Hato Hone St John Retail Store manager Jan Hoskin (right) and volunteer Gail Corboy check out some of the new season women's fashion items in stock. Photo / Dean Taylor
Hato Hone St John Retail Store manager Jan Hoskin (right) and volunteer Gail Corboy check out some of the new season women's fashion items in stock. Photo / Dean Taylor
Textiles from unwanted clothing are one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing waste streams - but we can do something about it at a local level.
Waipā residents send the equivalent of 16 shipping containers of clothes to landfills each year, so are being encouraged to dive into the world of sustainable style, cut down on clothing waste and keep their wallets happy during Slow Fashion September.
Waipā District Council has partnered with sustainability experts to provide free educational online courses during September to combat the impact of fast fashion.
These include how to curate a low-waste, low-cost wardrobe, and a sewing repair workshop to give pieces of clothing a new lease of life.
Waste minimisation advisor Shelley Wilson said it was the third year Waipā had celebrated Slow Fashion September.
“It’s all about learning ways to be mindful of the clothes we purchase and implementing habits to consume less, whether that’s deciding to shop second-hand, doing a wardrobe audit or simply unsubscribing from marketing emails,” she said.
“It’s great to be able to help the environment and save money while having fun too.”
Shoppers enjoying the new Te Awamutu Hospice Shop at last month's opening. Photo / Dean Taylor
The initiative has gained momentum on its mission to slow down clothing waste, especially with the op shop bus tours proving popular.
“Plus, it’s been great to see other councils take our awesome initiative and create their own sustainable journey,” Wilson said.
Neighbouring councils Waikato District and Hamilton City have also launched slow fashion events throughout September for their communities to get involved with.
This year’s op shop bus tours will travel from Cambridge to Huntly and another from Te Awamutu to Morrinsville. The tours are in partnership with Waikato District Council, which is running a reciprocal tour to Waipā.
Cambridge resident Dianne Gwynne, who attended last year’s op shop bus tour, said it was a great day out learning valuable tips from Shelley and Nicola Turner, from Mainstream Green.
Sustainable fashion courses is one of the offerings from Nicola Turner of Mainstream Green. Check her out at mainstreamgreen.co.nz
“I got to pick up some second-hand gems and have since been inspired to do laundry and mending for a local op shop, which helps put funds back into the community”.
And Slow fashion isn’t just for women.
Your editor is a fan of the op shop for a number of collectable and vintage objects, plus good-value clothes.
“In our teens we thought it was cool to dress from the Army Surplus stores and op shops - that hasn’t changed.”
”I like jackets and am always on the hunt for a bargain.
Eight of my 11 jackets are second-hand and I have two coats, one second-hand.
“Jeans are also good to hunt for, especially deals on Levis.
“In the vintage field, my treasures include a Levi shirt for $5 and a 1968 tie from a Kings Road, Chelsea, London fashion store owned by The Beatles for 50c.”
A vintage ensemble. Photo / Dean Taylor
We have an abundance of op shops, charity stores and church shops in Waipā, so there is no excuse.
Fast fashion not only impacts the environment but has created concerning consumer behaviours, with alarming global statistics:
one in three women consider a garment “old” after one wear;
on average 80% of the items in our wardrobes are never worn;
the fashion industry is responsible for 40 million tonnes of textile items going to waste each year.
“It’s important we all do our part, even if it’s just adding one or two new practices into our daily routines,” Wilson said.
“These changes may seem small, but the collective impact is huge for our community and for passing sustainable behaviours to our kids.”
