I recently explored how our behaviour as consumers can promote sustainability in Fashion, looking at the actions listed in Buyerarchy of Needs pyramid and giving some background and tips related to each. The conclusion is that we need to stop thinking about fashion as being disposable; but rather functional and durable. The clearest and simplest step we can take is to value our clothes more and get more use out of them by using what we have.
From simply using what we have longer, there are many other suggestions for sustainable actions before buying new things – from borrowing, renting, thrifting to making. I want to break down more specifically the Make part of this pyramid and show that the Makers community is undeniably important to sustainability because it is the strongest shift in mindset.
As a maker, you move from consumer to creator.
When you make your own clothes, you are stepping outside the system of fast fashion. The motivation for sewing and knitting that I’ve witnessed from the Makerist community is not related purely to sustainability – in fact, for some it may be even a secondary consideration, overshadowed by issues with sizing and fit; to the desire to make a really individual style, to relax with a favorite hobby or to make a really heartfelt gift.
While sustainability may not be the first reason that makers jump to their sewing machine or pick up their knitting needles, it is a community that offers inspiration at a meta-level : people who engage with the process of making and creating things themselves are moving from a consumer to a creator mindset. This idea of creating rather than consuming is about becoming active and taking ownership.
Making is often more about the process and the final product, it is about how we choose to spend our time.
The Makers Guide to sustainable fashion
What does ‘Make’ look like when we break it down into different steps, and how is each contributing to a healthy and sustainable relationship to fashion?
Plan your wardrobe:
Or – build your own capsule collection. This is good advice for everyone – maker or not, but is the first step in a Maker’s Journey, because making one item means not making another – more pursuasive than the cost of the project, is the time commitment. Sewing or knitting a piece of clothing requires even more thinking in advance than buying it, because on top of thinking how you will wear the final piece, you engage in the creative process of pairing patterns or idea and material together. And once you’ve started on the path of making it, it can be a long term commitment to see it through to the end.
Think about what you want (or need) to wear for different occasions and see how basics and key pieces can play a central role. What sort of things do you need to wear at the office? What do you like to wear in your free time, and how often do you need something extravagent? Think about what you will get a lot of use out of and focus your resources on that. One Makerist Designer – Elke from Elle Puls offers an online course on just this.
Know your fabrics:
Makers by definition need to source their own materials. Having repeated interactions with different types of raw materials gives you a better understand of composition, which fabrics are best suited to which types of garments, how they wear over time, what happens in the wash and so on. This can lead to a desire for higher quality materials.
A natural impulse here would be to suggest only organic and natural materials, but for a lot of makers, the cost of working with only very high-quality organic fabrics can be financially prohibitive and the most obvious choices may not be the most sustainable. I like to think of this more holistically – by thinking of what you will get the most use of – which materials will last the longest and wear the best over time.
Finally there is also a role for innovation here in terms of optimizing fabric/ material use. From pattern design that minimizes textile waste, to fabric / material exchange between makers for leftover or unused materials, to inspiration for DIY projects using small /leftover pieces. This image shown here is an excellent example of such innovation from a German pattern designer Natascha von Hirschausen.
Make it yourself:
Handmade items are an investment, as each project takes a long time to sew or knit. For example, I can usually only knit one sweater per season. I spend a lot of evenings with my project and come to love it even before putting it on. Investing so much of my precious time in a garment connects me to it, and makes me want to wear it more often.
This aspect of investing time also brings an awareness to the human cost of garment production.
Imagine what that sweater would cost if you had to pay yourself a minimum hourly wage for knitting it! Because of the time factor involved in making clothes by hand – makers are perfectly positioned to understand the human or ethical cost of fast fashion.
The negative societal implications of fast fashion are related to the downward pressure on prices and faster turnaround on fashion collections – which can lead to poor working conditions, low pay and in the worst cases child labour and slavery. Most garment production has moved overseas, where the companies do not need to maintain the same wage and workplace safety standards as in their home countries, as these are not well regulated. If industry can be global, so should the same standards in workers rights apply globally. This is the premise behind the #FairByLaw campaign, which pushes for the regulation of workers rights throughout the supply chain, and across borders.
Wear often (& with pride)
Look, let’s be honest. There are only so many occasions to wear clothes. Seriously. Wear what you like more often. There really is a spark of joy when you put on something handmade (see if you can resist the urge to tell people throughout the day – ‘I made it myself!). If you’re chosen the right piece for you, the best materials and already spent hours and hours getting it done, it is natural that you will want to spend more time with them – handmade clothes become like old friends. And there is nothing wrong about feeling proud of what you’ve created! I consider sharing photos of my finished pieces on Instagram or the Makerist Showcase as inspiration to others to start a new project, or a way to spark conversation with other makers.
Wear your finished projects with pride, and often – it’s good for the environment. Wearing clothes longer can be a significant way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – for ex. wearing clothing two years rather than one, reduces emissions by 24%. (Greenpeace, Timeout for Fast Fashion)
Alter or upcycle:
Need a change? Need an extravagent piece for a single event? Here’s where upcycling or alterations come into play. Take a piece you’ve already got in your closet (bought or handmade doesn’t matter) and think of how you can transform it into something that feels ‘new to you’ and serves a new purpose for a longer life cycle. This is a great way to express your creativity and break into making, even if you are new to the sewing machine – there are many quick and simple fixes for clothes which require just scissors, iron and handstitching.
Our Makerist team hosted an upcycling event at the Lollapalooza festival in Berlin this year to provide alternative to fast ‘festival’ fashion. We offered and in collaboration with Humana, a range of free second hand clothes for people who did not want to change the clothes they came in. This type of visible, fun and hands-on DIY workshop should offer a reminder to festival goers that they don’t need to buy a new outfit for a single use event.
Repair
It was absolutely normal for our grandparents to hem pants, repair jacket linings, darn the holes in wollen socks and sew on lost buttons. Today most people don’t have the skills or the time to repair items, and find that they can replace them so inexpensively that they don’t need to bother. A recent Greenpeace report found that over half of the German population admits to having never repaired a piece of clothing or having brought it to a tailor for mending or alterations. (Greenpeace-Report „Wegwerfware Kleidung“)
Mending doesn’t just save the expense on your pocketbook of buying something new, it keeps your loved pieces in use longer. Visible mending, like sashiko is also becoming more and more popular – shows your skills and your commitment to sustainability via repairs – give it a try!
Re-purpose
And at one point – hopefully after a lot of use and love – some items are just done. Maybe the knees in the jeans have been worn through too many times, the fabric is stretched or giving out. Imagine a circular use of the materials and think of how you can keep them in use.
Ideas like turning old jersey t-shirts into yarn for new projects; making re-usable shopping bags out of old t-shirts, or re-purposing old and worn out sweaters into a new pair of winter mittens. There are a lot of really inspirational DIYs with this idea in mind. There are also some fashion brands who are starting from this point. A Hamburg-based company called Bridge & Tunnel repurposes old jeans into new items of clothing or decorative bags and pillows.
Makers feedback
How do you relate most to the topic of sustainability in fashion? What actions do you take, to reduce your fashion footprint on the world? What do you think of the Makers’ Guide and how can we make it even more complete? Please share your thoughts and opinions with us!
