Did you know that the fashion industry and production make up around 10% of humanity's carbon emissions? Sustainable fashion refers to clothing and textiles that have been created in a way that is mindful of the vast environmental issues the fashion industry touches on. The good news is, by working together we can lower these effects, by making simple changes to the way we shop and what we wear.
You don't need to throw everything out of your wardrobe and replace it with a full sustainable line. It isn't as difficult as you may think to get started on a sustainable wardrobe and it's worth it for the future of our planet. Here are some key factors we can be mindful of is;
Take care of your clothes and the world at the same time - By buying higher quality items, our brains automatically want to look after them better. Buying less but better quality is much better than buying hauls of cheap items. With the warmer and sunnier days, we can hang washing out instead of tumbler drying, this will prolong the life of your clothes and reduce energy usage from indoors. At Happy Valley, we also love to use the brand Ecover in our laundry room. This is an eco-friendly cleaning brand, made from plant and mineral-based ingredients.
If you can choose a more ethical brand, why not try it? - When buying online apart from looking at reviews, do you ever really take note about where those clothes are made? What are the working conditions like? Is it a brand hoping for a more sustainable future or are they just greenwashing?
What to do with them when we no longer want them? - Instead of a trip to the bin, how about a trip to the local charity shop? And who knows while your there what you may find for yourself! Personally I love charity shops, I have found so many great items in them and lots of things that were new or nearly new, even designer items.
Trans-seasonal items are the way forward- The problem isn’t exactly fast fashion, it’s also down to how much your going to use that item. When shopping think about how much use you will get out of it. Instead of shelling out on the latest trends, opt for timeless pieces that can work in any season.
In the current climate of the world, more and more brands are recognising the importance of looking after our environment. Luxury brand Chloé plans on increasing its lower impact materials and fair trade sourcing across all categories by 2025. In their 2021 AW collection, more than 80% of the collection's cashmere yarn was recycled and over 50% of silk was derived from organic agriculture.
We at Happy Valley love educating ourselves on ways to be more environmentally friendly because there is always something new to learn and something we can improve on. We also like to influence our guests and social media followers with useful tips, so if you have any, please share them in the comments section below.
