In a world where the sustainability of our clothes is becoming an increasingly urgent issue we need practical solutions
Written by Portia Lawrie
The importance of conversations around extending the life-span of our garments cannot be overstated.
The growth in popularity of disciplines such as visible mending and refashioning within our sewing community, is testament to our growing collective awareness of this need, and our willingness to engage with solutions that address it.
But while disciplines such as these offer solutions post garment construction, there are also steps we can take as garment makers (before and during the construction process itself) to increase the potential life-span of our garments; keeping them in use and on our bodies long after we've tied off and buried that last thread tail.
The choices we make about things like materials, construction, fit and style; can impact a garment's life-span as much as what we do to maintain and care for it further down the line.
The late Vivienne Westwood encapsulated a neat philosophy for shopping consciously when she famously advised people to "Buy less. Choose well. Make it last."
There's an obvious takeaway here too, for those of us that make our clothes. We can make less, make it well, and make it to last.
We can approach garment construction with a similarly neat and almost identical philosophy.
CHOOSE WELL AND MAKE IT TO LAST
Clothes that are made to last, are clothes that we can continue to wear because they withstand repeated washing and wearing; and can adapt to our changing needs over time. We can bake these qualities into the clothes we make by making sound choices about how we make them.
If we think in terms of "future proofing" our projects, we can significantly contribute to reducing waste and increasing sustainability within our making practice. Here are some key ways you can futureproof your makes and keep them in circulation longer:
CHOOSE THE RIGHT MATERIALS
Begin with the highest quality fabrics and threads you can afford, that can withstand the regular wear and tear and the type of laundering that your lifestyle will expose them to.
Textiles already in circulation such as deadstock, destash sales and refashioning existing garments, are all preferable to consuming and creating demand for virgin resources, where possible.
Natural fibres and blends such cotton, linen, Tencel and wool, launder well on a 30° cycle, and can withstand steam/high heat when p
