When you pivot in the right direction, good things can happen

Recent happenings have shown me that when you move towards a bigger purpose, life can take your mission a little further than you anticipated…

With a few of my recent articles on topics like how we can mitigate the impacts of climate change on women and banning secondhand clothing, I’ve been pivoting into my background in international development. I still love my work in style and sustainable fashion. The deeper I go, the more I see intersections between the social and environmental issues of sustainable fashion and issues of international development. Widening the scope of our conversations towards development means broadening horizons that will hopefully bring more holistic solutions to issues.  

What I’ve learned from this new experience is that when you take steps in the right direction, life can throw opportunities at you that put your goals on steroids. So it’s essential to keep seeking growth and new ways to bring positive change in the world. Because you might meet others that carry the same volition. And this might be how we can all make things better. By following the internal compass that leads us to a greater purpose, then joining forces and growing communities aimed at changing the status quo.

Now this does not mean you’ll stop seeing my stylish outfits (like this one). Style as far as I can tell will always be part of my wheelhouse.

STYLING

I’m wearing another colourful preloved ensemble but this time I put on PANTS! My wardrobe is all skirts and dresses, so pants are a rarity! Styled them with a random, cute, t-shirt I found in an op shop which I guess is a tourist souvenir from Hua Hin Province in Thailand. In the previous photo I topped the look with a blue vintage Shanghai China silk ‘Peony’ coat.  

Outfit sourced from:

Blue Vintage Shanghai Silk Peony Coat – Hand-me-down

Arty Pants - Suitcase Rummage Vintage & Preloved Market

Colourful T-shirt – Salvos Stores Op Shop

♥ Nina Gbor

The perks of secondhand fashion (from a lifelong fashionista)

I’ve been wearing secondhand clothes since before I can remember. First, it was through hand-me-downs from my brothers during my childhood tomboy days. Later in my teenage years, it evolved to crafting my own personal style using the super eclectic range of clothes in thrift stores. It was a rare and unique opportunity to find my passion at an early age, playing dress-up by mixing vintage and trendy pieces. I loved secondhand shopping and styling so much that I built a career on it!

Even with all the style and excitement, I got from secondhand shopping, it took years for me to publicly come out as a secondhand fashionista. It was social taboo because of the stigma attached to it like the perception of dirty, mouldy clothing and the idea that it was only for poor people. Fortunately, this stigma has shifted, and secondhand fashion is becoming popular and even more fabulous.

One of the most surprising things I discovered about secondhand fashion is that it teaches you to figure out who you are and helps you appreciate yourself. As opposed to following fashion trends, selecting pieces to form a cohesive wardrobe from a plethora of clothes from multiple fashion eras and diverse cultures naturally makes you dig a little deeper beyond the surface to figure out who you are and what you want to express in your style. Eventually, I discovered a few more perks to this wonderful world of secondhand.

1. Social sustainability – Majority of the people who make our clothes are women in poorer countries, mostly in Asia and Africa. They are exploited because they are not paid fair, liveable wages where they can afford the basic life essentials such as healthcare, education and adequate food for themselves and their families. This happens despite working 12 – 16 hours a day. Buying secondhand sends a message to brands that we will stop buying their clothes when they are exploiting garment workers. It’s important that we inform these brands and urge them to pay liveable wages so that the workers do not end up unemployed.

2. Environmental sustainability – Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. About 80 - 150 billion new garments are produced worldwide each year, more than double what was made in the year 2000. Of the garments made each year, 85% ends up in landfill or incinerated. Most of this pollution happens during manufacture and disposal.  Secondhand shopping reduces reliance on raw materials, chemical procedures and fashion waste to landfill which all contribute to environmental damage. A circular economy with secondhand is a much better way to go.

3. It’s more affordable – Secondhand is such a great option for your savings and when you’re on a budget. However, considering the vast amount of environmental damage that fashion is responsible for, it’s essential to bear this in mind so that we prevent overconsumption of secondhand fashion. In a previous article, I explained in more detail why secondhand fashion is not about being cheap.  

4. Self-empowerment - I alluded to this earlier when I talked about knowing and expressing yourself in your style. Secondhand can be a relatively quicker and easier way to glide on the path of inner growth and self-discovery. If you choose not to follow fashion trends that have been dictated, you’ll realise your personality, goals, character or lifestyle will be the tools you use when you’re choosing your pieces. It can strengthen your self-image and instil a stronger sense of confidence.    

5. Unique personal style - Needless to say, shopping secondhand means your style is likely to be authentic and different from the usual. If you value individuality when it comes to your wardrobe and outside the box fashion styles then secondhand is your new (or existing) best friend.

This month, Oxfam UK is running a SecondHand September campaign where they’re inspiring people to say no to new clothes for 30 days #SecondHandSeptember. In the UK, 13 million items of clothing end up in landfill every week. In Australia, 6,000 kilos of textile waste ends up in landfill every ten minutes. Oxfam’s challenge is a fun opportunity to help reduce fashion waste by fully immersing yourself in secondhand fashion if you haven’t done so already. To find sources for secondhand clothing that are local to you, you can search online for clothes swaps, thrift stores, markets and wardrobe rental/hire platforms. Here are a few online platforms: Yordrobe, Ekoluv, Depop, Etsy, Carousell, Poshmark, Marketplace and Beyond Retro.

STYLING

With this ensemble, I went for a mixed pattern, monochrome look using a staple tan waist belt to break the monotone pattern. Finished the look with leopard-print stilettos. I added the vintage, red clutch bag for a bright colour pop. The standout features of the outfit are the ruched sleeves on the polka dot top and the monochrome chessboard pattern on the skirt because it demands your attention. When you’re styling yourself, choose pieces and combinations that make sense to you and make you feel good.

Outfit sourced from:

Polka Dot Top - Savers Australia Op Shop

Monochrome Chessboard Skirt – Marketplace

Tan Belt – Noffs Op Shop

Red Vintage Purse - Marketplace

Leopard-print Stilettos – A wardrobe staple 

♥ Nina Gbor

Instagram: @eco.styles

On trimming our fashion carbon footprint and climate change

Preloved outfit. All photos by Pepper Street Photography.

Did you know that clothing in the landfill creates over three times its own weight in CO2 greenhouse gas emissions? It’s not surprising that altogether fashion and textiles account for 10% of climate change. Earlier this year I wrote a lengthy piece detailing fashion’s impact on climate change and how we can all work towards achieving net-zero emissions. Of course our emissions come from other aspects of life beyond just clothing. In taking action to reduce our carbon emissions, it’s essential to look at other areas like food and fossil fuels. A carbon footprint calculator makes it simple for individuals and brands to calculate their carbon footprint in multiple areas so that we know where and how to take the best action.

65% of all new clothing ends up in landfill within the first year of manufacture. Poor design, lack of durability and consumer waste are in part to blame when it comes to fast fashion’s contribution of textile waste to landfill. Its aim has been to manufacture as much as possible, as quick as possible in a conveyor belt style. So its not surprising that the products are intended and made to be disposable. For this reason, fast fashion apparel is mostly non-durable. From cheap, poor-quality synthetic fabrics to poor tailoring to fast-fading colours and buttons falling off, majority of it ends up in landfill quicker than durable garments.

How brands can reduce their carbon footprint

By doubling the life of clothing from just one to two years, we can help reduce emissions from clothing manufacture and disposal by as much as 24%. Fashion brands can support this effort by making little changes in the design and manufacture processes to make clothing far more durable i.e. resistant to damage and wear. Fast fashion brands can also take a stance to produce far less, even if it means reduction in their profits. The benefit to the environment will be enormous and priceless.

How consumers can reduce their carbon footprint

Consumers also have a role to play in this. Extending the life of clothes by just nine extra months of active use would reduce carbon, water and waste footprints by around 20-30% each. Even though some brands safeguard against garment failure, some people dispose of clothing after several years because it is no longer to their taste and because they no longer fit. Here, they can sell or donate them. When buying new garments, opt for slow and ethical fashion labels. Perhaps consider purchasing less fast fashion. It helps garment workers when we insist that fast fashion brands not only produce durable garments but also pay liveable wages to garment workers. To extend the life of clothing, you can choose preloved (secondhand) through clothes swaps, preloved markets and thrift stores.

Consumers can also extend the life of their entire wardrobe through RESTYLING. This is the process of pairing a garment with another item and/or accessories that you wouldn’t typically wear with it. This remixing and re-matching process creates new and different outfit combinations that you can use for multiple types of casual events and special occasions, instead of buying a brand new outfit for each occasion. Restyling allows you to extend your wardrobe far longer than you typically would because you’re re-using what you already have, in a variety of creative ways. Case in point is my red ball gown skirt below which is one that might only get worn to a formal event with an equally formal top and shoes. Wearing it with a casual top and sneakers allows me to use it more frequently.

STYLING

I invite you to try this super easy restyling hack within your wardrobe. You can use a skirt or dress pants. This preloved outfit is a juxtaposition between a super casual top and a formal skirt. This retro, red mid-length skirt is typically one that might sit in the back of your closet until a special occasion rolls round. By pairing it with a super casual t-shirt, it gets more active and regular use.

I took it a little further by interchanging leopard-print stilettos with my Etiko fairtrade vegan sneakers. Each shoe gives a different vibe and makes the outfit appropriate for different locations and events based on the shoe.

Outfit sourced from:

White top – The Greenshed Underground Op Shop

Red Retro Perri Cutten skirt – Second Mode Luxury Preloved Store

Etiko Vegan Sneakers - Etiko

Leopard-print Stilettos – My wardrobe

♥ Nina Gbor

References:

1. https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/122127080/fashion-retailers-should-take-responsibility-for-their-own-clothing-waste-project-proposes

2. http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/extending-life-clothes

How to restyle your wardrobe to help reduce climate change

Who would have ever thunk that looking stylish on your own terms could be linked with reducing climate change? The fashion and textile industry produce over 92 million tonnes of waste and consumes 1.5 trillion tonnes of waste water per year. And the Global South bears the biggest brunt when it comes to fashion’s social injustices around the exploitation of garment workers and human rights abuses. With over 100 billion new garments being produced each year, 85% ends up in landfill or incinerated. About 95% of the textiles sent to landfill each year can be recycled. We will need systems in place to do this efficiently and holistically. However, there are things we can each do right now in our wardrobes to minimise waste, reduce the impact on climate change and honour the hard work of garment workers: restyle your wardrobe!

This simple and fun process of mixing and matching different pieces and jewellery to create new outfit combinations that you typically would not put together is called RESTYLING. The process of layering and accessorising to create new and different looks for multiple types of occasions can reduce the amount of clothing that you buy because you’re likely to re-use your clothes for longer periods of time. This ultimately reduces the amount of clothes you buy, which reduces the amount of clothes that goes to landfill and furthermore reduces fashion’s impact on climate change. (The Global Fashion Agenda has predicted that the level of apparel consumption will rise by 63% to 102 million tonnes by 2030 if the current trends continue).

Here are some preloved pieces that I’ve restyled as examples of how you can layer and accessorise to either create a capsule wardrobe or get longer use of your clothing (regardless of your size, age or lifestyle). The important thing is to do in the way that suits your personality and lifestyle without following fashion trends.

RESTYLING

In the photos above and below, I’ve simply used a dress on it’s own and then as a top and also as a skirt:

1. Yellow, floral 1950’s original vintage dress turned into a skirt by wearing my black supergirl t-shirt on it.

2. Turquoise and gold geometric-pattern 1980s retro dress restlyed as a top with my plaid tafeta maxi skirt and a black belt. The restyled again as a skirt using my gold sequinned top and a black belt.

3. Red, floral preloved drop-waist dress restyled as a top using a fun red, mixed pattern, handmade skirt and tan belt with a metal buckle.

These are some of the most basic restyling techniques that I’ve been using for years because it works for me. It has reduced the amount of tops I needed to buy to go with my skirts and vice versa! You can restyle your own clothes using different hats, shoes, scarves, jewellery and various garments in ways that are practical for you and your daily life.

Outfits sourced from:

Yellow, floral 1950’s vintage dress: Lifeline op shop.

Black supergirl t-shirt: Red Cross op shop.

Turquoise & gold geometric-pattern 1980’s retro dress: Bowerbird Vintage store.

Plaid, taffeta maxi skirt: Salvos op shop.

Gold, sequinned top: Savers op shop.

Red, floral drop-waist dress: South Melbourne Community Chest op shop.

Red, mixed pattern, handmade vintage skirt: Red Cross op shop.

♥ Nina Gbor

References:

1. https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/consumer/2020/04/10/fast-fashion-environment/

2. https://www.makegood.world/fashions-problem-with-waste

3. https://edgexpo.com/fashion-industry-waste-statistics/

4. https://globalfashionagenda.com/commitment/#policyengagement

Ethical Consumption vs Retail Therapy

Preloved dress and sandals from Australian Red Cross op shop.

This week I’m giving a talk about ethical consumption at the Australian Red Cross with REDxYOUTH. The preparation got me thinking about my own consumption behaviour. So, it’s time for me to come out with an open secret; I have way too many clothes. For all the minimalist wardrobe techniques that I teach, workshops on capsule wardrobes that I run and clothes swaps that I organise and clients whose wardrobes I help reduce, I still have a really big wardrobe. 

I started op shopping and eco styling at age fifteen. My love for one-off vintage clothes, rare and unusual pieces made me a collector of fine garments that spark tremendous joy in myself and others. It’s been somewhat of a sacred art, with style being like a religion to me. Scouring the racks at vintage stores, op shops, clothes swaps and preloved markets is a rite that I’ve been performing faithfully. Fortunately, I’ve been able to alchemise this practice into a purposeful career in sustainable fashion. 

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries. Its greenhouse gas emission levels have recently surpassed all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Globally we’re consuming about 80 billion brand new garments every year which is 400% more than what we consumed just twenty years ago. Australia happens to be the second-largest consumer of new textiles after the US. According to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), World Resources Institute (WRI), in total, up to 85% of textiles go into landfills each year. A massive part of the environmental degradation happens with fashion manufacture. For instance, the United Nations Environmental Programme says the fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of water worldwide. It takes about 2,000 gallons of water to produce a pair of jeans. That’s more than enough for one person to drink eight cups per day for 10 years! 

On the other side of it, we can afford to be so wasteful because clothes are cheaper than ever. Majority of the people who make our clothes (mostly women) are exploited with a plethora of human rights abuses ranging from super low wages to inhumane work conditions. Workers in developing countries can be forced to work sixteen-hour days for as little as $6 a day which does not come anywhere close to a liveable wage. 

Our modern pattern of fashion consumption is a vicious, short-lived cycle of buy - wear once, twice or not at all - bin it - then buy new all over again. I believe the cycle is driven by trends. Trends are powerful because from birth, we’re conditioned to follow trends. For many decades, possibly even longer, fashion has cleverly advanced its skills in making the masses believe you have no value unless you wear their brand or follow trends. It’s one of the very things that makes us feel like we’re not enough, then promises happiness and acceptance if we buy. All the while, fast fashion brands amass billions of dollars on the back of exploitation and untold levels of environmental damage. What’s also sad is that this fashion consumption model does not seem to be giving us consumers any true, lasting or genuine happiness. This then begs the question; why the heck are we still doing this?!

My recommendation is that it’s time for us to ‘get off the fashion trendmill’. Individual preference and sustainable acquisition methods should be the premise for consuming clothes, not fashion trends. This is the key for buying less, choosing well and making our clothes last much longer. Preloved (secondhand) clothing keeps garments in a circular economy. This delays (or prevents)garments going to landfill. Even though about 97% of my wardrobe is preloved, and I tend to cherish pieces for a long time, I still sometimes wonder if I’m consuming too much. On the other hand, it’s also my career, therefore, these are tools of my trade. As a would-be fashion consumer, I would feel enticed to buy the latest shiny trend to feel validated. However, in my world of preloved shopping, even though it’s more ethical, it used to be fuelled by the need to fill a void like loneliness. It was also a form of escapism from a trauma that I was experiencing. Later, I became more conscious of my personal thought patterns that were driving the behaviour. I guess it’s up to each of us to introspect with brutal honesty to explore why we’re consuming so much in order to heal those parts of ourselves and shift the behaviour of overconsumption. What comes up for you when you think deeply about why you shop so much?

STYLING

This week, in honour of Australian Red Cross and all of the incredible humanitarian, aid and community services they have provided globally since 1914, I am wearing a dress and beige sandals from The Red Cross op shop. This 1950s vintage-style replica dress has a lovely pattern, laced in with side and lower panels of glorious, vivacious art drawings of on-the-vine oranges and flowers. I paired it with beige strappy, chunky heeled sandals I also found at the Red Cross op shop on a different visit. In some photos I’m wearing a charcoal preloved Miu Miu designer light mohair jumper I found at another op shop. I’m wearing a petticoat underneath to give it the voluminous 1950s full skirt look. 

ReStyling tips

If you own a patterned or multi-coloured summer dress like this, you can wear it like I did with a petticoat and dressed-up shoe to look elegant. Otherwise, try any of these tips:

1. If you love pattern clash (like me), try wearing a top, button down shirt tied at the front in leopard print, zebra print or polka dot over the top half of the dress. The key is to make sure at least one of the colours of the top matches at least one colour on the bottom half of the dress. This makes the colour-pattern interaction look balanced. Otherwise it might look too out of sorts.

2. Go casual with no petticoat and a pair of flat sandals. You can even wear a plain, basic t-shirt of a with a colour that matches the bottom half of the dress. 

Outfit sourced from: 

Multicolour Summer Dress: Red Cross Op Shops

Beige Chunky Heel Sandals: Red Cross Op Shops

Charcoal Miu Miu Jumper: The Green Shed Underground Op Shop

Photography by Brunela Fenalte.

♥ Nina Gbor