An outfit for every occasion; What’s the damage?

06 Dec An outfit for every occasion; What’s the damage?

Whether it’s food, housing, energy or in this case, fashion, we as consumers are taking more from the planet than we ever have before and there’s more of us doing it. Most of us buy more than we need and throw more away in the bin. But why are we doing this and how can we stop it?

Here at LUYA we can’t deny our love for retail therapy (sometimes you just need a new outfit okay?!) and when it’s so accessible, literally at your fingertips, you can hardly blame everyone for jumping on the bandwagon. However, it’s become apparent that we’re all becoming more conscious of what we buy, how often and whether we actually really need it.

THE FACTS & FIGURES

In the UK, consumers now purchase 400% more clothing than we did just 20 years ago and shockingly, 235 million items of clothing to landfills each year, according to the most recent figures. Despite these astonishing numbers, it’s not just where the clothes end up that we need to worry about, it’s where they begin and the conditions that surround the rapid turn-over of clothes.

These online ultra-fast fashion retailers such as Boohoo, churn out clothes for ‘every occasion’, appealing to consumers to keep buying more and more clothes to wear once and then throw away – Ahh! So, what can we do to help this growing issue?

Here are our top tips…

1. Only buy things you really love or need.

Do you see yourself wearing that item at least 30 times? If the answer is no, then put it back on the rack. Yes, it can be hard – we feel you.

2. Swap with friends.

Seen something you like on your friend? Could you borrow it? This could be the perfect answer for those occasions where you just want something different to wear, but don’t want to waste money (or energy!) on something new.

3. Upcycling

Bored of wearing the same jeans? Upcycling your old clothes into something new is a good option for getting the most out of your wardrobe. Liberty sell beautiful trims and embellishments that won’t remind you of your granny.

4. Wash on lower temperatures

Sometimes washing and tumble drying your clothes on a high heat can mean they won’t hold their quality for as long. There are lots of great tips online on how to wash different fabrics and different clothing items, so you can wash your clothes more sustainably.

5. Don’t bin it

Most importantly, don’t just throw your clothes in the bin. Think of ways in which these materials can get a new lease of life. Whether this means donating them to charity shops or handing down in families.

Finally, when it comes to online shopping, we’ve found that adding a haul to your basket and simply clicking off the page before you checkout gives you a fix without the guilt… NO, YOU’VE GOT A PROBLEM!