Can Sustainable Fashion be Affordable?
Can sustainable fashion be affordable, or is it only available to those with a huge budget to blow?
Spoiler alert: the Linen Fox dress I’m wearing in these photos cost £60. No, that isn’t dirt cheap, but it’s comparable with most mid-priced high street brands. It actually cost less than similar dresses I’ve spotted from the like of Arket and & Other Stories, and it was made-to-order by a brand that pay attention to ethics and sustainability in the production of their garments.
‘Affordable’ is a subjective word. What is affordable to me may not seem affordable to you; it depends on our personal situation and how much disposable income we have, but also on where we place value. For the price of this dress I could have had a huge haul in Primark or H&M, but I would rather have one timeless dress that I’ll wear over and over again than a pile of cheap through-away fashion garments. We need to start differentiating between need and want when we are shopping. Did I need this dress? No, I didn’t need it in the sense that I might need a pair of warm, waterproof shoes or a pair of jeans to replace a pair that have worn through - but it’s the only thin-strapped dress in my wardrobe, filling a hole for a transitional dress that I can wear on it’s own on hot summer days or layer up in winter. It’s a garment that I can see myself wearing all year round, year after year. I’m happy to wear this dress over and over again, rather than wearing something new and throw-away each day.
When I’m making a new purchase, I always think of cost-per-wear. I have a couple of knitwear pieces from Babaa that cost much more than I would usually spend on clothing, but I wear these pieces over and over again, rather than constantly filling up my wardrobe with multiple jumpers that I may only wear once or twice. My Babaa cardigan may have cost me over £200, but I wore it almost every day through winter and spring. Personally, I’d rather save up and spend more money on one well-made, sustainable and ethical garment that I will wear over and over again, than buy several cheaper alternatives from the high street that have been made in sweatshops and will fall to pieces in the wash. For £200 I could probably buy between three to six jumpers from the high street (dependent on the store) but do I need that many jumpers?
Of course, sometimes you only have a small amount of money to spend or can’t wait to save up for an expensive garment - that’s understandable. I’m no saint - I own staple pieces like t-shirts, shorts and underwear from high street brands. You may damage a garment beyond repair and quickly need to replace it, or find a sudden need for a particular item in your wardrobe. I bought a pair of shorts from a high street shop at the start of this summer because I realised I didn’t own a pair of shorts that fit me comfortably and I didn’t have much money to spare at the time. I spent around £20 and I’ll wear those shorts until they fall apart.
When I’m on the verge of making a high street purchase, I’ll always ask myself a series of questions first:
Do I really need this garment right now or can I wait to save up to buy an ethical alternative?
Are there any ethical/sustainable brands selling a similar garment at a price point within my budget?
Is this a garment that I could probably find an alternative of in a vintage or charity shop?
Will I get a lot of wear out of this garment, to justify the purchase?
There are, of course, many sustainable and ethical brands offering beautifully crafted garments at very reasonable prices. Look at Lucy & Yak or Thought Clothing. Or what about shunning new clothing and browsing the hundreds of vintage stores and charity shops that offer second-hand garments at a fraction of the price? And don’t forget that buying new clothing is usually a luxury, not a necessity. If the item that you are coveting is too expensive, simply just don’t buy it. Shopping for clothes is not a hobby - you don’t need to always be buying new things. I’m constantly making a list of the garments that I’d love to own, either saving up to make a purchase, using birthday money to treat myself or just leaving the item on my list to admire from afar. I enjoy taking a slower approach to buying new clothes, as it makes me consider each purchase to help me decide if I really need or want that garment.
Yes, some sustainable brands are very expensive and unattainable to many people, but most of the brands I buy from have comparable prices with the high street brands I used to shop from. & Other Stories, Cos, Arket etc. can even be more expensive than sustainable alternatives. If you’re buying £100 dresses and £200 boots from the high street, can you honestly say that you can’t afford to switch to sustainable and ethical brands?