Challenge- Environmental Impact of Your Clothing – Update

31. August 2017 Uncategorized 0

Just over two months completed now of my six month challenge! I set out to not purchase any NEW clothing for six months in an attempt to reduce my own personal environmental impact, and to discover and support clothing recycling programmes in the meanwhile.

While I’ve been fortunate enough to not need to purchase new clothing for work yet (read: I’m still unemployed!) I have been exploring options to purchase second-hand or refurbished (yes, it’s a thing) clothing in the meanwhile. While most of my used clothes shopping previously has been done on eBay, everyone is likely familiar with their town or city’s “vintage” shops or second-hand stores. While I would always encourage people to support their local economies with their shopping preferences, for those of us who wear rare sizes or are looking for particular types of items, the market seems to be slowly shifting to meet the demand.

Patagonia seems to have the best programme if you’re searching for outerwear. It’s called “Worn Wear” and is a continuation of their Common Threads Initiative. The worn wear scheme allows you to trade-in used Patagonia clothing for company credit that is then cleaned, repaired, and sold again at a discounted price.

Pre-Loved is a U.K. based website much like eBay that allows listing of used items for purchase or trade.

American Used Clothing is a wholesale purchaser of used clothing that re-lists and sells very affordable used clothing in the North American market.

Snob Swap specialize in gently used designer and boutique clothing and accessories.

The Real Real is another similar site that specializes in boutique and luxury items.

 

I have been keeping my eyes open over the past couple of months, looking for business-wear at affordable prices and from reputable brands. This seems to be hardest category, along with quality shoes, to find in my sizes!

I’d love to see more shoe companies designing products that can be repaired and re-soled. It’s possible to find companies that do this in work wear, such as White’s Boots. As well as the ubiquitous Birkenstock brand, which offer re-cork and re-sole products. However these shoes are quite expensive (300-400 USD for a pair of handcrafted Boots, and over 100 USD for a pair of Birkenstock sandals) and as such may be out of the price range of many people. I believe it’s often hard for people to have the foresight to consider investing in a pair of repairable shoes when you can purchase cheap, fast fashion shoes for a fraction of the price in nearly every mall or shopping center.