Don’t waste your Christmas on Fashion
Christmas time is upon us … for me this conjures images of long cosy evenings, spending time with loved ones, a beautiful Christmas tree, delicious food and some snow if you’re lucky! For others it may be days spent on the beach, reconnecting with old friends or travelling to a new destination.
But before that, there are the parties and socialising that have become Christmas norms too! Office events, gatherings with friends, and maybe even a charitable gala or two. These can often have us searching for the perfect outfit without giving a second thought to what we already have in our closet from past seasons! As we are all learning, the social and environmental impact of these purchases is having such a huge damaging effect on our planet and people involved in the supply chain of making them.
Christmas has become a time of waste and consumer spending overload. Growing up, it was a time where we focused on family and loved ones, spending quality time together, playing board games and eating well. Over the years, as we have become more consumer-driven, the message of Christmas has become diluted and is more about accumulating things, buying more than we need and over-consuming. Sadly the statistics tell us that our eco footprint at this time of year is at its peak (think Christmas presents, clothing, cards, trees, food waste, clearing out old items…)
As a recent article in The Guardian pointed out, the UK produces nearly 300 MILLION TONNES of waste every year, and throws away enough wrapping paper to go round the equator nine times!!!
Whilst Stanford University states that Americans throw away 25% more rubbish between Thanksgiving and New Year than at any other time of the year. If we add to this the Christmas cards, unwanted gifts, kitchen supplies (tin foil, cling film etc), electronic waste, and so much more, we can’t even begin to measure how much damage we are causing through our continued pursuit of the “perfect Christmas”.
Whilst it may seem a daunting task, we can all make a change! Anything we do to reduce our impact, shop more consciously (and moderately!), and be less wasteful will contribute to making a positive change. With a little shift in focus, we can choose to make this time more meaningful again. Rather than adding to the negative impact our purchasing can have, we can choose to find meaning in this time of year!
For our Christmas Campaign, we’d like to invite you to start with your wardrobe. Pull out an old favourite outfit and give it a new lease of life! Swap with a friend or buy vintage if you must - below we share some of our tips on how to approach your Christmas wardrobe dilemmas more meaningfully :)
Find a friend to swap holiday dresses with midway through the season (between office parties, family gatherings, New Year's Eve)
Jazz up your old clothes for the holiday season with a needle and thread (or fabric glue!). Add embellishments such as buttons, lace or even sequins!
Alter an old outfit. Sometimes a simple change of hem length or altering an item to fit better can make it look/feel like new :)
Add a touch of sparkle with fun accessories - necklaces, earrings,a belt. Wear a different pair of shoes, experiment with a new hairstyle. The same outfit can look so different!
Instead of buying a fancy party dress you'll wear only once or twice, rent one for a fraction of the price (Covetella, Style Theory, and many others!)
If you really have to buy something new - gift intentionally. Ask your family member or friend what's on their Christmas wish list and get them exactly what they need/ want
Use fun brooches to pimp those basics; those unique items will automatically start a conversation and the brooch-offer out there is huge
If you really want to buy a new item of clothing/jewellery/shoes, try to purchase from brands that have an ethical or sustainable pillar or support local labels! Invest in high quality long last pieces.
