Daily Mail, Thursday, March 5, 2020^ Page 61femail fashion
THE GREEN QUEEN
Louise
Atkinson, a
55-year-old writer
and mother of three
FASHION FOOTPRINT:
3 7 6 l b o f C O 2 —
e q u i v a l e n t t o o n e
person taking an Edinburgh to
Amsterdam flight
I’v E recently upped my planet-
saving game, shunning plastic,
switching to an electric car, and
taking a Ninja-like control over our
recycling bin. But I really struggle
with the musty smell of second-
hand clothes — and I’m unable to
differentiate ‘vintage’ from tat.
Instead I hit the shops twice a
year, ideally with a knowledgeable
friend who has restricted my many
fashion mistakes and reined in my
compulsion to overdose on wacky
prints. Anything I buy has to be
well-made and resilient.
So, I was thrilled to find that my
mild dishevelment leaves me at
7 7 per cent below the average
fashion footprint.
I score points for the fact that I
don’t have a tumble dryer and we
never throw clothes away. Anything
useful goes to my sister, the kids’
o l d s c h o o l u n i f o r m s g o t o
neighbours, and the rest goes to
charity. I’m happy to repair
clothes, too.
There’s still some room for
improvement. I could switch to a
cold wash, but I already use a wash
bag that stops plastic microfibresgetting into the water system. I
could reduce my carbon footprint
by a further 60 per cent if I bought
clothes secondhand. I’d be quite
happy to rent clothes if I had that
sort of social life, but sorry — I can’t
quite bring myself to contemplate
the chaos of ‘pre-loved’.LAUNDRY ADDICT
Amber
GrAAfLAnd, 47,
a stylist and
mother of two
FASHION FOOTPRINT:
1,708lb of CO2 — equal
t o a f l i g h t f r o m
London to Kuwait.
BEfOrE I took this test, I’d likely
have only admitted to shopping
once a month. But when I began to
list what I’d bought recently a
different picture emerged.
far from being a seasoned
shopper buying only investment
pieces, I’m a carbon emissions
nightmare. If you average out what
I buy annually it works out at about
an item a week. Obviously, I don’t
shop that frequently. Sometimes I
binge then lay off for a while.
Online shopping is my downfall. I
might not be buying extravagant
items, but the odd T-shirt here
and a pair of running trousers
there soon add up.
This week alone I’ve bought a
polo neck jumper from Zara boys
for my son, and a denim shirt from
Arket — an investment piece.
My biggest December triumph
was a beautiful sale-price victoriaBeckham pleated lilac midi skirt.
Then there’s my planet-destroying
laundry habits. The most washes
the calculator allows you to enter
per month is 30, but I do more than
that. I’ve begun to wash my clothes
at lower temperatures and on
shorter cycles, but the reality is I
need to cut back.
The only area it seems I excel at
is ‘disposal’ — or lack of it. I never
throw anything away. I gift or
donate items instead.
Expensive mistakes are listed on
eBay, the profits invested in new
items. The rest are nestling safely
in my childminder’s wardrobe — or
hiding in my daughter’s.THE ANTI-BINGE BUYER
dinAh vAn
tuLLeken, 35, is
the mail’s style
editor and a
mother of one
FASHION FOOTPRINT:
351lb of CO2 — akin
to someone taking a flight from
London to frankfurt.
I Buy something only when I love
it and am sure I’ll be wearing it for
years to come. I have a 50-wear
rule — if you can’t see yourself
wearing it 50 times, don’t buy.
The carbon calculator confirmed
my carbon emissions are 78 per
cent lower than the average, but
being ‘better than average’ slightly
misses the point. It could be worse
but it’s still unsustainable.
The calculator made me think
about recent purchases, such as a£49.99 black midi dress from
Zara. Only after I had bought it
did I realise it was 100 per cent
polyester, not cotton as I had
assumed. I have already
racked up at least 20 wears,
but I know it’s going to
end up in landfill.
I a l s o f e e l l i k e I
c h e a t e d b e c a u s e I
d i d n’ t i n c l u d e m y
daughter in my answers.
I am certainly responsible for
her impact, but I rarely buy her
new clothes — we’re lucky to get
hand-me-downs from her many
cousins. The washing machine
runs 24/7, though.
The calculator forced me to be
more conscious of all my carbon
emissions, too. Even if my clothing
only amounts to a shortish flight, I
take real flights often — which
feels hypocritical. It’s time I began
dressing better and flying less.THE TREND FOLLOWER
eLeAnor
stennett, a style
writer, aged 25
FASHION FOOTPRINT:
1,712lb of CO2 — the
e q u i v a l e n t o f o n e
person taking a flight
f r o m L o n d o n t o A s h g a b a t
in Turkmenistan.
IN My industry, it’s easy to get
sucked into needing catwalk-
inspired looks — so over the years
my fast-fashion shopping has
increased hugely. I love the fact I
can walk into my local shoppingcentre and pick up designer-
inspired items at a fraction of the
price. Nothing makes me happier
than someone saying: ‘I love that
top, is it new?’
for big events, such as weddings,
I never wear the same outfit twice.
I probably make at least three
online orders a month, most of
which I end up returning or just
leave in my wardrobe for months.
I can’t walk down Oxford Street
without nipping into Primark.
In the past, I’ve felt pressure to
trial the latest trends, even though
I know they aren’t very ‘me’, but
now I’m trying to resist.
I also love hunting out hero items
in charity shops. One of my best
was a floral, midi-length Mango
dress for £5. I do mend clothes,
and give away what I don’t wear.
Bu t t h e fa s h i o n fo o t p r i n t
Calculator has given me a scare
and shows I must try to be far
more conscious when shopping.n C ALCuLAte your personal
fashion footprint at thredup.
com/fashionfootprintPictures: DAN KENNEDY, LEONIE MORSE / TIMES NEWSPAPERSShock of the
shop: Esther
Walker and,
far left,
Dinah van
TullekenAs if life wasn’t guilt-inducing enough,
Emma Watson’s launched a calculator
to tell you how bad your shopping
habit is for the planet. Here six
style writers put it to the test...
Figure
out your
fashion
footprint