Busting the top 5 sustainable fashion myths!

We are all trying to lead a more sustainable life, from the food on our plates to the clothes we wear. But how much of what we are told about having an eco-friendly wardrobe is true, and how much is just a myth?

1. The wardrobe clear out

This one seems obvious, yet the first step a lot of people take towards a more sustainable wardrobe is a clear out. Sustainability is all about making the most of what we already have, with overconsumption being one of the biggest issues in the fashion industry.

Instead, try going through your pre-owned clothes assessing what you already have and where they are from. This will allow you to learn more about your current spending habits and see where you can improve going forwards - a 99% fast fashion assortment should ring alarm bells! Additionally, during this assessment, you can also review the current state of your garments and see which ones may need a little extra care to prolong their life cycle and which ones may need a total upcycle.

2. Donating to charity

Following on seamlessly from the famous wardrobe clear out, are the huge bags of unwanted clothes that get left on the doorstep of second-hand and charity shops. Any clothes the shops cannot sell or pass on get burned or sent to landfill, making them the guilt free step between you as the consumer giving your clothes straight to landfill.

Why not do a clothes swap with your friends, upcycle some items, or change the use of some of your old clothes into items such as dish cloths? This is a much more sustainable and trusted way to get rid of the clothes you are bored of or no longer have a use for.

3. The halo around buying second hand

For starters, it is important to highlight the 'less is more' mantra that is the centre of a sustainable fashion industry. So running out and buying a whole new wardrobe, justifying it due to the fact the clothes are pre-worn, almost counteracts the good you are doing by buying less fast fashion items. As, inevitably, these pre-worn clothes will end up in the same position as fast fashion pieces - no longer wanted, but even harder to re-use as they will then be moving onto their third life.

Another issue with second hand clothing is it's gentrification, due to more well-off individuals buying the product with the incentive to re-sell at a higher price, marketing the items as 'vintage'. This poses a huge threat on the good that second hand retail can provide, as it presents it as a trend and excludes the individuals who have a need for the cheaper clothes or a want to be more sustainable.

4. Oh don't worry, it's organic!

Organic means no pesticides were used in the production of the fabric fibres. This is great for the farmers producing the crops and the soil in which they grow. However, in the grand scheme of sustainability, this method is no more renewable as virgin fibres are still being produced, feeding into our issue of overconsumption and overuse of natural resources.

Retailers advertise the organic label and often confuse consumers, making them believe it is more sustainable for them to purchase these products. Yet, on a global sustainable scale, this is unreliable as it is overridden by the implications of greedy consumption and mass production.

5. I have to buy from only sustainable brands to be sustainable

Put simply, no you don't.

As I said before, less is more. You don't have to engage with sustainable brands at all and can acquire new clothes through swaps, upcycling, and sample sales.

But in terms of actually buying new clothes, these don't have to be from sustainable companies. Settling for clothes you don't love, just because they are from sustainable brands seems counterproductive to me and encourages throw away culture. Be mindful about the way you shop. If you see a pair of jeans you love, and the brand isn't known for sustainable practises, but you know you will get a lot of wear out of them and the garment brings you joy - buy them.

A big issue with the fashion industry is the saturation of choice leading to consumers purchasing items for the sake of it. If as customers we are conscious with how we shop and only choose the items we really love or need, we can show fashion retailers that their wide ranges have no place in our 21st, sustainable society and we instead prefer a smaller, more focused and high quality range. Retailers respond to the shopping patterns of their customers so, by being more selective with how we shop fashion, we have the chance to influence the companies at the centre of the issue.

Freya Fowler