In fact, it’s so easy (and cheap!) to make your wardrobe more sustainable: wear the clothes you already own. A call to all lazy fashion revolutionaries.
Shopping differently: who buys fairly?
The so-called “fast fashion” (fast fashion) has an image problem. The sometimes disastrous production conditions of the 80 percent female workers and the environmentally harmful manufacturing process can no longer be ignored. Added to this is the often poor quality of the clothing, which almost invites you to replace it with something new after wearing it for a short time.
But deciding instead to buy sustainably manufactured clothing and accessories is not easy for everyone: 73 percent of the consumers surveyed can imagine buying sustainable clothing, but only 56 percent are already doing so – there is still room for improvement . In order to increase the willingness to buy fairly manufactured fashion, lower prices would be an incentive for 66 percent, 59 percent would like to be sure that they actually get sustainable products for their money, and for 43 percent the availability in the immediate vicinity is decisive. The choice is limited in many places, especially when it comes to larger clothing sizes.
The wake-up call: revolution from below
Horror on April 24, 2013: The Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people. Suddenly there are images and stories of the working conditions under which many of the garments were and are still being made.
The tragic event made the responsibility clearly visible. It lies with the politicians, the brands, the retailers – but also with the people who buy this clothing. The “Fridays for Future” movement has played its part in bringing the harmful environmental impacts of this sector into focus.
There are now many platforms that help to navigate through the jungle of information on the subject. One of them is the world’s largest fashion activism movement “Fashion Revolution”. She is not only politically committed to a global fashion industry that prioritizes environmental protection and human rights over profit and growth. She has also launched a variety of campaigns designed to make it possible for individuals to become part of the fashion revolution. The Instagram campaign #whomademyclothes, for example, calls on fashion companies to explain where and how their clothes are produced. Educational programs bring the topic to schools and universities. With events and promotions, Fashion Revolution Week takes place every year in the week around April 24th. The podcast “We are Fashion Revolution” and a “fanzine” discuss and visualize the complex topics in an understandable way.
The “202030 – The Berlin Fashion Summit” also addresses the topic of sustainability in fashion: For the third time, the public event will take place from March 15th to 17th as part of the upcoming Fashion Week in Berlin. In specialist articles, panel discussions and interviews, not only global and local perspectives on the topic are discussed. It should also be about concrete implementations and recommendations for action. Interested parties can register free of charge at www.202030summit.com and follow the event digitally, participate in discussions and exchange ideas.
Prestige objects: Not just bargains
Buying used clothing has long been the norm for many people on lower incomes. The fact that second-hand is now trendy, has become a status symbol or even an investment has also caused prices to rise in many places.
For items from the collections of major fashion brands that are no longer available, you sometimes pay more than the original price. In addition, there are more and more shops and online portals that specialize in selling high-quality designer clothing, including proof of authenticity and certificates.
So second-hand, at least below, no longer has an income limit, but runs through the breadth of the population. According to this year’s Second Hand Fashion Report, the proportion of people who buy second-hand clothes ranges from 62 to 74 percent. Of these, women make up the far greater share at 80 percent. Only 56 percent of men, on the other hand, buy used clothing.
On a treasure hunt
Second-hand clothing can now be bought online very easily – in all price ranges. Vestiaire Collective and Rebelle are the best options for expensive branded clothing. Vendors such as Vinted, ebay classifieds and momox are in the lower price segment – with items mostly offered by private individuals. For a small surcharge, Sellpy offers the luxury of not having to take care of the sale yourself. Zalando Circle is an offer from the large online retailer for second-hand fashion, where you are not paid out, but receive a voucher.
The girls’ flea market and Vinokilo are both online and offline. Browse pop-up stores and events to your heart’s content. At Pick’n’weight, billing is based on kilo prices in the various shops, online there are fixed prices.
The offline classics for second-hand fashion are the good old flea market, second-hand shops and clothing stores. For some time swapping parties have been added to this – meetings organized by private individuals in the circle of acquaintances, to which everyone brings clothing or accessories that are in good condition, which are then exchanged with each other.
If you want to do something good on the side, we recommend Oxfam or Dankee, for example. The latter an online platform through which a self-chosen amount of the proceeds from every sale goes to a self-chosen charity.
And simply giving away clothes that are no longer suitable or loved – be it among friends and acquaintances or online – it’s always possible!
