Part 4: Methodologies for sustainable fashion and social entrepreneurship (continued)

Of course, supporting smaller, local brands and companies who are making clothing with the mindset of sustainability is only one way to make more conscious choices about your clothing. There are many other practical ways that you can implement in your everyday life which can bring you closer to a more sustainable wardrobe. We are going to showcase ways to reduce the waste in your wardrobe!

• Secondhand shops – these stores are becoming more and more popular as people would like to make more conscious fashion choices. Not to mention that you can find a lot of vintage treasures in these kinds of shops which are unique and you will probably not see it in every second person you meet on the street!
• Charity shops – there are certain shops in many countries where you can make contributions in the form of objects – also clothes. You can bring your clothes to the store where they are going to check the condition of them and will sell them for a smaller price. This way it will be available for those in need but actually, anybody can shop in these stores – so in case you would also like to hunt for some second-hand treasures, maybe it’s worth finding out where the closest charity shop is to you!
• Facebook marketplace – or any other online platform where you can sell and buy clothes. Upload the clothes that you do not need anymore and look for ones that will fit more into your closet!
• Clothswap – in a lot of cities people organize clothes swap events, where you can bring your own clothes that you do not wear anymore. Other people do the same, so you can not only find new homes for the clothes that are not the right fit for you anymore, but you can also find some new ones. Your city doesn’t have clothes swap events? Create your own one! First, just gather some friends and exchange clothes with them, you will see that more and more people will be interested and you can create bigger and bigger events!

Some more inspiration…

There are some good practices of companies who used one of these methods and built it into their business model. We brought you some examples – after getting inspiration from their stories, you can also look up what solutions work in your country!

• Oxfam shops is an online retailer which is selling second-hand clothing, new, ethical clothing and charity gifts as well. Each purchase that you make on their webshop contributes to the work of Oxfam – a global organization that is aiming to end poverty and injustice.
• Remix: remixshop.com is an online store selling second-hand and outlet fashion items. It works in 8 countries around Europe. You can find a lot of different items with prices changing all the time – shopping on remix is therefore like a game where you can always find new items with changing prices. You can also sell your own clothes on the site in a way that you can send in your clothes to the company where they select the ones that are suitable for selling. You can follow up on the process of the clothes you have sent in on their site, and see whenever an item was sold. The company recycles the items that they do not find suitable for selling.
• Swappis is a green startup company in Hungary which aims to collect and reuse clothing items. Their goal is to create sustainable trends in fashion for which they created a store that is based on a circular economic system. People can bring clothes into the store which they do not use anymore where they check the conditions. For the clothes that they take in and resell in the store, the person who brought it in, receives membership points which they can use for their own purchases.