A new year means new goals, and as we strive forward to make this year better than the last, we’re prioritising living and dressing greener - and we hope you join us!

Each start of a new year is an opportunity to make changes, and as our world becomes more aware of how our habits affect the planet, the greater the need there is for us all to think greener. And as a sustainable clothing brand, helping you, our community, approach fashion more sustainably and create a conscious wardrobe are absolutely at the top of our list.

So, here, we’d like to share 3 goals you can set yourself that not only helps make your daily life more sustainable but ensures your approach to fashion is more conscious.

Goal: I want to reduce the amount of plastics I come into contact with or use daily.

When it comes to plastics, you may think clothing has little to do with them, but in fact, synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon shed microplastic fibres with every wash! A report by the European Environment Agency even estimates about 16-35% of microplastics found in our oceans globally comes from textiles - and these fibres directly harm the health of marine life and ecosystems.

The solution? Choose natural fabrics that are devoid of these harmful fibres. Fabrics like cotton, hemp, lyocell and Tencel are great alternatives to conventionally used synthetics that fast fashion brands often offer. And because they would only shed microfibres that can naturally biodegrade, it means less harmful pollution enters our environment.

(Shown above: The Mountain Meadow Top crafted in handwoven organic cotton(left); Emerald Pine Blouse crafted in Tencel (right))

So, take care to check clothing labels and opt for those organic cotton dresses next time you buy.

Goal: I want to reduce my waste

There are two main ways you can reduce your waste through fashion.

First, buy less and buy consciously. This step mostly requires you to look at your own closet and realise the value of the pieces you already own, and the importance of why we should all do so can be found in these 2 stats: An American study found that 65% of clothing is thrown out within 12 months; and, according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme, most of us only wear about 20-30% of our wardrobes.

Altogether it paints a pretty wasteful picture and so, although it sounds like a pretty simple step, being more considerate of what you already own, finding fresh ways to style them, and truly taking the time to think through every clothing purchase, can do an enormous amount of good in decreasing textile pollution.

Second, recycle or upcycle! You can either do this through the clothes you already own as well as looking specifically to try and buy clothing that is recycled/upcycled. Upcycling the pieces you already have (or even just mending instead of throwing away immediately) help prolong the life of your pieces, while buying recycled/upcycled ensures you’re investing in a circular system that is making use of materials already created - meaning less production, i.e. less carbon emissions.

Goal: I want to help create more sustainable systems.

Yes, this sounds like a big one but there are definitely ways we can do this easily as individuals. There are multiple ways to help create a better future for our planet, and fortunately, there are a lot of brands and initiatives who have that same green mission. We urge you to seek out conservations, NGOs, and charities all dedicated to directly doing better to either donate to or volunteer with.

Now, when it comes to fashion, our best advice is to do your research! Take your time and really look into the products and brands you’re buying from. Eco fashion brands (a.k.a sustainable brands) will not shy away from being transparent so, check their website and their social media platforms to see what conversations they invite on to their platforms.

Ask these questions:

• Do they tell you how and where they source their fabrics?

• Do they try to walk you through their production processes?

• Do they tell you about the team/tailors/dyers/crafters involved in the creation of their garments?

• Do they mention how they are trying to improve their systems to be more sustainable?

We also recommend, although this may not apply to smaller businesses, checking what certifications they may have in terms of sustainable and ethical practices, as well as check websites like Good On You to understand their sustainability standing.

And one more thing to consider (although we could go on and on and on!), is to invest in your local businesses. Often, the brands right at your doorstep will operate in a much more sustainable manner than a large corporation due to the fact that they fundamentally will operate smaller and slower. They also have a more vested interest in your local community and would likely want to better it as well as uplift it.

And with all of that, we hope this inspires you to create some slow fashion goals for 2025. We always encourage our community to keep wanting to better yourself no matter the time of year but a New Year is a great excuse to renew goals. So, here’s your reminder, let’s make 2025 the greenest yet.