I've noticed a lot of discussion on this sub focuses on brands and I'd love to see more people talking about crafting in sustainable fashion! Mending to me plays a big role, but having to make your own clothes slows production right down which means you end up with less new garments overall regardless of how much money you have to spend.
There's also the flip side where a lot of fabric is non-organic cotton or viscose and it's rare to find fabric brands with certifications around worker exploitation, although there is GOTS and OTO-TEX which certify on environmental impact. One thing I like that can counteract this is the coupon rationing system used by Retro Claude. She's adapted the clothes rationing system of WWII in Britain to her own life, which limits how much new fabric and clothes she can buy in a year. I've used it before and swapped out wool (which uses more coupons) for synthetics and non-organic cotton. Secondhand items don't require coupons, which encourages you to look elsewhere for fabric.
For me though, learning to knit and to mend were the first steps I made in my sustainable fashion journey. I was 13 (bless my socks) and thought if I could knit and make my own clothes, then I could avoid all the issues with fast fashion. It's not as simple as that but it got me to start thinking about what impact I had on the planet and why the system was set up to be so destructive in the first place. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts!
Submitted July 20, 2026 at 02:19PM by infinite-long-stocki https://ift.tt/aFEuT4X