Disposable fashion

[DonkeyHohtay]

Just saw a piece on the BBC news about the amount of clothing ending up in landfill. Apparently we're all buying 4 times as much clothing as we did 20 years ago, wearing it just a couple of times, and binning it.

AIBU to think this is a bit of an environmental disaster? And what can we do about it??

(Disclaimer - i'm in my mid 40s and don't really follow fashion. I have a skirt in my wardrobe which I bought in 1997. I wear things until they fall to bits, and get a lot of high-quality second hand. I just don't "get" the wear it once and bin it mentality).

I don't buy a lot, but recently things wear out quicker.

I find that it's very difficult to find decent quality clothes that last. A few washes, and things start unravelling, bobbling, get out of shape and thats across all price ranges.

I can't even get then to a charity shop in that state.

In contrast, I have clothes from ten years ago that have been washed, worn and are still good.

I like looking smart but find clothes shopping a drag. If stuff lasted longer I'd buy less... so where's the incentive for primark and others to produce good quality clothes that last?

Prime etc don’t produce clothes to last, it’s not in their interest.

I buy clothes that last from Howies, Boden (not everything), Celtic, Seasalt, BAM (not so much the socks) and Jigsaw. Bizarrely,
also Sainsbury’s!

Ironically, I've only ever bought one item in Primark and that's lasted over ten years.

But Boden, Jigsaw, M&S, GAP have all deteriorated.

I wear things until they wear out. I only get rid of clothes if I haven't worn them for years and am not likely to (some things that suited me at 30 don't suit me at 40 for example), or if they are really tatty. My dd's clothes are handed down to a friend. I'm amazed people bin clothes after only a few wears, that is disgustingly wasteful - are they made of money???

I've really changed my habits over the past year or so.

I now try to mend things where I can.

Where I can't I try to wear those things around the house/for gardening. Once they get past use for this I'll cut them up and use them as dusters/cloths for housework.

I've reduced purchases of new (to me) clothes...so far this year I've been clothes shopping twice. Which is a massive reduction. I don't think I'll need to go again this year.

Plus...I try to find something on Ebay second hand before I buy new.

I was never into 'fast fashion' but definitely bought clothes just because I was out and saw something I liked. I don't go clothes shopping any more unless I need something so I'm not tempted to buy just because it looks nice when I wander past.

I know times have changed sonlypuppyfat but when I was a poor student, we bought second hand, got creative with what we had and swapped with friends.
It's very hard to resist the lure of a new, cheap going out top when you're young tho!

I try to buy reasonable quality stuff, use older stuff for around the house etc, eBay nicer things that don't fit which does happen

I do like buying things and need occasion wear this year as I can't fit into certain dresses atm.

I can recycle textiles where necessary.

I would never 'bin' anything

Shoe cleaning old vests etc

Holiday clothes are worn each year and is rather wear out older t-shirts first in beach

The next day, the donator that had donated them, popped in and promptly searched the shop for 'her' donated items. Gathered them all up and gave them to me with a very stern " If you are going to sell my donations this cheap then I will not be donating here again!!"

She sounds like a dick.

Personally I think charity shops should sell stuff like Boden, Joules etc for cheap. I don't go into a charity shop to spend 10 pounds on something when I can buy something for 5 pounds in Primark.

Most people shopping in charity shops are the same, I'd say.

Isn't part of charity shops giving skint people somewhere to buy stuff that they can afford?

You can't complain that people shop at Primark when you price them out of charity shops.

Any brand new tshirt that costs a couple of quid should feature the slogan ' i support child labour'

araiwa and what about places like Boden or Whistles or whatnot?

Where do you think their clothes are made? In someone's Mayfair drawing room with cups of tea and cucumber sandwiches?

Apart from specific ethical brands, homemade and very very high end designer, it all gets made in the same shitty factories.

The phone or computer you're using was made by child labourers, Amazon have terrible policies in their factories for Alexas and whatever other pointless shite they make.

The only way to shop ethically is to buy everything second hand which is just not possible for most people for every single item. Even making your own clothes involves buying material that has been dyed, which is causing massive environmental damage in Indonesia and other places.

Even when things are made in the west, it's not always ethical eg stuff branded "made in the USA" is very often made in Saipan where they use SE Asian workers and treat them like dirt.

Unless you are wearing a sack handed down to you by your grandfather and typing this from a rotary phone, you support child labour too so give your head a wobble.

I have a pair of Doc Martens I bought in the 90s, wore constantly for years on end and still drag out occasionally and they will probably last a lifetime. The pair I bought for my DD lasted less than 2 years before the leather split.

Don't knock supermarket clothes, some of them are great. I had a bra from M and S fall apart, but non wired bras from Asda last ages. The one thing I still buy from M and S is basic everyday pants as the elastic lasts longer than the cheap ones.

You see IAmAlways I'd MUCH rather spend £10 on something decent in a charity shop than £5 in Primark because a)I'm getting something of better quality b) supporting a charity and c) it's marginally better environmentally as not contributing to buying even more new stuff

How fashion damages the environment.

devil good for you, not all of us always have 10 pounds for clothes.

Of course not IAm, I was expressing a preference.

Can anyone recommend any more ethical, good quality, clothing brands? I don't know where to start to be honest.

YANBU, watch Stacey Dooley's documentary on destruction of the environment by the clothes industry to be further horrified.

Can anyone recommend any more ethical, good quality, clothing brands?

I think the best start is reviewing whether you really need more clothes.

I think the best start is reviewing whether you really need more clothes.

Yes, I do, which is why I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.

There’s a campaign to “buy less, buy better” - I think it was in The Times.

People do demand cheap clothes. You see it on here all the time - people are shocked at the idea of paying more than a few quid for school shorts. If it’s good enough quality, it should be okay to pass down. I remember my Mum saying that her school skirt was £7 in 1957 (so a total fortune for her family) and it lasted the whole way through school.

One thing I am trying to do is buy more stuff in natural fabrics. That way, even if it is full of holes, my jumper won’t add to landfill - I can put it in my compost bin.

People Tree is one ethical clothing company I've bought from.

I like Seasalt. I also like Gudrun Sjoden (but couldn’t wear their stuff every day).

For children’s pyjamas I like the White Company - they are expensive but my son is nearly 8 and has been wear their shorts pyjamas since he was 4.

I also love these dresses - I think that some lady just runs them up on her sewing machine from her house. I have no idea whether the material is ethically produced though.

www.ilovebreadandjam.com/about/breadandjam/