With all high street stores becoming more and more expensive, the best way to update your wardrobe is by working with what you already have. Your existing clothes can be altered to fit you better, mended to have them looking good as new and even upcycled so you can try out a new look when your old clothes don't work for you anymore.
With online retail bigger than ever before in the years following the pandemic, it is so easy now to get your hands on the latest trends and the clothes you want from the comfort of your own home. So why choose to alter and mend what you already have?
Something I personally feel passionate about is sustainability in fashion, so here's some facts to show you why. In the UK, 350,000 tonnes (around £140 million worth) of used but still wearable clothing is put into landfill every year (Clothes aid, n.d). These statistics show that there is still a huge emphasis on waste culture in fashion, partly down to the many new clothing trends brought out every year. We feel somewhat obliged to follow new fashion trends, and with influencers (who get their clothes gifted) plastered all over social media, its no wonder we feel this way but the reality of this is that it costs so much money!
To save yourself some money, and your perfectly good clothes from landfill, why not consider instead altering, mending what you already have? We've all bought something that didn't fit quite right and then never bothered to return it to the shop, we're all human, but just because something doesn't fit right off the shelf doesn't mean that it can't be the best fitting and most comfortable thing you own. And just because your most loved wardrobe pieces are a bit worn, doesn't mean they are destined for the landfill, you can have them mended and looking like new for years to come for a fraction of the price of buying brand new.
Some more great ideas to keep clothes from the landfill include, donating to charity, buying second-hand and upcycling your own out of style clothes to create garments and textile items you love and will use for years to come.
There are so many reasons to give your wardrobe a breath of new life by mending and altering so visit my 'Alterations Services' page for options for mending and altering your clothes today, or reach out via the 'Get in Touch' to discuss any alterations, mending or even upcycling projects you have for me! I'm always happy to help!
Resources
Clothes aid (n.d) 'Facts on Clothes Recycling' [online] found in clothesaid.co.uk. Available at: Facts on Clothes Recycling - Clothes Aid [Accessed 03/03/2024]