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; or even making.
We’ve compiled a list of resources to help you get started.
Local charity & secondhand shops
- Cancer Research UK, St Albans
- The Hospice of St Francis, Abbots Langley, Kings Langley, Berkhamsted, Highfield, Marlowes, Marshalwick
- Keech Hospice Care, St Albans, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead
- Oxfam & Oxfam Bookshop, St Albans
- Peace Hospice Care, St Albans
- Rennie Grove, St Albans, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead
- Scope, St Albans
Upcycling/recycling
- Emmaus – Selling upcycled and restored items to raise money to support their community, which is home to 39 people working hard to rebuild their lives following homelessness.
- St Albans Wood Recycling – A timber store, workshop, and wood collection service
- Recover – A Welwyn Garden City-based charity and social enterprise offering upcycled furniture
- Sew Enjoyable – A St Albans-based business offering sewing classes and workshops.
- Dressmaking for Beginners at West Herts College
- Sew School, Barnet
- Craftivist Collective – a nationwide movement to change the world one stitch at a time
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.
- 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.
- Conscious Chatter podcast – an engaging and insightful podcast covering all aspects of sustainable fashion.
- 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 resell 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
Sustainable fashion inspiration
- Venetia La Manna, sustainability activist
- Holly Rose, sustainability writer and activist
- Daria Wonder Wardrobe, capsule wardrobe courses
- Jess with Less, sustainable fashion blogger
- I Got it from the Charity Shop, secondhand shopping-focused instagram account
- My Green Closet, slow fashion and capsule wardrobe blogger
- Alden Wicker, sustainable fashion writer and expert
