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Boy have I got a book for you! https://www.amazon.com.au/Fashion-Sustainability-Kate-Fletcher-ebook/dp/B00JB8I57W https://www.amazon.com.au/Fashion-Sustainabil

Boy have I got a book for you! https://www.amazon.com.au/Fashion-Sustainability-Kate-Fletcher-ebook/dp/B00JB8I57W https://www.amazon.com.au/Fashion-Sustainability-Kate-Fletch... The entire clothing industry is fucked. All you can do is buy clothes that will last as long as possible and you'll wear until you use them as rags, or buy pre-owned clothes and do the same. Buy from places whom manufacture clothing locally. Buy from places that manufacture clothing using deadstock (AKA the offcuts of fast fashion and fabric that is destined for landfill). Buy from places that make clothing they encourage you to "pass on" (either to your children, through their own "refurbishment" program or through secondary markets). The garments you buy, even using organic cotton, use more resources to produce than plastic garbage you buy at Walmart or Target. The most impact you can have is using the clothes for as long as possible, and support business whom have sustainable-as-possible practices (without greenwashing).

switch007 4y ago
I really struggle with finding good quality clothes that last. Price is not a strong indicator but I do find fabric weight a fairly good indicator. Any other tips?
- Mandatum 4y ago
  It depends on the type of garment, and how you plan to use it. For example if you're buying tshirts, ring-spun cotton is ideal. Thicker and heavier the weight (gsm), the better. Quality stitching, see if it's double-stitched along the bottom, or if it's made by hand - backstitched. Silk and linen will last longer, but you also need to be more careful with them. You can't throw them in the dryer. Cotton is good for casual wear if it's heavy gsm, ring-spun and has good stitching but silk and linen will outlast you and your children. Seriously, you can buy suits from the early 1900's that just need new stitching. Blended cotton is made to be stronger, but will age weirdly if you're using a dryer. The tension of the different blends of polyester and cotton will fuck up your garment over time. It's also not suitable for exercise or if you sweat a lot. If you're just wearing it around the house - blended is a great choice - but you'll need to be careful as most blended garments are made that way because they're cheaper to produce and "feel good". So you'll have more shitty manufacturing practices to look out for. There are great $5 t-shirts mass manufactured in Bangladesh out there, and there are shitty $70 t-shirts made by hand in the US. White and Black is a good choice, as both can be dyed or bleached (start with oxygen-based bleach like OxiClean before trying chlorinated bleach on fabric) to look like new. This is just t-shirts. Dresses and skirts, jeans, dress pants, shoes, everything else has their own specific instructions. Most of the time the manufacturer knows better than any guide you read online about the product, read the tags. And I didn't even get started on wool tshirts designed for hikers. Oil stains aren't the end of the world. Starting with white tshirts and ending up with black (or dark-colored) dyed shirts is a great way to prolong the life of an oil-stained garment you can't get the oil out of.

switch007 4y ago

I really struggle with finding good quality clothes that last. Price is not a strong indicator but I do find fabric weight a fairly good indicator. Any other tips?

Mandatum 4y ago
It depends on the type of garment, and how you plan to use it. For example if you're buying tshirts, ring-spun cotton is ideal. Thicker and heavier the weight (gsm), the better. Quality stitching, see if it's double-stitched along the bottom, or if it's made by hand - backstitched. Silk and linen will last longer, but you also need to be more careful with them. You can't throw them in the dryer. Cotton is good for casual wear if it's heavy gsm, ring-spun and has good stitching but silk and linen will outlast you and your children. Seriously, you can buy suits from the early 1900's that just need new stitching. Blended cotton is made to be stronger, but will age weirdly if you're using a dryer. The tension of the different blends of polyester and cotton will fuck up your garment over time. It's also not suitable for exercise or if you sweat a lot. If you're just wearing it around the house - blended is a great choice - but you'll need to be careful as most blended garments are made that way because they're cheaper to produce and "feel good". So you'll have more shitty manufacturing practices to look out for. There are great $5 t-shirts mass manufactured in Bangladesh out there, and there are shitty $70 t-shirts made by hand in the US. White and Black is a good choice, as both can be dyed or bleached (start with oxygen-based bleach like OxiClean before trying chlorinated bleach on fabric) to look like new. This is just t-shirts. Dresses and skirts, jeans, dress pants, shoes, everything else has their own specific instructions. Most of the time the manufacturer knows better than any guide you read online about the product, read the tags. And I didn't even get started on wool tshirts designed for hikers. Oil stains aren't the end of the world. Starting with white tshirts and ending up with black (or dark-colored) dyed shirts is a great way to prolong the life of an oil-stained garment you can't get the oil out of.