Money for Life work in partnership with the Money Advice Service, an independent organisation set up by government. Money AdviceService provides free, unbiased money guidance across the UK to help people make the most of their money. If you have a question or need help, you can chat to them here.
By Ellie Austin-Williams
Are you ready to swap fast fashion for sustainable style, but struggling to work out how to save the planet and your pennies? The good news is upgrading your wardrobe in a sustainable way isn’t as difficult as you might think. With a bit of creativity, there are lots of ways you can update your wardrobe sustainably without breaking the bank.
Upcycling transforms the clothes you already own, so you can create a new look from clothes you already have. If you’re new to upcycling, you’ll be amazed at what you can create just by giving your current wardrobe a makeover. The options for how to upcycle your wardrobe are endless. Got an old pair of jeans you don’t wear anymore? Grab some scissors, cut off the legs and you’ve got a brand new pair of shorts. Boring white t-shirt lying around? Get a bottle of clothes dye and tie-dye your way into the new season. Try sewing new buttons onto last year’s coat.
Shopping online has a bad reputation – it’s often associated with fast fashion and tonnes of clothes going to landfill. Luckily, online shopping doesn’t have to mean fast fashion and if you’re looking to shop online sustainably, check out second-hand marketplace websites and apps. Search for your favourite brands and find second-hand items at a fraction of the price you pay for new clothes, often in great condition. For a huge selection of second-hand clothes from high street brands, try downloading Depop or if vintage fashion is more your style, head to Vinted or eBay.
Rewind a decade or two and charity shopping meant smelly clothes and old antique plates from pensioners. Thankfully, times have changed and with a little bit of time and effort, you can find hidden treasures and must-have wardrobe staples hiding in charity shops. In some stores, you can even find designer labels for less than high street prices. You don’t even need to live in a big city anymore to find the best buys as major charities including Oxfam, the British Red Cross and Sense have online charity clothes stores. So put your feet up and charity shop from your sofa.
Do you have a group of friends who share your style? Chances are you all have clothes you don’t wear anymore. A great way to make the most of unwanted clothes is hosting a clothes swap to refresh your wardrobe in a waste-free way. Clear out your draws of your unworn clothes and host a clothes swap – you’ll leave with a load of new clothes and get rid of old clothes shoved in your cupboards. Looking for something on a bigger scale? Research your local clothes swap events and find yourself some serious steals.
Clothes frequently end up unworn and thrown out because they’re the wrong size or an unflattering fit, but there are ways to avoid sending badly fitting clothes to landfill and make them work in your wardrobe. Instead of leaving clothes that are too tight or baggy at the back of your wardrobe, try taking them to a tailor or your local seamstress. It’ll cost less than replacing unworn clothes, you’ll reduce your environmental impact and you’ll have new clothes which look great to wear.
Upgrading your current wardrobe is a great place to start when it comes to sustainable fashion, but there are always things you’ll need to buy brand new.
So, how can you be sustainable and buy brand new items? The main thing is to look for brands that prioritise sustainability and you can have a huge impact on the environment. There are many companies focused on reducing the environmental impact of fashion, so do your research when buying new clothes and where you can, invest in clothes that will last for a long time.
Money for Life work in partnership with the Money Advice Service, an independent organisation set up by government. Money AdviceService provides free, unbiased money guidance across the UK to help people make the most of their money. If you have a question or need help, you can chat to them here.
