My second-hand wardrobe
Buying second-hand clothes needs to be a lifestyle choice not a quick fashion statement to remain on trend . Words by Emily Smith
When was the last time you
bought a new dress and really thought about the person who cut , stitched , and ironed the garment before it ended up in your wardrobe ? Or what about the amount of water it took to make your new season denim ? And I ’ m guessing you ’ ve never wondered whether a charity shop had the same top you were after before you purchased it from a high-street retailer .
It seems that people think carefully about what they put into their bodies because of both the environmental and health benefits , but why is it not the
24 same with what they wear ?
The fast fashion industry is hugely damaging to our planet and the rate with which we , as humans , consume is destroying the very place we call our home . Despite countries in Asia having huge populations , the average Briton consumes four times more resources than the average person in India . And with consumption comes significant damage to the environment .
The fashion industry alone produces up to 10 % of the world ’ s carbon emissions and is the second-largest consumer of the planet ’ s water supply .
Scary facts to take in as we scroll through reams and reams of clothes online and think about where our next outfit will come from .
We must act now , and we all have the ability to make small changes which will make huge high-street names , such as Topshop , Boohoo and H & M , change the way they do things . It ’ s common place now that the retail giants are bringing out so-called ‘ conscious collections ’, recycled fabrics and donating to good causes , but take a closer look and many of them are still not paying their workers a fair , living wage .