Sustainable Fashion in Cambridge

2018 was a big year for the fashion industry. Through documentaries like Fashion’s Dirty Secrets and the True Cost, we learned that the clothes that we wear have a huge impact on the environment and on the welfare of communities who make our clothes. The environmental impacts of fashion range from water pollution from textile dyes to carbon emissions to increased volumes of plastic microfibers in the ocean from polyester. Fast fashion exacerbates the problem; the average lifetime of a piece of clothing is just 2.2 years and we buy more items than ever before, replacing our entire wardrobe on a regular basis. Although the problem is huge, there is much that we can easily do to improve our fashion footprint while still looking our best. Local charity Cambridge Carbon Footprint (figure 1) have worked on this issue for some months and on 17 November they hosted the city’s first Sustainable Fashion Festival which gave attendees all the information they needed to follow the advice of designer Vivien Westwood to “buy less, choose well, make it last”.

Here are just some the tips that we learned on the day:

Buy Less

As consumers, we need to constantly ask ourselves “do I need this?”. Cambridge Carbon Footprint recommend using the Buyerarchy of need (figure 2), to look at all your options. Holding regular Swish or clothes swap parties is a fun way to source your outfits. Clothes swapping is now also facilitated on a grand scale across the internet with sharing platforms such as NU Wardrobe, a company facilitated locally by Mphil student Gráinne Hutton (figure 3). If you can’t find what you are looking for by swapping, it may be time to shop in one of Cambridge’s 30 charity shops. You could even find British Antarctic Survey extreme weather clothing as the organization donates their unwanted items to Sally Ann’s on Mill Road.

Choose well

Fundamental to choosing well is understanding your own style. If you are aware of the styles and colours that suit you, you will be less tempted to follow trends that come along. When you decide to buy, taking time to researching the durability of the items that you want to buy will pay off in the long term. Love your Clothes has made this very easy to do with their Best Buy Guides.

Along with durability we should also consider the story of a piece of clothing; is it made from materials that do not harm the environment? Is it upcycled? Are the people who make the item paid a fair wage and treated well? This may sound like a lot of work to discover but customer demand has made companies more transparent about all these issues, and has prompted companies like Sustainable Fashion Festival exhibitors Belo (figure 3) and Where does it comes from? to place these questions at the core of their business model.

If your favourite brand doesn’t currently provide information on their production processes, ask them to. As a consumer you have the power to influence.

Make it last

Extending the life of your clothes is one of the most effective ways to reduce your fashion footprint. We hate to say it, but your Mother was right, you should always read the labels and follow the washing instructions. Washing at a lower temperature, when possible, will also reduce wear and tear.

Repairing is quickly become a must-have skill, but if you do not know one end of a sewing machine from another do not panic. We are very lucky in Cambridge to have a number of Repair Cafes. These community events are run by Cambridge Carbon Footprint, you can book to have your item repaired and you can learn how to do small repairs. There are also repair businesses in the city and companies like Patagonia, Nudie Jeans and Flock by Nature provide a repair service for their customers.

Finally, always pass on your clothing on once you have finished with them. They may be of value to someone else.