Let's Talk: Rework the clothes you have, don't buy new ones!
This is a tricky topic as it is hard to convince someone to put the phone down and not buy the lovely green coat they just saw on Instagram. It’s only €50 and there’s free delivery, they will say. However, as the green coat makes its way to your house, ask yourself how many coats is it joining in your wardrobe?
There’s a Swedish proverb that says: ”He who buys what he does not need, steals from himself”. And that brings us to the debate around needs and wants. This will not be a rant about never buying new clothes because new clothes can bring us a lot of joy but it will aim to encourage you to try to rethink the way you look at clothes. Especially the clothes that are sitting in your wardrobe.
Have a think. How many items of clothes do you think you have? How many items are hanging in your wardrobe? Of those items, how many did you wear in the last six months? Head to the drawers. How many drawers of clothes do you have? Is it time to dump every item of clothing you have on your bed and do a complete wardrobe refresh?
We do need to think about the clothes we wear and buy in a better way. Not just for ourselves but for the planet too. Around the world 56 million tons of clothes are sold every year. Fast fashion is a big issue and it is having a serious impact on the world around us. As fantastic as a ‘clothes haul’ is, we have to think of the consequences. Fast Fashion refers to the making of clothes cheaply which can be easily discarded. The sad side of this however is that the discarded clothes have to go somewhere and this leads to serious pollution.
Figures show that just less than 1% of old clothes are recycled back into new clothes. This means that the changes must start with ourselves. We have so many options when it comes to what we wear. We have clothes we can rework with a little effort. There are plenty of TikTok and YouTube sites that have endless hours of video and content on how to reuse your old clothes and make them new again. It just takes a little bit of thinking on our part. It may be easier to press the ‘buy’ button online but why not spend a few hours with what you have first. You could even get kids involved and make it a fun rainy day activity.
Look at the clothes you have. The ones bursting out of your drawers. If you haven’t worn an item in a year it is time it leaves your wardrobe. Consider pre-loved clothes stores, charity shops and swap sites. You can get some seriously great deals, even on designer items on preloved sites and stores. In the days of social media and WhatsApp, swapping clothes with friends is a great option. There’s no shame in asking to borrow a dress for a night out or a handbag you saw on Facebook that looked nice. Why buy it when you can borrow it? Renting clothes too is a great option, especially for big occasions. There’s also nothing wrong with washing your clothes and wearing them again the next day. I’m sure people at work or the school gate won’t care and why should you.
Clothes shopping can be addictive and we need to consider breaking the habit. Daragh Cassidy of Bonkers.ie points out that as humans we are creatures of habit. “While some habits are normal and healthy, others can become bad for us, often without us realising. Excess spending is certainly one. We often talk about food, alcohol, and gambling as addictions – but spending can be an addiction too. And if it gets out of control it can have serious consequences. However, we live in such a consumer-driven society which is always trying to get us to spend at every moment that it can become difficult to cut back.”
Clothes shopping is certainly one area where we can try a little bit harder. Our pockets will thank us but it will also mean we are doing what we can to keep the world we live in in good shape.
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