My top 3 tips for shopping NEW clothes!

Last weekend was the Fair Share Festival and it was great to see so many people from the Newcastle community sharing ideas on a fairer and more sustainable world for all.

The clothing industry is the second largest polluter in the world…second only to oil! A fact that is pretty scary.

So, I am going to share with you today my tops three take home tips from the festival and how to reduce your clothing footprint. 

#1 Think, ethical, fair trade, live with less – before you head off to the shops to purchase new, think about if you really need the item and can you source it from somewhere sustainable first. Sometimes our need to shop is actually a deeper need we are trying to fulfill like boredom or happiness. So consider will I really need this item in a month from now.

The tee above was locally made and designed from organic cotton. Yes, it did cost me $20 not $3 and smelt so much nicer too – I didn’t have to pre-wash it. I feel happy knowing that buying this product helped to support organic cotton farmers. 

#2  Exchange, swap, op shop, markets, eBay, garage sales, Gumtree to keep clothes out of landfill – the best way to respect the makers, designers, farmers and everyone involved in producing our clothes is to keep wearing them over and over again. Hold swap parties with friends, op shop, shop preloved markets like Raid My Wardrobe buy second-hand online.  I think it is so amazing that women in Newcastle are walking around wearing each other’s clothes – what a fashion revolution movement we have here!

Part of my haul from the clothes swap. Ten gorgeous items including many overseas brands plus Jag and Esprit. Easy way to refresh your wardrobe without paying a cent. Get in touch with some girlfriends and do a swap today!

#3 Upcycle, refashion, adapt, repair – whether you are creative or not this is something we can all embrace and it is so easy these days to search Google and watch tutorials on YouTube.

It was so simple to turn a pair of unworn vintage jeans into a new skirt (above) for this Summer. 

Shop local makers who are fairtrade or upcycle. This dress is made from a linen tablecloth and doilies. I have had it for around 8 years and always get so many compliments when I wear it. 

So, next time you are going shopping Rethink. Recycle. Refashion. Share this with a friend you think will love these tips.

Yours in all things preloved,

Rachel Prest

Visionary Leader & Creator at Raid My Wardrobe

Rachel Prest is founder of Raid My Wardrobe. In 2010, she founded a preloved fashion event for women to refresh, recycle and reinvent their wardrobes. She began this blog in 2016 as a way to inspire, educate and encourage her community with more sustainable ways of fashion shopping, styling and creating. When she's not doing a wardrobe makeover or planning the next event you'll find her down at the beach, hiking or mountain biking in the bush or hanging out with her friends and her kids. Rachel is based in Newcastle, Australia.