You may have heard the term sustainable fashion or even eco-fashion, but what does this really mean?
In a nutshell, it refers to the fostering of responsible garment manufacturing processes that promote ecological sustainability and fair trading.
Why has sustainable fashion become such a globally recognized issue?
When tracing the complex steps along the pathway to creating any fashion garment, many processes contribute to pollution; from the seed for the fabric at the beginning, to the coat-hanger at the point of sale, and beyond. At each point in this evolution, precious water supplies are both consumed and polluted, and chemical contamination arises from the growing process right through to the manufacturing process in the factory. Surprisingly, the fashion industry contributes around 10% of the world’s total carbon footprint.
Furthermore, the growing insatiable demand for more and more cheap, throw-away garments has a real human cost.
People in poor and developing countries are working under terrible conditions for very low payment in dangerous and squalid factories, driven by the developed world’s ravenous demand for fast fashion.
All these processes in the fashion industry are contributing to habitat destruction, environmental pollution, human slavery, and climate change. As concerned global citizens, each of us must look to where in the supply chain we can make a difference, and help clean up this damaging industry, one consumer at a time.
But what are some of the ways that an individual person can adopt better practices, to help make a difference?
We need to consume less clothing.
By reducing consumption, we will reduce demand.
Each of us can appraise our own clothing buying habits and identify areas where we can cut back on excesses.
If everyone reduces their consumption of high turnover fashion clothing, then much fewer new garments will need to be produced.
This will make a massive difference and is an easy way where we can all genuinely contribute to the solution.
We can also insist on selecting sustainable and ethical clothing brands that are of better quality and last much longer.
The fast-fashion sector only exists because consumers keep supporting it.
By choosing good quality ethical brands, we will reduce waste by reducing the need to continually replace poorer quality garments. You will buy fewer pieces and this will not only reduce output demand on the industry and reduce wastage in landfill, but it will also save you money in the long run.
Better designed clothing can be readily adapted to each change in season fashions, and so they don’t become obsolete nearly so quickly. And by choosing sustainably manufactured garments, your washing and drying options will use fewer chemicals for cleaning and less electricity in the wash cycle, for drying and ironing. These advantages are important steps that help to reduce our individual carbon footprint. Every reduction adds up.
This is where Sparkly Couture Comes In, Slowing down the Fashion chain one Designer Label piece At A TIME all our items are hirable .
giving you past pieces new life While making you $.
Other ways to help reduce your own demand for clothing can include being creative in upcycling the clothes you already have, or learning to mend your clothes when a button falls off.
Try swapping clothes with friends to freshen up your wardrobe without spending a cent. For a special, one-off important event, you can even hire fashionable upmarket clothing for a fraction of the price of buying it.
So many of us are guilty of hoarding clothing that we may have thought was nice but have never got the chance to wear.
Maybe it turns out to be the wrong size, the wrong colour, or it has gone out of fashion almost as soon as we purchased it.
Other garments are greedily consumed by the fashion industry itself; including by beauty Queen pageants, for bridal fashion, ball gowns, and in photoshoots for the rich and famous who don't want to be seen in the same outfit twice. Perfectly good, high-quality garments are consumed once then thoughtlessly disposed of.
When we hoard clothing that never gets worn, it is eventually disposed of. Sadly, only a small percentage of unwanted garments are donated to charity or sold as recycled or pre-loved garments for others to enjoy. Most of it just ends up in landfill where it adds to the environmental crisis.
At Sparkly Couture, we offer the ideal solution.
We have developed an online store for refurbished fashion garments & Have our Boutique at 322 Alexandra street Te awamutu.
This has created an exciting new way to give new life to preloved fashion
. We help recycle your pre-owned pieces; anything from pageant gowns, ball gowns, bridal wear, festival dresses, evening wear and of course, more casual clothing or daywear.
Most women have at least one item of clothing taking up space in their wardrobe that still has its shop tags attached. Many items have only been worn once or never been worn, for a variety of reasons. You buy the newest season styles instead, or perhaps a suitable event hasn’t transpired, or maybe it’s just time for a new wardrobe look.
Our website will give your pre-loved garments a second life and the beauty of it is that you earn some money back! Simply send us your unwanted, as-new clothing, with their shop tags still attached, and we’ll sell them online for you.
Conversely, are you looking for a glamorous bargain? We stock new, second-hand garments which still have their shop tags on them. If you’re shopping for that something special for an important event coming up, you can grab a bargain with good quality, discounted fashion from our pre-loved or never-worn range of as-new pieces.
Partnered with Sparkly Couture, everyone can find the pathway to becoming part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
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