Buying new clothes can fix us, make us more stylish, or attract people. Or at least that’s what American consumers have been told for years.
In the U.S., clothes are only worn for around a quarter of the global average. Some people throw away clothes after only seven to ten wears. But recently, there’s been a growing movement against this over-consumption.
More people are forming a slower relationship with fashion, one where secondhand and even mending get in the rotation. According to ThredUp, the clothing resale market is expected to grow three times faster than traditional retail in the near future. One U.K. department store reported sales for repair products were up 61 percent.
Is the movement enough to make a dent in the growing environmental crisis? And how can we mend and make our clothing last longer?
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