How to shop sustainably for your holiday wardrobe
Fashion experts offer their tips for summer style. By Katie Wright.
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Your support makes all the difference.Love Island is back on our screens, and once again the romantic reality show has teamed up with eBay to encourage viewers to move away from fast fashion and embrace preloved garments.
Macclesfield Town footballer Tom Clare – the latest former islander to be appointed a preloved ambassador alongside Tasha Ghouri – says he’s learned a lot about vintage fashion since he took part in the winter series in South Africa and the contestants were gifted party outfits.
“I wasn’t that clued up on it [before] the stylist team came into the villa. I remember us boys were like, ‘Oh my God, these are from eBay?'” Clare recalls.
Now, he wants to spread the word: “I think like my role is really just to try and spread as much awareness to men as I can, because I do feel like men probably don’t buy as much preloved as women.”
Globally, the UNECE estimates the fashion industry is responsible for between 2% and 8% of all carbon emissions, which is why many shoppers are choosing not to buy new items.
“I do admit that I did wear a bit of fast fashion before the show,” says Ghouri. “But coming out I’m so much more aware of how damaging fast fashion can be.”
Plus, there are some amazing secondhand bargains to be had if you know where – and how – to find them.
We asked style experts for their pro tips to help you shop sustainably this holiday season…
Make space in your wardrobe first
Rather than doing a last-minute high street haul of sarongs, flip flops and sunglasses, take some time to work out what you actually need for your holiday.
“If you’re going on a beach holiday, unpack all of your beachy stuff and try it all on,” says eBay’s preloved fashion stylist Amy Bannerman.
“If things don’t fit or you don’t love them anymore, sell them and reinvest [the money] into your wardrobe. When you’ve done that, you can really clearly see where the gaps are in your wardrobe.”
You can then create a shopping list to find versatile pieces to fill those gaps.
“It’s easy to forget about clothing that we already have,” says upcycler Andrew Burgess, who is one of Puma’s Voices of a Re:Generation and host of episode three of the brand’s sustainability report podcast.
“Take a day to go through your closet. You’d be surprised how much you already have to work with.”
Don’t focus on trends
“I think people are a bit sick of being told, ‘This summer, that’s cool, and next summer it’s not’,” says Bannerman, who believes preloved fashion is about “naturally moving away from trend-led dressing” and wearing whatever era or aesthetic you want.
“You don’t look like everyone else – really lean into that and find your own individual style.”
If it doesn’t fit, alter it
Depending on what era the clothing is from, sizes might not match modern equivalents. If something doesn’t fit properly, you might be able to have it altered by a tailor (or a helpful friend).
“For example, I had a really gorgeous pink skirt, it was beautiful, it was just too big on the waist, but I got it taken in and it was absolutely fine,” says Ghouri.
And even items that are too small can be let out: “It depends on how it’s stitched. Like if you have got a blazer that’s too tight you can actually loosen it [at the seams],” Ghouri adds.
Hunt for hidden gems
Whether it’s online or IRL, it helps to see secondhand shopping as a fun activity rather than a chore.
Burgess suggests: “Check out local thrift stores, consignment shops, and online platforms like Depop and Poshmark.”
And browse shops “with an open mind – take your time, and embrace the process. You never know what you may find,” he says.
Invest in preloved luxury
One of the biggest advantages of vintage clothing is you can get designer and premium brands for a fraction of what they would have cost new.
“If you think, ‘None of my trousers fit me’, then you can go and buy some luxury trousers instead of going to a high street store and buying multiple cheaper things,” says Bannerman.
“You can invest smartly and consciously and get something luxury that will last you forever.”
Try DIY upcycling
“If you have a sewing machine and some basic sewing skills, the possibilities are endless,” says Burgess, who specialises in making patchwork pieces from secondhand garments.
Some simple upcycling projects don’t even require any sewing, he says: “Whether it be cropping a shirt to give it a boxy fit, or cutting the legs off your jeans to make jorts, you can make all-new pieces with clothing that’s already in your closet.”