Fast fashion causes 10% of greenhouse gas emissions annually and is the second biggest consumer of water. It uses huge amounts of energy and water to produce and transport and one of the main reasons of microplastics being in every part of the world. The biggest players in fast fashion are Zara, Shein, Primark, UNIQLO, Forever 21 and H&M, but there are many more. Avoid the temptation of having a huge wardrobe full of affordable clothing. Research shows we only wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time, so it is worth rethinking your relationship with your clothes.

Buy good quality, durable clothes

It is better for the environment if you buy good quality, durable clothes that you don’t need to replace often. This is becoming known as ‘slow fashion’. Fast fashion clothes are not designed to last and rely on consumers buying a bigger volume of clothes to make up for the low prices they are charging. Instead, focus on brands you really like which invest in durability and sustainability. It is better to have a wardrobe that lasts with clothes that you love to wear regularly, rather than have huge variety of clothes that have a short life that you hardly wear.

Rent clothes for one-off occasions

There are now quite a few options to rent expensive clothes for special occasions, instead of buying outfit you wear once, which then sits in your wardrobe never to be seen again. Websites such as Hurr allows you to rent from and huge range of designer brands.

Buy from vintage shops

You can buy high quality, trendy clothes from vintage shops. Vintage clothes, jewellery and other accessories from designer brands have the added advantage that many of them go up in value over time and could be a good investment.

Buy from charity shops

Another option to increase your wardrobe is to buy from charity shops. This encourages reusing clothes which would otherwise end up on landfill and release toxins and microplastics into the environment. It has the added benefit of reducing your carbon footprint and helping the charity’s cause.

Rent baby clothes

If you are a new parent, there are a lot of options to rent all your baby clothes from good brands for the first years of your children’s lives and it will save you a ton of money. Companies such as Bundlee and The Little Loop offer a range of clothes from a big variety of brands.

Buy school uniform second hand

Websites such as Uniformly mean you can buy your child’s school uniform at the fraction of the price.