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Slow fashion

Photo by Crew on Unsplash

Why is sustainable fashion such a big issue?

The fashion and clothing industry is one of the biggest in the world – and also one of the most polluting and damaging to people and planet.

We can all make changes to how we acquire, wear and dispose of our clothing to help reduce waste and support sustainable, ethical practices. This may be shopping slower, less often and for better quality, natural fabrics and ethically made items; shopping secondhand; swapping; repairing; or even making from scratch.

We’ve compiled a list of resources to help you get started on your sustainable fashion journey.

READ: our blog “Easy ways to wear clothes to last” by Emily Southcombe

LISTEN: to this special #CountdownToCOP Radio Verulam podcast talking about Wearing Clothes to Last

If you have clothes that you would like to have repaired book a slot at one of St Albans District Fixers repair events – See the St Albans District Fixers page

Awareness – what happens to our ‘used’ clothes

Why Britain’s old clothes are clogging Ghana’s wetlands – Greenpeace article 2025

Dead White Man’s Clothes – a multi-media project based in Accra, Ghana, exploring what happens in the largest ‘used’ clothing market in Ghana and perhaps West Africa.

  • Fashion and Degrowth Discussion Panel – from Extinction Rebellion April 2021. Approx one hour watch. In a groundbreaking conversation, XR co-founder Clare Farrell and Giorgos Kallis, ecological economist and one of the principal advocates of degrowth theory, talk about why modern Western society is so unnerved by ideas of degrowth, what we need to enact alternative visions to modern growth-based development and and how to apply them to an industry built on unfettered expansionism.
Lots of local charity shops

Local charity & secondhand shops

Learn to sew

Educational resources

  • The True Cost film – a must-watch movie about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry is having on our world.
  • Fashion Revolution – a key campaigner for a clean, safe, fair, transparent and accountable fashion industry through research, education, collaboration, mobilisation and advocacy. Includes the “Who made my clothes?” campaign.
  • EcoAge – a fashion-focused sustainability consultancy with an insightful blog.
  • Soil Association – key information on why organic fabrics and home textiles are so important to sustainability.
  • Centre for Sustainable Fashion, London College of Fashion – free online resources aimed at industry leaders, educators and students.
  • Traid, Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development

Tools & apps

  • Good on You – sustainable and ethical fashion brand ratings
  • Done Good – list of brands that do good for people, animals and the planet
  • Depop – use the app to buy and sell preloved fashion
  • Ebay – use this resale giant to shop secondhand and from charities
  • Thrift + – shop and donate secondhand fashion
  • Project 333 – wear just 33 items for 3 months and get back all the joy you were missing while you were worrying about what to wear
  • RESELLFRIDGES | Project-Earth | Selfridges
Photo by Karly Santiago on Unsplash

Sustainable fashion inspiration