Nine years ago today (24 April 2013), Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed, killing over 1,100 people and maiming over 2,500 others. Rana Plaza is an eight-story building housing five clothing factories, manufacturing clothes for major retail brands from all over the world—brands you and I would have been familiar with and may have been shopping from for years. This bloody tragedy becomes a huge wake up call for the fashion industry, kickstarting a global movement that demands transparency and accountability for more sustainable practices in producing, marketing and selling garments.
Since then, on the week commencing 24 April, people all over the world rise up to demand a Fashion Revolution. We want to see the brands take meaningful action and make real changes. We want to make sure that garment workers are being treated fairly, justly and respectably. We want to know that the environment doesn’t brunt the cost of the apparels that we wear on a daily basis. Ultimately, we demand a better practice that will lead to a better world—environmentally, socially and culturally. If you care about these values as much as we do, you can join us too—it’s really very simple. These are a few things we can all do to demand better.
Nine years ago today (24 April 2013), Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed, killing over 1,100 people and maiming over 2,500 others. Rana Plaza is an eight-story building housing five clothing factories, manufacturing clothes for major retail brands from all over the world—brands you and I would have been familiar with and may have been shopping from for years. This bloody tragedy becomes a huge wake up call for the fashion industry, kickstarting a global movement that demands transparency and accountability for more sustainable practices in producing, marketing and selling garments.
Since then, on the week commencing 24 April, people all over the world rise up to demand a Fashion Revolution. We want to see the brands take meaningful action and make real changes. We want to make sure that garment workers are being treated fairly, justly and respectably. We want to know that the environment doesn’t brunt the cost of the apparels that we wear on a daily basis. Ultimately, we demand a better practice that will lead to a better world—environmentally, socially and culturally. If you care about these values as much as we do, you can join us too—it’s really very simple. These are a few things we can all do to demand better.
Ask #WhoMadeMyClothes
Today you may see that various major retail fashion brands have turned a new leaf—starting a recycling program, coming up with green product lines, claiming to source their materials responsibly. But don’t be fooled! Most of these brands are simply green-washing, telling their customers what they want to hear to appease them—not making any real changes in the process.
This is why it is important for us as consumers to demand their transparency and accountability. Starting with asking the simple question of #whomademyclothes and expanding it further to #whatsinmyclothes. We need to know the faces behind each of our pieces, to be sure that these people are treated well and paid fairly for their hard work. We also need to know that nature isn’t harmed in the making of the clothes that we wear. Most importantly, the brands need to know they cannot get away with anything.
Ask #WhoMadeMyClothes
Today you may see that various major retail fashion brands have turned a new leaf—starting a recycling program, coming up with green product lines, claiming to source their materials responsibly. But don’t be fooled! Most of these brands are simply green-washing, telling their customers what they want to hear to appease them—not making any real changes in the process.
This is why it is important for us as consumers to demand their transparency and accountability. Starting with asking the simple question of #whomademyclothes and expanding it further to #whatsinmyclothes. We need to know the faces behind each of our pieces, to be sure that these people are treated well and paid fairly for their hard work. We also need to know that nature isn’t harmed in the making of the clothes that we wear. Most importantly, the brands need to know they cannot get away with anything.
Choose Haulternatives
According to Fashion Revolution, haulternative is “a way of refreshing your wardrobe without buying new clothes” (2017)—to be more specific, there are 9 ways to do so. Originally, it’s a social movement where people share contents doing one of the nine ways—love story, broken but beautiful, fashion fix, 2hand, swap, DIY, vintage, hire, and slow.
Love story is basically a call-to-action to adore what you own, due to its sentimental value. In contrast, broken but beautiful is all about loving your clothes only after it’s less than perfect in its own unique way. Fashion fix is a middle ground between these two, in which you give your clothes a makeover to make it last—and maybe get even cuter in the process. 2hand is pretty self-explanatory—thrifting from your local charity shop—although I’d also add hand-me-downs here too. Swap is an act of trading clothing items—you’d otherwise no longer wear—to your friends and/or strangers. DIY stands for Do It Yourself, which means making items of clothing yourself—upcycling old ones or craft entirely new ones.
Vintage is a no-brainer—buying old clothes with great historical value to repurpose the items. For temporary wear, hire is a good solution—renting items for a particular moment, instead of purchasing. Lastly, there’s slow, which embraces traditional artisanal techniques from your local area and culture. You can choose from any of these nine instead of buying brand new—it’ll prolong the life of each item.
Choose Haulternatives
According to Fashion Revolution, haulternative is “a way of refreshing your wardrobe without buying new clothes” (2017)—to be more specific, there are 9 ways to do so. Originally, it’s a social movement where people share contents doing one of the nine ways—love story, broken but beautiful, fashion fix, 2hand, swap, DIY, vintage, hire, and slow.
Love story is basically a call-to-action to adore what you own, due to its sentimental value. In contrast, broken but beautiful is all about loving your clothes only after it’s less than perfect in its own unique way. Fashion fix is a middle ground between these two, in which you give your clothes a makeover to make it last—and maybe get even cuter in the process. 2hand is pretty self-explanatory—thrifting from your local charity shop—although I’d also add hand-me-downs here too. Swap is an act of trading clothing items—you’d otherwise no longer wear—to your friends and/or strangers. DIY stands for Do It Yourself, which means making items of clothing yourself—upcycling old ones or craft entirely new ones.
Vintage is a no-brainer—buying old clothes with great historical value to repurpose the items. For temporary wear, hire is a good solution—renting items for a particular moment, instead of purchasing. Lastly, there’s slow, which embraces traditional artisanal techniques from your local area and culture. You can choose from any of these nine instead of buying brand new—it’ll prolong the life of each item.
Learn About Slow Fashion
In case you are new to the issue, you may have a lot of questions in mind: What is fast fashion? What is slow fashion? Why should I care about this issue? Well, maybe this is your chance to learn.
In short, fast fashion is the way major fashion brands have been operating to this day—producing throw-away items and short-lived trends while drowning the earth with stuff in the process. There are so many problematic aspects of fast fashion—environmental, social, physical and cultural—that it has become unsustainable for the earth and also for our society.
In the throes of this issue, slow fashion comes as its antithesis. What is it exactly? How does it differ from fast fashion? How do you support it? These are all the things I’m going over in my book, feel free to read it to find out more—get yours here!
Learn About Slow Fashion
In case you are new to the issue, you may have a lot of questions in mind: What is fast fashion? What is slow fashion? Why should I care about this issue? Well, maybe this is your chance to learn.
In short, fast fashion is the way major fashion brands have been operating to this day—producing throw-away items and short-lived trends while drowning the earth with stuff in the process. There are so many problematic aspects of fast fashion—environmental, social, physical and cultural—that it has become unsustainable for the earth and also for our society.
In the throes of this issue, slow fashion comes as its antithesis. What is it exactly? How does it differ from fast fashion? How do you support it? These are all the things I’m going over in my book, feel free to read it to find out more—get yours here!
Rekindle Love for Your Wardrobe
You know what they say, the best way to shop for clothes is to buy nothing at all. Let’s face it! Most of us have too many clothes already. They bulge inside our wardrobes—waiting to be worn— yet every time we look at them, we feel like we have nothing to wear. Isn’t that just crazy? Whatever happened to the love we felt when we first purchased or received these items? If these clothes were our friends, I don’t think we would’ve tossed them to the curb as easily. We will do our best to find the spark we once had with them–that’s what we should do with our clothes. But how do we do that exactly?
Previously, I’ve written a post on this topic—which you can read right here—and also about how you can keep yourself from buying new clothes, following my successful unplanned no-shopping year. Ultimately, though, I would recommend finding new and fun ways to wear our clothes. One of the best ways to achieve this—that I absolutely love—is to challenge ourselves with a fashion mixology or 10×10 challenge. Basically, both these challenges require us to only wear a limited number of clothing pieces for a certain amount of time. The challenge, really, is to come up with as many varying outfits as we can using only those items we’ve decided on beforehand. Here’s my own rendition of the fashion mixology, if you fancy a peek.
Regularly Declutter Your Clothes
Rekindle Love for Your Wardrobe
You know what they say, the best way to shop for clothes is to buy nothing at all. Let’s face it! Most of us have too many clothes already. They bulge inside our wardrobes—waiting to be worn— yet every time we look at them, we feel like we have nothing to wear. Isn’t that just crazy? Whatever happened to the love we felt when we first purchased or received these items? If these clothes were our friends, I don’t think we would’ve tossed them to the curb as easily. We will do our best to find the spark we once had with them–that’s what we should do with our clothes. But how do we do that exactly?
Previously, I’ve written a post on this topic—which you can read right here—and also about how you can keep yourself from buying new clothes, following my successful unplanned no-shopping year. Ultimately, though, I would recommend finding new and fun ways to wear our clothes. One of the best ways to achieve this—that I absolutely love—is to challenge ourselves with a fashion mixology or 10×10 challenge. Basically, both these challenges require us to only wear a limited number of clothing pieces for a certain amount of time. The challenge, really, is to come up with as many varying outfits as we can using only those items we’ve decided on beforehand. Here’s my own rendition of the fashion mixology, if you fancy a peek.
Regularly Declutter Your Clothes
Oftentimes the reason we are so dissatisfied with our clothes is because we have outgrown them—perhaps physically, perhaps emotionally. That’s why we need to regularly reassess our wardrobe. Take a good hard look at the clothes that you own and filter through them. Be harsh with yourself, keep only those you will actually wear. I know, it’s an entirely emotional process, but our clothes deserve better than being only reluctantly kept.
Two years ago, I started my first major decluttering process—and it has developed into a habit ever since, kickstarting regular decluttering sessions. And, honestly, giving away things I no longer fit into—whether in size or in taste—feels so liberating every time. There is that comfort that comes with knowing that everything that you own is exactly what you want. It is easier said than done, of course—especially when you’re going through a huge transitional phase in your life—but, trust me, it’s better than holding to things we no longer want.
Oftentimes the reason we are so dissatisfied with our clothes is because we have outgrown them—perhaps physically, perhaps emotionally. That’s why we need to regularly reassess our wardrobe. Take a good hard look at the clothes that you own and filter through them. Be harsh with yourself, keep only those you will actually wear. I know, it’s an entirely emotional process, but our clothes deserve better than being only reluctantly kept.
Two years ago, I started my first major decluttering process—and it has developed into a habit ever since, kickstarting regular decluttering sessions. And, honestly, giving away things I no longer fit into—whether in size or in taste—feels so liberating every time. There is that comfort that comes with knowing that everything that you own is exactly what you want. It is easier said than done, of course—especially when you’re going through a huge transitional phase in your life—but, trust me, it’s better than holding to things we no longer want.
Normalise Outfit Repeats
It is 2022—so how are we still shaming people for wearing the same thing over and over again? Isn’t that a good thing? They’re getting the most out of the clothes that they own, so I say let’s normalise it! There are actually a lot of good qualities that can come from repeating outfits. Not only do we get the most out of our clothes, it also saves a lot of our time—since we don’t need to think about what to wear anymore, we already know. That time and energy can be channeled into more productive and beneficial things, like pursuing our passion or solving world hunger—who knows?
You may see me on this blog and think, well, I don’t really repeat outfits, do I? Oh, my friend, you’ll be mistaken. Off camera, I do repeat most of the outfits I wear on this blog. And, even when I don’t, I always re-wear a lot of the items that I own—I’ve got clothes that date back to 2007-2008, if not earlier. I even created a whole segment just for remixing outfits since I take great pride in re-wearing—and you should too.
Normalise Outfit Repeats
It is 2022—so how are we still shaming people for wearing the same thing over and over again? Isn’t that a good thing? They’re getting the most out of the clothes that they own, so I say let’s normalise it! There are actually a lot of good qualities that can come from repeating outfits. Not only do we get the most out of our clothes, it also saves a lot of our time—since we don’t need to think about what to wear anymore, we already know. That time and energy can be channeled into more productive and beneficial things, like pursuing our passion or solving world hunger—who knows?
You may see me on this blog and think, well, I don’t really repeat outfits, do I? Oh, my friend, you’ll be mistaken. Off camera, I do repeat most of the outfits I wear on this blog. And, even when I don’t, I always re-wear a lot of the items that I own—I’ve got clothes that date back to 2007-2008, if not earlier. I even created a whole segment just for remixing outfits since I take great pride in re-wearing—and you should too.
Learn Proper Care
It is a no-brainer that anything can only last as long as we take care of it—including clothes. However, despite wearing them on a daily basis, very few of us actually know how to properly care for our clothes. Not going to lie, I’m not very good at it myself. Getting back in love with our clothes is awesome and all, but it will be for nothing if we don’t learn how to care for them.
There are so many various materials of clothes out there—and I will guarantee that in our wardrobe alone there are plenty—each of which require different ways of care. The way we wash, dry, iron and even fold each material can be crucial to prolonging its lifespan. While I’m not a good practitioner of this myself, I have included this information in my book as well—which, again, you can get here. You’ll be surprised how groundbreaking a simple tender love and care can be.
Learn Proper Care
It is a no-brainer that anything can only last as long as we take care of it—including clothes. However, despite wearing them on a daily basis, very few of us actually know how to properly care for our clothes. Not going to lie, I’m not very good at it myself. Getting back in love with our clothes is awesome and all, but it will be for nothing if we don’t learn how to care for them.
There are so many various materials of clothes out there—and I will guarantee that in our wardrobe alone there are plenty—each of which require different ways of care. The way we wash, dry, iron and even fold each material can be crucial to prolonging its lifespan. While I’m not a good practitioner of this myself, I have included this information in my book as well—which, again, you can get here. You’ll be surprised how groundbreaking a simple tender love and care can be.
Choose Repair Over Replace
Clothes that get worn often will develop wear and tear, that’s normal! Even after you take care of it properly, unexpected things may happen that damages your clothes—a rip here and there, eventual fraying, discolourisation, you name it. When that happens, though, don’t be quick to discard your clothes but choose to repair it instead.
There are numerous ways in which you can do this—sometimes even upgrading the item in the process. If you’re a newbie at this, I would recommend these 5 easy DIYs to try first. Most of them don’t require any sewing, so it should be a piece of cake. If you’re a little more experienced, perhaps blogs like Honestly WTF or A Beautiful Mess could inspire you. Here are a couple of DIYs I’ve done in the past myself—a heart jumper, illustrated shoes and an infinity scarf.
Choose Repair Over Replace
Clothes that get worn often will develop wear and tear, that’s normal! Even after you take care of it properly, unexpected things may happen that damages your clothes—a rip here and there, eventual fraying, discolourisation, you name it. When that happens, though, don’t be quick to discard your clothes but choose to repair it instead.
There are numerous ways in which you can do this—sometimes even upgrading the item in the process. If you’re a newbie at this, I would recommend these 5 easy DIYs to try first. Most of them don’t require any sewing, so it should be a piece of cake. If you’re a little more experienced, perhaps blogs like Honestly WTF or A Beautiful Mess could inspire you. Here are a couple of DIYs I’ve done in the past myself—a heart jumper, illustrated shoes and an infinity scarf.
Find Sustainable Brands
GOOD NEWS! Although major fashion brands are not ethical yet, it has become easier to find sustainable brands these days. More and more brands who are conscious about their impact have been sprouting all across the globe—brands who treat their workers with respect, brands who take the environment into major consideration. In fact, a lot of them are also supporting circular fashion—making products from what otherwise would’ve been textile waste.
If you live in Indonesia, I have recently compiled this masterguide of local ethical brands—you can also find more in my book. If you live elsewhere in the world, I would recommend checking out Good On You and some of my favourite international bloggers, such as Sustainably Chic, A Considered Life and The Unmaterial Girl to find sustainable brands local to your area.
Find Sustainable Brands
GOOD NEWS! Although major fashion brands are not ethical yet, it has become easier to find sustainable brands these days. More and more brands who are conscious about their impact have been sprouting all across the globe—brands who treat their workers with respect, brands who take the environment into major consideration. In fact, a lot of them are also supporting circular fashion—making products from what otherwise would’ve been textile waste.
If you live in Indonesia, I have recently compiled this masterguide of local ethical brands—you can also find more in my book. If you live elsewhere in the world, I would recommend checking out Good On You and some of my favourite international bloggers, such as Sustainably Chic, A Considered Life and The Unmaterial Girl to find sustainable brands local to your area.
Try Capsule Wardrobe
Okay, this one may be a little out there and controversial. I’ve talked a little about the irony of capsule wardrobes before. Most people practice this, however, by wearing only a limited number of clothes at a time to be rotated with other clothes once the time is up—usually in a seasonal fashion. This often leads them to purchasing new items when the next season comes around, completely defeating the purpose of having a capsule wardrobe. This is not what I mean.
Capsule wardrobe in its original concept can actually be a good tool to reflect on the clothes we own. We can try small with bite-size challenges, like the 10×10 challenge I mentioned earlier or expanding it further into project 333. At the end of each term, we can evaluate the items we no longer gravitate towards and decide what to do with them. Perhaps give a little DIY magic to breathe new life into them? Perhaps donate them to someone in need? Then we can proceed to repeat the challenge with other items in our wardrobe to start the process all over again.
What would be even better, though, is to really cut down the clothes we own to only a very reasonable number—say, 30 pieces at most—for the rest of our lives. Understandably, this can feel like asking the impossible of ourselves, so feel free to take baby steps and go at the pace you are comfortable with. The goal is to never waste any clothes that we own and keep ourselves from purchasing more stuff we don’t need.
So, what are you doing to revolutionize fashion today?
Try Capsule Wardrobe
Okay, this one may be a little out there and controversial. I’ve talked a little about the irony of capsule wardrobes before. Most people practice this, however, by wearing only a limited number of clothes at a time to be rotated with other clothes once the time is up—usually in a seasonal fashion. This often leads them to purchasing new items when the next season comes around, completely defeating the purpose of having a capsule wardrobe. This is not what I mean.
Capsule wardrobe in its original concept can actually be a good tool to reflect on the clothes we own. We can try small with bite-size challenges, like the 10×10 challenge I mentioned earlier or expanding it further into project 333. At the end of each term, we can evaluate the items we no longer gravitate towards and decide what to do with them. Perhaps give a little DIY magic to breathe new life into them? Perhaps donate them to someone in need? Then we can proceed to repeat the challenge with other items in our wardrobe to start the process all over again.
What would be even better, though, is to really cut down the clothes we own to only a very reasonable number—say, 30 pieces at most—for the rest of our lives. Understandably, this can feel like asking the impossible of ourselves, so feel free to take baby steps and go at the pace you are comfortable with. The goal is to never waste any clothes that we own and keep ourselves from purchasing more stuff we don’t need.
So, what are you doing to revolutionize fashion today?