The Importance of A Sustainable Fashion Future...

When One Wear Freedom was created in 2019, it was done so with a clear purpose and objective. To create an affordable alternative, to the fast fashion culture that our society has become so immersed in. To contribute to the emergence of a more sustainable fashion future. 

  Creator and founder of the brand, Jordache, says, ‘The inspiration behind One Wear Freedom was two-fold, in that I wanted to find an all-encompassing way of making fashion and shopping as sustainable and non-harmful to the world as possible. Additionally, I also wanted to solve my own fashion issue, where I'd buy outfits for a specific occasion and never, or barely wear it again.  This meant I would be stuck with the outfit just taking up room in my ever increasing, but limited wardrobe space. I KNOW I'm not the only person with that issue! I want One Wear Freedom to not only become the affordable, fast fashion alternative for creative, authentic, professional women. I also want it to reignite the joys and passion behind well-made, artisanal, simply stunning pieces of clothing, that make women feel and look sensational, as they make their statement in any room. While also connecting the natural world with our heavily constructed world.’

  So, what is ‘Fast Fashion’ and why is it so important that we as consumers act now to find alternatives, such as One Wear Freedom?  Well, Fast Fashion is a term for big brand fashion labels, whose objective is to have a constant turnover of new styles, sold at relatively low prices. This is to encourage consumers to buy often.  This meant that during the period between the years 2000-2014, the number of garments that were purchased increased by a massive 60%.  It also meant that while there used to be just two fashion seasons, today there are fifty two. (savvyaf.com)

  The fact that fast fashion items are often so cheap to buy, also means that consumers often dispose of them quickly.  With the average time that an item of clothing is worn, being just seven, before it is thrown away.  This has a massive impact on the environment , with the equivalent of 150,000 double decker buses of clothing and textiles going to landfill every year in the UK alone. (Fast Fashion in Five Minutes)

  Additionally, the fashion industry is the second highest polluting industry in the world.  The knock-on affects of which are things such as air pollution - with 10% of all emissions worldwide being produced by the fashion industry.  Other effects include habitat destruction, climate change, and water pollution.  It takes seven hundred gallons of water to make just one cotton shirt.  It also leads to human rights abuses, with fashion houses using suppliers where people are being forced to work in terrible conditions.  While clothing factory workers are being exposed to harmful chemicals, and paid less than a minimum wage.  Not only that, but child labour is often used to produce garments. (Mckinsey.com)

   However, on the positive side of the equation, people are becoming more conscious of the problems that fast fashion is doing to the people working in sub-standard conditions to produce them, along with our beautiful planet and environment.  It is said that 69% of adults in the UK would like the option of more sustainable fashion. Additionally, 20% of 20-24 year olds, said they would like to see eco-friendly fabrics used in garment production.  With 66% of that age group saying they would also be happy to pay more for sustainable clothing. (savvyaf.com)

  This is where fashion rental companies such as One Wear Freedom come into play. It is an exciting and hopeful time for fashion, with the rental clothing market expected to grow exponentially by 2029.  It offers the chance for unused clothing items to be worn again, and to help to stem the excessive flow of garment production that is happening in the world right now, by buying less and sharing more.   

  Additionally, at One Wear Freedom we can proudly say that even the dry-cleaning method used by us is eco-friendly.  With the detergents used by 1Stop Wash Laundry being biodegradable, non-toxic, and health friendly.  The cleaning method also uses 20% less energy than other dry-cleaning methods. One Wear Freedom is also collaborating with One Tree Planted, where for every $1 spent on a rental order, one tree will be planted on your behalf.  While lastly, even the tags that come attached to our garments are filled with a mixture of Wildflower seeds for you to plant in your garden and to help the bees and butterflies.

   What’s not to love renting clothing at an affordable price and helping the planet at the same time? For while we all love fashion, it would be great to be able to wear a new outfit without having worry that we are damaging the planet, to rest in the knowing that we wearing ethically made clothing while we do.