Sustainable Wardrobe

Sophie Benson is a freelance journalist working with a focus on sustainable fashion, the environment and workers’ rights. She covers topics including climate, greenwashing, upcycling, materials innovation, consumerism, resale and fashion legislation for publications including Vogue Business, Atmos, Dazed, AnOther, i-D, The Guardian, and The Independent. Having started her career as a stylist, Sophie saw first-hand how wasteful and careless the world of fast fashion can be. Unhappy with being part of an industry she didn’t believe in, she quit her job – and shopping – and began to write about the lesser seen side of the industry. Alongside working as a journalist, Sophie has taught at a number of UK universities, specialising in sustainability. She never went back to buying fast fashion, choosing second hand instead. In 2022 she chose to buy nothing and make all her clothes from scratch instead.

• IntroductionThe KnowledgeThe typical lifecycle of a T-shirtThe facts (and the fiction)Who makes your clothes?Focus on fabricsDiving into dyesInterview: Paola Vega, a garment workerReassess Your WardrobeTaking stock of what you haveThe capsule wardrobe: reimaginedShop your closetRepurposingClearing outWhat happens to your cast-offs?Interview: Liz Ricketts from The Or FoundationShopping HabitsConsumerism reality checkWhat is slow fashion?How to know what to buyHow to read the labelYour guide to greenwashingSecondhand firstThe sharing economyShopping and selling onlineInterview: Fashion psychologist Dr Dion TerrelongeMaintenanceTo wash or not to wash?What comes out in the washAlterationsHow to store your clothesInterview: Alexander Nolte, co-founder of GuppyfriendRepairThe repair revolutionA quick guide to basic mending skillsWhat to have in your sewing basketIs anything beyond repair?Interview: Layla Sargent, founder of The SeamWhat’s next?Index

“[A] pragmatic debut guide to sustainable fashion…It’s an informative resource for fashionistas looking to dress sustainably without resorting to the “beige, boxy, and boring” repurposed clothes of yesteryear.”