Check out our new ‘How-to’ guide for the DRESS RETRO shift. It includes all the info on how to approach this in a step by step way, with resources, guides, tips, links and more.

Every item of clothing we buy has emissions associated with it. We need to reduce the amount we buy to help reduce these emissions. The science shows we need to target keeping to three new items of clothing per year.

Don’t worry! This doesn’t include socks, underwear or shoes (thankfully!) It also doesn’t include second hand, rented, shared, recycled or refurbished clothes. So this doesn’t mean you can’t change up your wardrobe and look fabulous!

If you’re ‘Taking the Jump’ for 1 or 3 months, then why not try to avoid buying anything new at all during the period? 

WHY DRESS RETRO?

The clothing and textiles industry now accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than international aviation and shipping combined. Fast fashion means we are buying and replacing clothing more frequently than ever before. 

Lower prices often means poorer quality clothes that don’t last as long, but these low prices have also resulted from unseen human and environmental costs such as pollution of rivers, poor working conditions, low wages and exploitation of workers in factories. 

The pace of the fashion industry has been increasing; instead of just two seasons, some fashion retailers now offer 24 changing collections each year. Before the advent of fast fashion, we wore our clothing 40 more times before getting rid of it than at the turn of the millennium. 

When we dispose of clothes, we might donate them to a charity or secondhand shop. However, supply is outstripping demand locally, and up to 70% of donated clothing ends up being exported through textile merchants to be sold to people in developing countries, disrupting local economies and livelihoods. 

Clothes that are thrown away or are not suitable for reuse or recycling mostly end up in landfill or incinerators. 

How TO DRESS RETRO

Check out the ‘How-to’ guide for DRESS RETRO!

It covers:

1. What is DRESS RETRO?

2. Why DRESS RETRO? 

3. Step by step guide to DRESSING RETRO 

1. Take it step by step

2. Start with the right approach 

3. Connect with others for support

4. Having fun with DRESS RETRO

4. Resources to help

   1. Apps

   2. Websites

   3. Podcasts

   4. TED talks

   5. Movies

Here’s a sneak peak to whet your appetite

If you think it may be hard to do this shift straight away, that’s ok! It's enough to try what you can and just build from there. Here’s a suggested approach for building up to DRESS RETRO step by step:

1. Check that you really need something

   Have a good look through what you already own. Maybe you’ve old clothes you’ve forgotten about? Try reorganising and rediscovering what you have. It costs nothing!

2. Try alternatives to buying new 

   Here are some options for changing your wardrobe without buying new:

   1. BUY SECOND HAND - Try a local thrift shop, or online with sites like Depop, Vinted and Ebay.

   2. REPAIR EXISTING CLOTHES - upcycle or refurbish them. Check out Repair What You Wear for inspiration and tips, or go to a local repair shop, or investigate local tailors or craftspeople. And if the damage is too great, you could even try turning it into something else.

   3. RENT, SHARE OR SWAP CLOTHES - Sometimes we just need something for a particular event or period. If a big part of your life involves having an up-to-date wardrobe, consider a clothing hire subscription service as a way of enabling this without contributing to the high turnover of clothing production. Rent the Runway in the US, HURR collective peer-to-peer lending in the UK and Bundlee for baby clothing are just a few examples of these services. 

   Check out the below “Have fun with Dress Retro” section, and the “Resources” section for all sorts of useful material.

3. When you buy new clothes, buy for quality, durability and sustainability

   The clothes might be more expensive but if it will last three times as long but is only double the price, that’s a financial saving and better for the environment too. Instead of buying clothes made of man-made and synthetic materials, opt for clothes that are made ethically with natural materials.

4. Once you're ready, only buy 3 new items of clothing a year

   One you’ve tried steps 1-3, maybe you’re ready to go all the way and see if you can keep to 3 items going forward.

If you have any comments or cool things we can add to this guide, do contact us at team@takethejump.org

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