Sustainable Fashion Week 2024 runs from 20-29 September across the UK (and beyond). The aim is to encourage people to take action locally, in order to change fashion globally.
Sustainability is one of core values at Rooted Ocean and this year’s campaign resonates even more with us, as it focuses on ‘the power of repair’.
What is Sustainable Fashion Week
The Sustainable Fashion Week campaign describes itself as ‘community-led for community benefit’. It aims to explore and promote the creative ways we can share skills and knowledge, to keep clothing alive and out of landfill.
Here’s some interesting (and in some cases worrying) statistics about the fashion industry:
- 100 billion items of clothing are produced each year (nearly 14 items per human being)
- Clothing consumption is higher in the UK than anywhere else in Europe
- 13% of online clothing returns are due to faulty items
- It estimated that only 50% of returned clothing ever gets re-sold.
However on a more positive note:
- Online searches for “sustainable fashion” tripled between 2016 and 2019
- 65% of people want to know how to mend their clothing and care for their clothes to make them last longer.
The Power of Repair
To help combat the sheer volume of ultra fast fashion, this year Sustainable Fashion Week is promoting the #PowerOfRepair.
- 1/3 of people in Britain were never taught how to sew
- If a garment is repaired, it is likely to be kept in use for another 1.3 years
- Extending the life of a garment reduces its environmental impact by 20-30%
We are huge advocates of repairing clothing (and wetsuits, bags, blankets etc). So much so that we have offered a repair service for people to help them extend the life of their items.
We celebrate the scars of travel and wear on your clothing with a visible repair service on clothing, backpacks and even your favourite wetsuit.
Throughout the year people visit the workshop and drop off their loved items for us to fix up. If you don’t live in North Cornwall or don’t visit regularly, then fear not, as we offer a repair service by post too – you can book that here.
We also offer a free repair warranty on our range of Lifetime Gear products of 12-18 months (depending on the product). And after that time you can simply book it in for a paid repair.
What can you do?
There’s three key things you can do to be more sustainable when it comes to clothing:
- Buy more sustainable and ethically sourced clothing – this means looking for clothing that is organic certified and made with better textiles and fabrics. We work with OEKO- TEX who carry out textile testing for harmful substances.
- Buy quality clothing, not ‘fast fashion’ – if you buy clothing made from better quality materials, then it’s likely to last much longer. This includes wear and tear, but also shrinkage, which happens more commonly with cheaper textiles. Our clothing range is designed to last longer, as we only source high quality items.
- Get it repaired – as we saw above, repairing clothing is a great way to be more sustainable, plus means you can hang onto those items that are really comfy or you know you can never find to buy again.
The Sustainable Fashion Week website also has these suggestions:
- Reconnect – reconnect with the process of how your clothing is made; reconnect with your community to share skills and knowledge (e.g. sewing); become an activist and take action for change.
- Rewear – feel proud to wear the same outfits again and again; look for preloved clothing in local charity shops
- Regenerate – choose organic, regenerative or recycled fibres when buying new clothing; reject fast fashion and hold brands to account.
- Repurpose – repair your clothing (or get someone like us to do that); do not throw textiles into landfill and find new users instead.
We hope this has inspired you to do something about clothing, not only during Sustainable Fashion Week, but all year round!
