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Introducing ‘the circular economy’!
The world of fashion, and the industries alongside it, are ever-changing. From the variety of style in the subcultures of society, to what is deemed ‘fashionable’ throughout the eras; yet the most significantly important alteration in the industry is the distribution, redesigning, and reselling of products, through use of a concept known as “The circular economy”. So what is ‘The circular economy’? “Anyone who believes in indefinite growth on a physically finite planet is either mad, or an economist” David Attenborough The circular economy is an established ’70s concept, contributed to by several professors and scientists. Their intended goal of this newly-formed hypothesis was based on three main principles and…
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Circularity: The Fast Fix to Fast Fashion
Fast fashion has become a detriment to the eco-system of the planet. With new clothing being more accessible and cheaper than ever, we as the consumer need to change our apathy into action. How can the industry tailor to our new needs? Circularity. Every year in the U.K alone, Britons throw away an estimated 3.1 kilograms of textiles. This places us as the 4th highest textile waste producers in Europe (circular.co.uk). However, there is a possible solution to this; use of a Circular Economy. First things first what is a Circularity? It is based off the idea of a Circular Economy. It starts with the principles and ideas that, rather…
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Not All Heroes Wear Capes – Some Wear Thrifted
How thrifted clothing can counter the fashion industry’s growing problem I think it’s fair to say that the fashion industry has a problem with sustainability – and now is the time for a much-needed intervention. With environmental destruction and pollution being a part of our daily lives, there is a growing sense of collective responsibility to address this climate emergency. The damage as we know, has been a result of unsustainable practices, including the wide use of plastics, landfills, non-renewable energy, scarce resources, and more. This real threat to our environment, however, has been met with many encouraging interventions. Supermarkets have turned the tide on single-use plastic bags, eateries are…
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Five Tips to Spot and Avoid Greenwashing
Two years ago I stumbled into an H&M and found their conscious collection. As a student, their low prices and promises of eco-friendly products really appealed to me and I ended up buying an item. A few weeks later, articles started coming out accusing the brand of “greenwashing.” Greenwashing is where a brand uses marketing techniques to make an item seem more eco-friendly than it actually is. As we attempt to transition into a circular economy, this practice can be particularly harmful as customers are more likely to spend more on an item that they believe to be sustainable. So, the companies continue to thrive whilst damaging the environment. Here’s…
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Circular Fashion taking over the Industry?
Circular fashion aims to stimulate the level of collaboration and innovation necessary to create a new textiles economy, bringing together brands, cities, philanthropists and innovators; circular fashion is on the rise. “More clothes are being designed, sources, produced and provided with the intention to be used and circulate responsibly and effectively in society for as long as possible in their most valuable form, and hereafter return safely to the biosphere where no longer of human use.” Dr Anna Brismar But what is circular fashion? Circular fashion is a system where our clothing and personal belongings are produced through a more considered model. An items production is equally as important to…
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Outfit Repeating – is it allowed?
Outfit repeating – is it allowed? We’re constantly bombarded with influencers constantly promoting different styles. It can be difficult to remember that the majority of people don’t buy different outfits for every day. Carbon footprint and outfit repeating I was very, very into fashion when I was a teenager. Not only was this bad for my bank account, but I’m now aware that my attitude to buying clothes was questionable. I was afraid to engage in outfit repeating. This means I would therefore buy more clothes (mainly from fast fashion stores) and give my ‘old’ ones away. This was either to friends or to a charity shop. Over time, though,…
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Waste Not, Want Not. Throw-away Culture and Its Impact.
The fourth biggest textile waste producer in Europe is… you guessed it, the UK. In a society that is becoming increasingly self-aware and conscious of climate change, why hasn’t this information been blasted all over social media? Let me drop some numbers, some food for your thoughts. Every year 1.7kg of textile is discarded, per person and only 0.3kg of this textile is recycled. That means 1.4kg is taken to landfill and is left to decompose, which can take hundreds of years. I don’t know about you, but I would rather plant trees and save bees than have huge landfill spaces. Are we aware? Our new inexpensive clothes fall into…
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How fast fashion attributes to throw-away culture
It seems that there is a new aesthetic each week for people to ascribe themselves to. But it’s not just the people of TikTok who work fast, the fashion brands do too. Sponsoring influencers and YouTubers alike with hauls so they’re able to capitalise on the latest trend. All whilst the fashion of yesterday sits at the bottom of the wardrobe until its untimely found again once the appeal has worn off. If you ever find yourself rummaging through your clothes and find pieces of fashion moments you no longer want to hold onto, here are five tips to help you say no to throw-away culture. Sell it The most…
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5 Things to Do With Your Unwanted Clothes
Instead of throwing them away! Throw-away culture or fast fashion is the cycle of constantly making and consuming new clothes in order to keep up with the latest trends. It is extremely harmful for the environment, with hundreds of items of clothing disposed of when it is no longer in fashion. E – retailers and fast fashion giants with low prices along with social media have worsened the issue. Can we ever throw away throw – away culture? Or is it enough to just make an effort to be environmentally conscious in our fashion choices? Before binning the clothes you no longer wear, help combat throw-away culture and try these…
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Can we throw-away the throw-away culture?
In the UK, 350,000 tonnes of wearable clothing are disposed of in landfill per year. Instead of repairing, mending or thrifting old clothes, many are buying and disposing of clothes that are barely even a year old. It has created a ‘throw-away culture’ that feeds off trends, fashion statements and influencer culture. So, how has throw-away culture grown so fashionable? Why won’t it ever go away? And what can we do to stop it? The growth of throw-away culture The new norm of style over substance has sky-rocketed over recent years. The growth in technology and the internet has aided many to add to throw-away culture, with the likes of…
