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Mend It May – How colour and style confidence reduces wardrobe waste

Posted on by Toni Carver

You might have seen ‘Mend It May’ pop up on your social media feed (search: #MendItMay). It’s a brilliant initiative encouraging everyone to repair, rewear, and rethink what’s in their wardrobes rather than constantly buying new. Making sustainable choices isn’t just about recycling or buying eco-fabrics, it’s also about making more mindful choices with the clothes we already own.

It’s easy to be tempted by sales, trends, and cheap clothes. So, rather than buying something new this month, how about repairing something you’ve already got?

The campaign encourages people to extend the life of their clothes by mending them and you’re encouraged to share your projects on social media to inspire others to reconsider what they do with their clothes, before they dispose of them.

Rethinking what you own

This month is the perfect opportunity to slow down and take a fresh look at your wardrobe. There might be items you can tweak, re-style, or bring back to life.

A lack of sewing machine and experience needn’t hold you back! Repairs can be by hand and they don’t have to be perfect – just good enough for you to be able to rewear them!

Pro Tip: Pull out all the items which need repairing. Those where the button has fallen off, or the hem has fallen down. Get out those with a little hole in the neckline or sleeve. It’s often these items which are the quickest to bring back to life. They’re probably things you’ve been putting on, only to have to take them off again because of the need to repair! Mending these items will be quicker than what you think and you’ll have something ‘new’ to wear too!

I was never taught how to sew – sure I could manage using a needle and thread, but it was only last year I enrolled in an Adult Education course to learn how to sew using a sewing machine! Is there a course you can enrol in? Or a class you can go to? Now’s the time to have a look and get on board with the campaign!

Equally why not dye things in the ‘wrong’ colour? If you’ve got items which you know don’t flatter you, but you still like them, and find you’re not wearing them anymore, check the label for the material. Dylon dye pods make it easy to dye in the washing machine for anything with natural fibres (or a mix of less than 50% polyester). For anything synthetic based, try Rit.

If you’ve got lots of items requiring a repair, and you feel it’s beyond you, search for places you can take them to for repairing.

You can see how I’ve changed a dress into a top in this blog post.

And, I’ve dyed clothes before and found I wear them more often as a result! Revisit my experience in this blog here.

Wearing what you own

If you’ve got wardrobes full of clothes but still feel like you’ve got nothing to wear, it’s worth figuring out what’s not working for you.

Pro tip: Shop your wardrobe and try things on to see what you have, what fits and what doesn’t work. I find lots of people hold on to garments out of guilt. And, that doesn’t help in the long term.

If you’ve got things which don’t suit your colouring – can you change the colour? Can you wear it differently? Is it worn away from your face (making it more forgiving)? Can you alter the style? Or, it is time to thank it and let it go?

Is the fit not quite right? If it’s something you’ll wear again in the future, consider storing it temporarily. Can you alter it, so it does fit? Taking up the hem, shortening the sleeves, changing the buttons are all relatively simply things to do. Anything major, can be taken to a seamstress if you don’t have the skills yourself.

Does it just not feel like you anymore? That’s OK – our styles change and develop as life happens. If you can’t change it, or you’re unlikely to want to wear it again, let it go.

Should you have things that don’t go, or you’ve identified a gap in your wardrobe, now is the time to search for that missing piece! Check the pre-loved sites and charity shops, or swap events first.

Making mindful choices

‘Mend It May’ is a great reminder that we don’t always need more. Sometimes, we just need to make the most of what we have.

When you understand your colouring, your style personality and the shapes that flatter you, you’ll start to see your wardrobe in a whole new way! You might even rediscover pieces you forgot about or find new ways to style them. And when you do shop, you’ll do so with intention and the right knowledge.

There’s no perfect wardrobe

There’s no ‘perfect’ wardrobe – it’s about having the right wardrobe that works for you. It will reflect your lifestyle, and make you look and feel good. Spend some time getting to know these factors and your wardrobe which start to work better for you.

Understand what suits you

Not knowing what actually suits you often means you keep buying things in the hope that you find something that works. This can be both costly and time-consuming.

Whilst mending and repairing your clothes is great for your purse and the planet, if what you have doesn’t feel right on you, that’s where colour and style confidence comes in.

My consultations will help you to make better decisions by understanding what suits you and why. This way, you’ll reduce the mistake-buys you make by understanding what suits you – from the colour, style, cut and fabric of the clothes you wear.

Sustainable Fashion week Campaign

Find more information about the camping on the Sustainable Fashion Week website here: https://www.sustainablefashionweek.uk/sfw-campaigns including details on some competitions they’re running on social media if you wish to take part.

Need help making sense of your wardrobe?

Book your consultation here

Sustainable September: Breaking the colour rules for sustainable fashion week

Posted on by Toni Carver

Continuing the sustainable September theme with the last one in my series.

Last week, I talked about choosing quality over quantity and how to fill the gaps you have in your wardrobe. Revisit it here.

We often have things in our wardrobe which aren’t quite right and I encourage all my clients to see if you can make them work! It can be a simple tweak, or something more drastic!

Textile waste is a huge environmental contributor. It’s not just clothes that don’t get recycled, but other household textiles too.

Sustainable fashion week upcycle challenge

Having recently learnt how to sew, I was inspired to take part in a campaign run by Thread Republic. Based in Huddersfield, they were a hub for Sustainable Fashion Week. IKEA had donated some recalled duvet covers and they wanted people to transform them into garments to model at their sustainable fashion show on 24th September.

Wanting to test my new sewing skills out and feeling all Great British Sewing Bee, I agreed to take part.

It was simple – transform the duvet cover into a wearable garment!

Breaking my own colour rules for this challenge, as it was a yellow-based, muted green – much warmer than the greens that suit me. Not letting that deter me, I knew I’d be able to work with it by keeping the colour away from my face! Something that’s much easier when you know what suits you and how to make it work!

I decided on a co-ordinating top and trousers. The trousers were inspired by a pair I’d bought in Thailand many years ago. Paired with a simple v-neck top to show off the wrap-around design of the trousers. For the making of the top, I found a pattern online which I adapted to fit my shape. I used my existing trousers as a broad template to make the trousers, again with a few adaptions.

The duvet was made from cotton which is a fabric which doesn’t drape that well. It’s good to sew with as it’s stiffer and doesn’t stretch or move when sewing. One side had a fluffy trim, which falls off when washed, hence it being recalled, so I decided to work with the plain side.

Sustainable fashion show

For the first time ever, I got to strut my stuff and strike a pose ! The Sustainable Fashion Show was a sell-out, with an audience of over 70.

I joined over 30 makers on the runway. It was truly fascinating to see how many different outfits had been made and how people interpreted the brief.

Our styles make us all different and our clothes are simply a method for us to express ourselves.

I’m proud to have taken part and create something from an old duvet cover!

Here’s a link to a little video of me strutting my stuff on the runway: https://www.instagram.com/tlcstyleandcolour/reels/

A few pics from the evening:

Find more information about Thread Republic and get involved here: https://www.threadrepublic.co.uk/

Sustainable September: How to make more conscious clothing choices

Posted on by Toni Carver

As September is the month of sustainability, this theme will run throughout the month helping to guide you on being more conscious with your clothing choices.

The subject of sustainability can feel like a lecture when often, you may not realise that alternative options are available.

Everyone has the capacity to make a change. Even a small one can have a positive effect. Because I understand what suits me (colour, style, shape, fabric to fit and flatter) and how to make things work, I can make informed decisions and be intentional with the choices I make.

What does sustainable even mean?

According to Google in the Oxford Dictionary; the word ‘sustainable’ is an adjective involving the use of natural products and energy in a way that does not harm the environment.

Greenpeace state sustainability is a way of using resources that could continue forever. A sustain-able activity is able to be sustained without running out of resources or causing harm.

Clothing (over) production

Textile production contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined. Too much clothing is made and this overproduction has become the norm. Given how many people agree that they’ve got too many clothes, it seems unnecessary.

As a consumer, having more choice sounds good, doesn’t it? But, there’s now a constant stream of new collections and trends, leading to more clothes. Of course, this results in much lower costs for that t-shirt or dress, with price becoming the only differentiator. Yet, this overproduction must come at a cost.

Fast Fashion produces more carbon emissions per minute than driving a car around the world six times. This mass-production uses cheap fabric, not made to last, in poor working conditions and low wages for them to make a profit.

Research states that the average person now buys 60% more clothing than they did 15 years ago. Yet, around 300,000 tonnes of textile waste ends up in household bins every year. Less than 1% of textiles and clothes are genuinely recycled into new textiles and clothes.

Yet, there are 100 billion pieces of new clothing produced every year. Having done the numbers; this means each person alive in the world buying one garment every month, every year. (There was 7.888 billion people in the world in 2021 according to google).

Fabric choices

Most people don’t consider what their clothes are made from. The only way to know, is to check the label.

Polyester, acrylic, nylon, polyurethane and viscose are likely to be hanging in your wardrobe because they account for almost 70% of all material used in clothing production today. What’s more; they’re cheap. But, as synthetic plastic materials, their production often uses highly toxic chemicals (including oil), and not all manufacturers ensure the waste chemicals and bi-products are safely captured and reprocessed. This puts workers health at risk and pollutes air and water systems adding further environmental damage.

Because polyester is basically plastic, it takes years to break down. When you washing these plastic-based synthetic garments, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles each year end up in the ocean. There’s often blended fabric too which makes them hard to separate and recycle.

Natural fibres like cotton, linen and wool don’t have the same environmental impact that synthetic fibres do. Whilst cotton grows naturally, it uses large amounts of pesticides and water which also have environmental impacts. But, there are modern, sustainable, organic and regenerative farming practices which limit the harm to the planet. This comes at a price.

What can you do?

This is all very sobering. But, you can make a conscious and informed decision about who and where you buy your clothes, and how many.

Check the label of your garments to find out where they are made, and what they are made from. If you’re not happy with the quality, ethics, or how it’s made, don’t buy it! As a consumer, it’s your choice and you should ask questions to the retailer if you feel they aren’t being transparent.

Be more mindful about the choices you make and consider each new purchase. Does it fill a gap you have in your wardrobe? Check if you have something similar hanging in your wardrobe before buying something new. If you’re not wearing something, do you know why?

Having understood the environmental impact, you may decide to only buy natural fibres. But, if you’re in need of some outdoor clothes, you’ll find them made of polyester to create warmth and durability.

That’s why I say be intentional with your purchases.

Beware of bargains! Clothes are cheaper than ever due to this overproduction. There’s a never-ending sale notification hitting your inbox daily, making them cheaper, fueling more guilty feelings if you’ve got a wardrobe full of clothes. Use my £s per wear motto and consider how many times you’re going to wear it. Getting something cheap for under a tenner may seem a bargain, but if you only wear it once, (or not at all) then it’s £10 per wear. Spend £50 on something which you wear 10 times, then it’s just £5 per wear.

The pre-loved and rental market is bigger than ever. In 2020, eBay reported the equivalent weight of 900 double decker buses had been saved from landfill. Buying, wearing and donating second hand clothes reduces the demand for new clothing production, and the impact to the planet. If you’re looking for better quality pieces or designers, but can’t afford the price tag, this could be a great solution for you.

Be more mindful

Slow fashion, fast fashion, sustainable or conscious are all decisions you make which have an impact.

If you buy well, you buy once! Good quality material and well-made clothes last longer than any fast fashion or cheap garment made poorly in low quality material. Even with a lower budget, you can still buy well. Spend as much as you can on key pieces to make your wardrobe functional and which you’ll wear for longer. Clothes in the right colour and style for you which fit and flatter your shape will always be the best choices because you’ll wear them more and get your money’s worth!

In my experience, if you know something doesn’t suit you, you won’t wear it!

Your options are to 1) cut your losses and add it to the charity shop bag. 2) sell it for a fraction of what you paid. 3) change it so that it does work for you. for example, switch up the buttons, change the length, add embellishments, or dye it. By extending the life of your clothes and wearing them for longer is thought to reduce the environmental impact by 20%.

Take care of your clothes, wash them less at a lower temperature, and they’ll last much longer.

September events and activities

There’s no time like the present to become more sustainable or conscious, with your clothing choices.

Oxfam’s Second Hand September will encourage you to take a stance against fast fashion by shopping pre-loved for 30 days: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/second-hand-september/

Support your preferred charity or community and donate those unworn items this month! Next week, I’m attending an event alongside Tracy Fletcher, chair of the charity Smart Works Leeds. We’re both guest speakers at this event.

Save your clothing by repairing and re-wearing. Sustainable fashion week takes place between 20th and 29th of September. Their theme this year is the power of repair and they have a whole programme of activities around the country between 12 September and 12 October. Find full details here.

In the Yorkshire region, there are two hubs – one in Leeds (SCRAP – Sunny Bank Mills, Leeds LS28 5UJ) and the other in Huddersfield (Thread Republic – The Piazza Centre, Huddersfield HD1 2RS). Events take place between 21st and 28th September. I’ll be strutting down the runway at Thread Republic on Tuesday 24th September showcasing my upcycled garment made from a donated Ikea duvet cover (as you do).  Tickets are available here. The full list of the events in Huddersfield for Thread Republic can be found here and in Leeds for SCRAP, visit this.

I hope this encourages you to make a small change and join one of the many events taking place this month. Look out for next week’s blog for tips on re-wearing and styling your clothes.

In the meantime, here’s a note of the sources and references used to produce this blog:

Sources:

Oxford dictionary: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/sustainable#:~:text=sustainable-,adjective,does%20not%20harm%20the%20environment

Greenpeace: https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/fast-fashion-climate-change-pollution-violence/

2019 Government Fashion report: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmenvaud/1952/report-summary.html

Community Clothing: https://communityclothing.co.uk/pages/the-materials-we-use

Sustainable Fashion week: https://www.sustainablefashionweek.uk/sfw-2024

Oxfam: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/second-hand-september/, https://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam-in-action/oxfam-blog/7-facts-about-sustainable-fashion/, https://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam-in-action/oxfam-blog/what-is-slow-fashion/

Fashion United: https://fashionunited.uk/news/background/how-not-sustainable-is-the-fashion-industry/2023121173061#

Ebay: https://www.ebayinc.com/stories/press-room/uk/second-hand-sales-skyrocket-in-2020-as-fashionistas-shift-to-thrift/