Did you know that 40,000 tons of our old clothes have been dumped in the Atacama desert in a heap so large that it can be seen from space?
No? Neither did I
So far my only question has been – will this material rot down or will it stay for hundreds of years on the earth? But I never thought about where the garment might lie as it failed to rot off.
Once I know…………
I can’t know about something and then carry on as before. I have definitely been part of the problem – hoping the old clothes I donate to the charity shop will be used again, but not stopping to question the reality.
But now I know, I have to do something about it. I have to clean up my act.
And a whole new adventure begins
Living green is a long job, so I’ve always taken on one challenge at a time. So this time it’s fashion.
It began when I needed to think about an outfit for an award ceremony. I was nominated for a Green Award as part of BBC Three Counties Radio Making a Difference Awards. But what to wear?
I’ve a great wardrobe of business clothes. Fabulous stuff that just doesn’t feel quite right anymore. My life has changed so much that it’s time for a change of style. Such a first world concept – that I need a change of style. I really am part of the problem – I don’t need it at all, I just want it.
So how to go about this ethically?
As I always do, I reached out for help. What have other people done in similar situations? How do other people manage to look and feel great without adding to the heap of unwanted, cheap fashion that they just don’t fancy anymore?
The questioning soon led to Sophia at Fine Tuned Wardrobe. A fashionista, she works exclusively with second hand fashion. I had no idea where to start – I’m such a rotten shopper – but fortunately she did. I needed help for the award, but I also need to learn for the future.
It’s a whole different ball game
Jut popping to the shop to see what I can find is no longer an option. Mind you, I dislike shopping so much it’s no big loss. I have found one charity shop in Kensington and Chelsea which has high end garments at good prices. And it’s set out beautifully without too many options, so perfect for me.
Otherwise it’s about looking online. And that requires an ability to visualise what you’re looking for – never my easy skill.
And that’s where Sophia comes in
Sophia has been amazing. Spending time getting to know me, viewing pictures of me in my favourite clothes, then going searching on Vinted.It was a fascinating and very successful process. I didn’t win the award but I was one of the best dressed there!
Next stop a wardrobe make over
Watch this space – at the end of October Sophia will go through my wardrobe and work out how I can use what I have so I feel better in it. Then we’ll put some of my clothes up for others to enjoy and adopt a few more interesting pieces to build my new look.
So it can be done
We just need to accept that we don’t need half of what we want. Then it’s a win win – if we buy second hand, we save money, look great and give the Atacama Desert a break.