When The Duchess of Cambridge wore an Alexander McQueen gown in February this year that she had been pictured wearing back in 2012, she was praised—by the very same publications that have historically shamed public figures for turning up to major events in previously seen clothes. Why the sudden U-turn? Because ‘fast’ fashion—that is, the purchase of a new shirt or dress for every occasion, facilitated by highly affordable catwalk-copycat brands, such as ASOS—has been replaced by a ‘slow’ fashion movement. Reports that 300,000 tons of used clothing ends up in UK landfill every year has prompted a revival of make do and mend, encouraging increasing numbers of people to take a renewed interest in maintenance, to buy second-hand and to choose quality over quantity.
Lauren Bravo, author of How to Break Up with Fast Fashion (published by Headline, 2020), is a former shopaholic. ‘I was constantly shopping, either scrolling on my phone or walking up and down Oxford Street,’ she confesses. ‘Since finding out more about the humanitarian side of fashion —the exploitation found throughout the supply chain—I decided to go for a year without buying anything new.’ In her book, Miss Bravo highlights that textile production creates some 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, which is more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Of course, there are some textile recycling collections, but the technology doesn’t yet exist to fully rework all old clothes into usable fabric. ‘At best, it gets used in mattress stuffing or insulation,’ she explains. ‘That’s obviously better than landfill, but it’s still labour intensive. The best thing we can do is to use less, for longer.’
Denne historien er fra November 18, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra November 18, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
