Fashion industry contributes more to climate emergency than aeronautical and shipping industries combined

[Tigofigo]

And could account for a quarter of ALL carbon emissions globally by 2050 if we continue to produce and shop in the way we do...

Just read this in an article this morning and it's really shocking. I knew it was polluting and responsible for a huge amount of waste (several truckloads per second) but the scale of the problem is crazy.

To make things worse, a lot of bigger companies are being accused of greenwash, their "sustainable" ranges not actually being sustainable.

Yet still people are buying whole new wardrobes seasonally... if you do are you aware of this? Does this affect how you shop? There's some terrifying news about the climate right now and fashion is a major contributor to the problem.

I already buy a huge amount less than I used to and 90% of what I do buy is either second hand or properly ethically made but I still feel the pull of new clothes.

I've known this for years. The problem is the cheap fast fashion brands.

We ship tons of used clothing out to Africa, but it's so poor quality that it's not fit for a second life, and ends up getting dumped. Even the poorest people in the world don't want our fast fashion items.

I'm sure that you'll get people on here saying that they're poor and can only afford cheap clothes, but the reality is that there are plenty of good quality second hand clothes that they could buy.

I think some prefer to ignore because the changes it demands feel unpalatable. It’s a pity because it’s a huge issue globally.

I prefer to buy one expensive dress in a nice fabric than 10 cheap ones. I don't shop in Shein etc & prefer smaller independent brands. But it means I have a lot less clothes but I love what I have.

I do buy quite a bit second hand as well actually.

I read a couple of books last year that opened my eyes to this. Since then I've bought about 80% of my clothes on Vinted or charity shops now. And I'm fussy about quality - I buy clothes that are made to have a long-life. I avoid low-quality stuff that is obviously only designed to last 1 season before it falls apart. (Never touch ASOS, SHEIN, Primark etc.) You can buy good brands for decent prices on Vinted - a lot of my recent purchases have been Boden, Monsoon,John Lewis etc.

I also mend a lot. All those annoying little holes that washing machines make. I try and darn them as invisably as possible whilst they are small. I've been reading up on visible mending and want to try that on some clothes with bigger holes.