(As somebody who has experience with earthquakes, the photo evidence in the update released reminded me of structural damage I’ve seen and felt unsafe with, in person – and that’s just from a house, not a building which is supposed to withhold heavy loads and powerful machinery.)

The Accord successfully worked at putting these sorts of safety and structural measures in place.

Is the Bangladesh Accord still in place?

In 2018, the new Transition Accord was put in place to ensure the continuation of the Accord in protecting the safety and rights of garment workers – and textile workers, as a whole. However, the Government of Bangladesh have since decided they would like to get rid of the Accord and the take on the responsibility with the national organisation known as the RCC or ‘Remediation Coordination Cell‘.

The Accord states that the RCC is not prepared to take on the responsibility due to lack of staffing and knowledge. The Accord would like to continue the work being done until 2021, as agreed upon when work first began, in order to transfer the knowledge and continue to aid the hundreds of factories which are still lacking in safe working conditions.

Without the Accord monitoring factories at such a scale, it’s possible that there would be no way to guarantee fixes are being put in place, meaning brands under the Accord would have to cut ties with their factories – as part of their legal agreement -, which could run the risk of Bangladesh losing a substantial amount of business in manufacturing, leaving many without jobs and income. This helpful article by Fashion United breaks it down even further.

What does this mean about the clothes we buy?

Due to the fact that Bangladesh is the 2nd largest producer of clothing in the world, it’s safe to say that a majority of what we wear is still being produced in what the Accord has found to be unsafe working conditions, putting millions of garment workers at risk every day, for our benefit – and this isn’t counting any of the discriminatory behaviour, harassment or abuse that occurs in these factories on a daily basis, the majority of which is towards exploited and underpaid female workers.

In most recent news in early January 2019, there has been a protest from Bangladeshi garment workers fighting for higher wages which caused the death of one worker and left many injured, after clashes with the police.

What can we do about it?

Support organisations such as Clean Clothes Campaign, who were one of the initial witnesses of the signing of the Accord, by sending a letter to the Bangladesh Prime Minister through the #ProtectProgress petition campaign. The goal is to reach 6,400 letters sent and all it takes is a minute of your time. The letter will send a signal that you care about the rights and safety of garment workers and would like the work of the Accord to continue.

Labour Behind The Label also needs your support. On January 30th 2019, during Bangladeshi Garment Workers Week, Labour Behind The Label is holding an urgent protest in London outside of the Bangladesh High Commission, in order to stand in solidarity of those protesting in Bangladesh itself, and to raise awareness that the Accord is still wanted and necessary to ensure a fairer fashion industry. I will be there and I hope you have the ability to be there, too.

In terms of consumption and shopping, boycotting brands who produce from Bangladesh will never work unless it’s in vast numbers; it will also never be the end goal. However, for sustainability reasons, you may already be cutting down how much you buy new and what brands you choose to support, so, I of course, urge you to continue doing so.

Slowing down is what will inevitably help steer garment factories in a safer direction because there will be less demand and therefore, less pressure, whether that be on the workers, the buildings that surround them, or the planet.

Were you aware of the Accord before? Do you have any more questions? Let me know in the comments!