Is there really a eco-conscious way to ditch the worn-out clothes you no longer wear? Fleur Britten discovers how every unloved item can have a happy ending (yes, even your old socks)
s we approach Christmas, my mind always starts to panic about
acquiring more planet-polluting “stuff” – for myself, my friends and
my family. Since the pandemic began, many of us have been asking how necessary all these new things really are. Maybe we have enough already, and if we don’t, shouldn’t we be applying more stringent, more conscious criteria?
Much of my surplus stuff can be found in my wardrobe, a perfect example of the “80/20” model, where only 20 per cent of it is regularly used. Why keep the 80 per cent? Well, mainly because I don’t know what to do with it, so ignoring it has been the easy way out. But with the new year approaching, it feels like high time for a clothing detox, so I call on the expertise of professional declutterer Vicky Silverthorn.
Vicky’s first tip is to give a sense of purpose to your decluttering. “Finding something good to do with your clothing will spur you on to do a better job than if you have no direction,” she explains. My target is a “conscious” cleanse, to avoid these clothes ending up in landfill. Vicky helps me to reflect on what I once loved about my unworn items, and how they could be given more appeal. “I try to ease the decision,” she says. “Ask yourself if you’d wear an item if it were shorter, or taken in, or – in the case of trousers – turned into shorts.”
Fortunately, I find dozens of inspirational ideas around how to restore old clothes in need of a bit of love on the Take Care section of H&M’s website. There are great tips on how to freshen things up and rid them of bad smells, as well as lots of creative ways to upcycle items you’ve become bored with, or that are torn or stained. With a little guidance, it turns out there’s plenty of wear left in my garments.
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Illustrations by: Oriana Fenwick & Antonio Sortino for Bridge Studio
Out with the old
Fleur Britten is preparing for the new year with
a clothing detox
The most important question to ask
yourself is, ‘Can I
ive without this?’
Artist's impression
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Reuse and recycle: where to take your tired clothes
I bought this dress from a vintage shop, even though it was moth-eaten, because I loved the colour, the shoulders and its forgiving shape. But the moth holes are not exactly elegant, so I’ll be following H&M’s Take Care instructions to shorten the hem and return it to glory.
The pieces I’m going to upcycle or recycle
how to reboot your wardrObe responsibly
Professional declutterer
Vicky Silverthorn is on
hand to help with those tough calls
But can we really keep clothes out of landfill? Actually, for the vast majority, we can. Take socks, which almost always end up in the bin, according to the sustainability charity Wrap. Its recent survey found that 83 per cent of underwear is thrown away. But there’s a better place for them – and, in fact, for any item that doesn’t make the creative cut when it comes to upcycling.
H&M’s in-store recycling scheme will take your worn-out garments and give them a new purpose – for example, they might be turned into cleaning cloths or textile fibres to be used in insulation or car-seat stuffing. Plus, every time you drop something off, members collect H&M Conscious points to spend on yourself or your loved ones. Recycling loveworn old favourites and receiving money off your next wardrobe staple – what’s not to like about that?
As for those items I still love but don’t wear, Vicky helps me make some tough decisions about what to cull and what to hold on to. “The most important question to ask yourself is, ‘Can I live without this now?’” she says. She advises against trying to work out when you last wore something: “If it’s been a while, that might be because your wardrobe is in such a state, you couldn’t see it.” And, of course, thanks to all the pandemic-driven disruption, our clothing needs are still in flux: I shouldn’t be too hasty in eliminating things that haven’t been worn for a year.
Having helped thousands of people reconnect with the contents of their wardrobes, Vicky reminds me that we can be too precious with our clothes. “Just get it out and wear it!” she urges. Life – as we know now – is too short to leave our most treasured items in the closet.
Feeling inspired, with Vicky’s help I identified five pieces to be refreshed
or reincarnated.
This T-shirt has had a lot of love over the years, as well as an update when I chopped off the sleeves to get a bit more wear out of it. But it’s now ripped in a way that is past cool, and discoloured and blemished, so it can be more useful by being made into a cleaning cloth.
I try to wear clothes into the ground, but the reality of that is the inevitability of bigger and bigger holes. I’ve loved these jeans for about ten years, and once I’ve followed H&M’s denim patching guide, I’ll be able to love them for many more.
I actually made this dress myself, so it’s very special to me, if a little minimal for my liking. Fortunately, my kids have acquired heaps of stick-on jewels that I’m going to “borrow” and add to my dress, according to H&M’s Bling it up hack.
I’ve been in denial about this jumper for roughly seven years – which is how long it hasn’t been worn for, because it’s become irreparably threadbare and weirdly misshapen. Knitwear that lies undisturbed in dark drawers is a moth trap, so it’s time for its next life and a new purpose as some comfy stuffing.
Recycling and
getting money
off your next wardrobe staple – what’s not to like?
DRAFT
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Help H&M close the loop by bringing in the clothing or textiles you’re ready to let go of, by any brand, and no matter how hopeless the condition – even holey socks. Every single store is taking part, so just drop off your items at the garment recycling bins at any time of the year.
For every bag you hand over to the Garment Collecting programme, members are rewarded with Conscious points, which will give you money off your next H&M purchase – whether you’re buying for yourself or for a loved one this festive season.
You can also earn Conscious points every time you take H&M purchases away in your own shopping bag, or buy an item from its Conscious range (a more environmentally friendly collection of wardrobe staples made with at least 50 per cent sustainably sourced materials, such as organic cotton and recycled polyester – look out for the green “Conscious” tags). To find out more, go to hm.com
Vicky’s first tip is to give a sense of purpose to your decluttering. “Finding something good to do with your clothing will spur you on to do a better job than if you have no direction,” she explains. My target is a “conscious” cleanse, to avoid these clothes ending up in landfill. Vicky helps me to reflect on what I once loved about my unworn items, and how they could be given more appeal. “I try to ease the decision,” she says. “Ask yourself if you’d wear an item if it were shorter, or taken in, or – in the case of trousers – turned into shorts.”
Fortunately, I find dozens of inspirational ideas around how to restore old clothes in need of a bit of love on the Take Care section of H&M’s website. There are great tips on how to freshen things up and rid them of bad smells, as well as lots of creative ways to upcycle items you’ve become bored with, or that are torn or stained. With a little guidance, it turns out there’s plenty of wear left in my garments.