The Seven Sustainable Spins
Buy Less, Wear More. It’s one of our most-loved mantras, and absolutely central to our mission. If we extend the lifespan of our clothes, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as garment material waste, and therefore save energy and resources. But how to actually Buy Less, Wear More? It’s time to meet ‘The Seven Sustainable Spins’ - the seven rules that we follow, and encourage you to follow too, to help you make your favourite garments last, so you can wear them again and again. By promoting circular fashion in this way we can together pave the way to a brighter fashion future.
#1: Rewear
We say it time and time again but the most sustainable garment is the one that’s already in your wardrobe. We recommend following the #30wears movement, founded by climate activist Livia Firth, as well as creating your own capsule wardrobe (see our how-to guide), comprising a limited selection of staples or investment pieces you can mix and match.
#2: Refresh
Our goal is to reduce the number of clothes ending up in landfill due to colour fading, shrinkage and misshaping as a result of over-washing. And so, as part of our mission to Wash Less, Wash Well, we urge you to only wash when necessary. Natural fibres like wool, for example, can go wash-free for 7-10 wears, while denim can last up to a month. Instead of a full spin, refresh your pieces between washes by spritzing with finishing spray. They’ve been specially formulated to relax a fabric’s fibres and smooth out creases and wrinkles, whilst infusing fabrics with long-lasting fragrance.
#3: Repair
We encourage you to give damaged or faded pieces a new lease of life, by learning to sew, knit or even dye, so you can rewear them again and again (even moth-eaten, holey knitwear can easily be made whole again with a little TLC). For clothing alterations and repairs made easy, try the Sojo App, which will do all the needlework for you.
#4: Reinvent
Try restyling your wardrobe in different ways by mixing and matching items (for example, wearing a white shirt with tailored suit and heels in the office, or with jeans and trainers at the weekend). If something no longer fits you, or you don’t get much wear out of it in its current form, consider repurposing it into a unique piece you won’t find in store.
#5: Relove
Instead of buying new, shop pre-loved fashion (we love Oxfam’s ethically-sourced secondhand collection, which includes staples for every season, and also Vestiare Collective, where you can shop pre-loved luxury fashion) or try clothes swaps with friends and family. Consider also subscribing to rental fashion such as By Rotation - a sustainable way to share the love around and experiment with styles at the same time.
#6: Recycle
If you’ve got unwanted but otherwise undamaged clothes, there’s no need to throw them away. Give them to friends or family, donate them to a charity organisation like Give Your Best (which gifts pre-loved clothes to those who need them most) or sell them on a platform like Depop, or again, Vestiaire Collective, to live on in another’s wardrobe.
#7: Re-evaluate
Before you buy new, reassess what and where you buy. Look for ethical and sustainable credentials, as well as the use of recycled or recyclable materials, such as Riley Studio’s recycled cashmere, whilst seeking out brands which are actively inspiring social change and equality, such as Fund Jumpers, with their mission to help fight childhood hunger.
The key to redesigning the fashion industry’s future isn’t just about adopting more sustainable production methods, but also changing our modes of consumption. So use ‘The Seven Sustainable Spins’ as a guide and reference to help you develop a lasting relationship with your favourite clothes, so you can do your bit for the planet.
