The smart way to shop sustainably By doing our homework and being aware about what we buy, we can all do our bit to help the planet
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THE WAY FORWARD 1. Wool coat, £925, Another Tomorrow (matchesfashion.com) 2. Certified-wool cardigan, £139, and tank, £109, both Whistles (whistles.com) 3. Printed silk velvet skirt £249, Brora (broraonline.com) 4. Organic shirt, £250 0, and jeans, £195, both Mother of Pearl (motherofpearl.co.uk k)
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Moaning that shopping sustainably is expensive really doesn’t cut it
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of the provenance of what we buy. Moaning that shopping sustainably is expensive really doesn’t cut it. H&M, Zara and co are all pushing out ranges that claim to be more eco-aware. They’re not perfect, but shop these and they’ll get the message that we care about this stuff. Buy less. Or from vintage sites – so well-curated and packaged now that even the fussiest will find the experience enjoyable. As for the niche brands – they deserve our support. This trouser suit by Aspiga, for instance, is made from organic (stretch) cotton needlecord. If you want more luxury, Another Tomorrow, like The Row but less expensive, has impeccable eco and welfare credentials. Meanwhile, Mother of Pearl’s fashion direc-
to or Amy Powney is passionate on th he subject and delivers values yo ou can trust at a mid-price point with a high-fashion eye. Even w laabels, that don’t make a song an nd dance about it, such as Erde em, are making small batches in n the UK and Europe, using prroperly paid craftspeople. In other words, there are many ways to approach the m sh hopping challenges ahead. Th his Gucci bag? I lusted after it fo or years and eventually, about 10 0 years ago, I got my hands on on ne. And boy do I treasure it. I’v ve just seen a pre-owned one on n farfetch.com for £1,600, which is considerably more than w I paid for this one in 2012. Iff I ever want to get rid of it, I’ll tu urn it into profit, not landfill.
Photography: Sarah Brick. Styling: Sophie Tobin. Make-up: Charli Avery. Hair: Graziella Cawt w horne Vella
ACCORDING TO the new ‘laws’, everything I’m wearing in this picture is sustainable. No smugness here. Dressing sustainably is a bit like practising safe sex – open to interpretation. It can be recycled, which sounds great, until you discover it was made in LA. It can be ‘faux’ leather – better for animals, but terrible in terms of CO2 emissions. It can be ‘vintage’ – and only a year old. It can be deadstock (made from off-cuts of fabric that used to be jettisoned), or old stock (ie last season), but your buying it may ultimately be e fuelue ling more demand for said stock. s Complicated? It gets mo ore so. In China, they’re making extra plastic bottles so that the faashion industry can greenwash its wares by advertising that th hey’re made from recycled bottless. Conversely, things that sound s pretty bad, aren’t always. Polyester gets a terrible press, but b if you’re wearing old, good qualq ity polyester (not all are equ ual) that would otherwise haave been dumped then, well, OK. O Leather? If you’re a committed vegan there’s probab bly no such concept in your miind as humanely farmed. So this t comes down to personal ethe ics. But good-quality leaather can be almost infinitelly repaired, as the awe-inspiringly skilled crew at The Restorry will tell you. Look after it and it will look after you. As for wh hether the animals were well treaated – this can be checked out on many brands’ websites. The clu ue’s in the price. A really cheap le eather bag? You do the maths. An nd ask the questions. That way eve en the less responsible fashion brands b will realise this stuff matterrs. I suppose I’m saying we w all need to become more cogn nisant
STELLA | 16 JA N UA RY 2022
Document: 1006CC-STMMA-1-160122-A006C-XX.pdf;Format:(205.00 x 260.00 mm);Date: 11.Jan 2022 14:12:04; Telegraph
The conversation Lisa Armstrong
