blog banner - Jenerous2.jpg — Lone Design Club Pop-up Store Featuring Independent Sustainable Brands

Buying Clothes That are Built to Last

Fashion that is long lasting is so much better for the environment than fast fashion. When choosing our clothes its best to look for garments that are timeless, and to buy fewer, better items as investment pieces. Changing the way that we shop and having a more considered approach to how we buy our clothes, can only have a positive impact.

Quote by Vivienne Westwood reading Buy less, choose well, make it last.

There is a definite shift within the fashion industry towards sustainability, and an acknowledgement that we need to address the ethical issues, relating to the environment and people, that are caused by the production and disposal of our clothes.

How to Shop More Sustainably- 10 Tips

1.Buy Fewer Clothes

We are buying too many clothes, many more than we actually need. Buying fewer items of clothing and buying only what we need is a great starting point. Buying clothes that you know you will wear lots of times is also a good investment, creating a capsule collection where you can mix and match looks.

2.Choose Timeless Fashion Styles That Will Last

Choose pieces that are timeless.

We’ve just seen the Milan SS20 Ready to Wear catwalks, and one of the trends to come out of Milan is a shift towards fashion that lasts. In the Evening Standard newspaper this week, there was an article entitled “Italy opts for style with shelf-life” Donatella Versace made a statement about longevity by sending Jennifer Lopez down the catwalk wearing a version of the iconic jungle dress, that she wore 20 years ago.

Other designers such as Prada showed a collection of staples that Prada described as “timeless clothes you don’t throw away”. Gucci showed their first carbon-neutral catwalk and Missoni’s collection included items made from deadstock fabric; which is a great way to use up excess fabric and avoid it ending up in landfill*. Our Freedom Sequin shift dress and Grace sequin prom dress are examples of our dresses that have used up deadstock fabric.

Slow and timeless fashion is clothing that doesn’t follow the latest catwalk trends. Fast fashion is the opposite, with new styles being launched every few weeks, if not days. This is fuelling over consumption by creating clothing that will be out of date in 6 months time.

3. Invest in Good Quality Clothing That is Made Well

Woman sewing at Jacobswell our WFTO partner factory in India

Choosing clothing that is made well will mean that it lasts longer. Unfortunately, fast fashion brands often make clothing cheaply so the items don’t last and are disposed of quickly. This adds to the clothing that ends up in landfill with a huge environmental impact.

At Jenerous we have partnered with factories that make high quality clothing, so that our collection can be treasured and kept for many years.

4. Shop for Second Hand and Pre-loved Clothing

Shopping for pre-loved clothing is a really sustainable option as it extends the life of the garment and keeps clothing out of landfill. It’s also great on the budget too!

5. Choose Natural and Sustainable Fabrics

Choosing natural, organic and sustainable fabrics rather than synthetics, is an easy swap to make. Check the fabric composition label before buying. Look for fabrics such as cotton, organic cotton, linen, Modal, Lyocell, and avoid polyester, nylon and acrylic which are made from petroleum.

By choosing natural fibres it means that when you wash your clothing you will reduce the amount of microplastics in the oceans, as these come out of the synthetic clothing when it’s washed. You can also buy Guppy washing bags that reduce microplastic pollution when we wash the synthetic clothes that we already own.

6. Donate, Swap, Sell or Return to the Brand.

When you have finished with your clothing donate it to a charity shop, arrange a clothes swap event with friends or your local community, or sell it online. All of these actions will extend the life of your clothing.

Some brands like ours offer a take-back service and sell a pre-loved collection. To find out more about our pre-loved scheme click here and if you have a Jenerous item that you no longer need, please return it to us and we will re-sell it and donate the proceeds to our charities working to transform lives in India.

7. Mend or Upcycle Old Clothing

Upcycling your old clothing can be a way to update something that looks a bit dated, giving it new life. Learning how to mend and sew to make simple fixes to garments, will mean that you can keep your clothes for longer.

8. Buy from Ethical and Sustainable Brands

Shop from ethical and sustainable brands like Jenerous that care about the environment and pay their workers fairly. Check out a brands claims and look for certifications, although it’s worth noting that as a small ethical brand, we know that the cost of certifications can often be a barrier for small brands to get accredited. You can see our certifications here.

Be aware of ‘Greenwashing’ as brands can make claims about their sustainability that may not be true.

There are more and more sustainable brands to choose from. I visited a Lone Design Club pop-up shop during London Fashion week, that showcased small ethical and sustainable designers, and it was good to see so many innovative collections using sustainable fabrics, customising vintage pieces and championing transparency.

9. Consider Rental

Rental is a growing sector within sustainable fashion and is a great way to wear clothes that may be above your budget to purchase. There are lots of rental platforms and this option is especially relevant for occasionwear. However, there are issues around transportation and dry-cleaning for you to consider.

10. Wear What you Have in Your Wardrobe

And lastly, but most importantly we can wear the clothes that we already have in our wardrobe. It has been said that the most sustainable item of clothing, is the one we already have in our wardrobe!

How to Buy Less, Choose Well and Make it Last

I love Vivienne Westwood’s quote; “Buy less, choose well and make it last”. We need to reduce the amount of clothing that we buy by selecting pieces that are versatile, good quality and timeless, and shopping with ethical and sustainable brands like Jenerous that are prioritising people and the planet.

When planning and designing our first collection for Jenerous, I have tried to ensure that our styles are timeless and have longevity, in a stand against fast fashion. I hope that our Jenerous dresses will be pieces that stay in your wardrobe, and look just as good next season, and the season after, and in 5/10/20 years time!

We continue to create stylish ethical fashion, and a timeless collection of Fair Trade clothing. Our clothing is versatile and made to last, combining artisan hand block printing with contemporary feminine style. Shop our latest collection here.

*Italy opts for style with shelf-life
Evening Standard 24th September 2019