According to Elizabeth Cline's book the Conscious Closet, 23.8 billion pounds of clothes and shoes are thrown into the garbage each year in the United States alone -- equivalent to about 73 pounds per person. Americans are purchasing fast fashion at a higher rate than ever before, and second hand dealers are overwhelmed.
When you drop off your used clothing to various charities, they only sell about 20-25 percent of donated goods -- the rest is sold to textile recyclers or exported overseas. An estimated 70 percent of our soiled, poor quality clothes are sent by the palette to sub-Saharan Africa where the dealers barely make a living wage and clothing waste is ultimately sent to landfills. We are literally passing our consumption waste onto developing nations to rid ourselves of social responsibility.
So what can we do?
Shop LESS
-Use what you have, make smart long term purchases
Shop ETHICALLY
-Support brands that are doing good by the environment and paying their garment workers a living wage
Source SECONDHAND
-organize clothing swaps, use hand me downs, shop your local thrift shops
AND, get creative!
Refashioning
Refashioning
FEATHER PRINT
DRESS
How to add trim, etc
A knit garment is created through rows of interlocking looped yarns. You can unravel a knit garment and reuse the yarn as embellishment or create an entirely new item!
Before
Source:
Savers
Material:
1 yd Fabric
Invisible zipper
Alteration:
Add Waistband
Add underskirt hem
zipper installation
Total cost:
+Tailoring:
DIY:
$4
$6
$3
$
$
$
$13
$13
shoulder extension
Hem Lengthening and Garment Expansion
PAPERBAG WAISTED DRESS
Buy for the detailing, stay for the new and improved fit
SOURCE:
Salvation Army
MATERIAL:
ALTERATION
Overbust Alt
Slim Body
Hem
TOTAL COST:
DIY:
+Tailoring:
$6
N/A
$25
$40
$30
$6
$101
This dress was taken in from a size 12 to a size 4. Decorative tucks over the bust, side seam alterations, fish-eye darts in the back, and a shorter hem contribute to a cute fit.
Source:
Savers
Material:
1 yd Fabric
Invisible zipper
Alteration:
Add Waistband
Add underskirt hem
zipper installation
Total cost:
+Tailoring:
DIY:
$4
$6
$3
$
$
$
$13
$13
Hem Lengthening and Garment Expansion
Customization / Decorations
H
e
m
l
e
n
g
t
h
e
n
i
n
g
OPERA DRESS
Buy for the detailing, stay for the new and improved fit
This dress was taken in from a size 12 to a size 4. Decorative tucks over the bust, side seam alterations, fish-eye darts in the back, and a shorter hem contribute to a cute fit.
Source:
Savers
Material:
1 yd Fabric
Invisible zipper
Alteration:
Add Waistband
Add underskirt hem
zipper installation
Total cost:
+Tailoring:
DIY:
$4
$6
$3
$
$
$
$13
$13