GREEN LIVING
DON’T BE SO CLOTHES-MINDED Why conscious clothing consumerism is more important than ever // By Jenna Nel
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he 21st century has seen massive growth in the textile industry. A mere century ago, clothes were produced out of necessity, on a scale that reflected their practical value. Fast forward to 2021, and the clothing industry has swollen to infamy as the second-largest polluter in the world, thanks to its immense scale and wastefulness. We buy, consume, and discard clothes incessantly and according to the fickle whims of fashion, with no care for the environmental effects of large-scale carbon emissions. As always, the good news is that there are small steps you can take to be part of the solution. Did you know, for example, that getting just three months more wear out of each item of clothing could potentially lower your carbon, water and waste footprint by 5 to 10%?
We chat to Hanger Consignments Founder Tracey Dewey about how she is contributing to conscious clothing consumerism in the face of exploding excess.
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You’ve clearly found your own particular brand of sustainable living. Tell us a little bit about what you do? We all have those items of clothing that remain untouched at the back of our closets. Whether you bought them in aspirational sizing or your taste in clothing has simply evolved since the purchase, it’s time to pass them onto someone who will wear them. Here at Hanger Consignments, we help facilitate this process. We take your preloved clothing and breathe new life into it, at an affordable price. Hanger Consignments advocates for an environmentally-conscious approach to the clothing industry. What are the measures you’ve taken to this end? When we think about taking care of the environment, we don’t always think about clothing - but extending the life of your clothes has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. We also support and promote local wherever we can. I recently bought the most beautiful
woven pendants from Tatenda Woven Baskets, a local entrepreneur in Cape Town. Aside from the fact that I absolutely love African flair, supporting local reduces the pollution associated with transport. We are also using The Drying Room to make a gorgeous dried flower wreath to go up in the shop, and another small local business called Kikki & Franki for our wall mounted name plaque. These may seem like small touches, but it’s the little things that add up to a sustainable way of living. Talk us through the process of buying and selling through Hanger Consignments. Once someone has contacted me with the desire to sell their pre-loved clothing, I inspect it to make sure that it is still in excellent condition. We have high standards for the items that we sell! We then photograph and advertise it on Instagram. Ladies generally then either shop in our little thrift shop in Constantia, Cape Town, or buy online over Instagram (hanger_consignments).
