Now that the clocks have gone back it’s time to sit tight and wait for those long, cold nights and frosty mornings where your breath looks like the steam coming off your takeaway-coffee. Unfortunately, those thin cardigans you’ve been stretching from summer into autumn probably aren’t going to cut it anymore unless blue skin is the new tan this season. So when you’re looking for winter jumpers to bulk out your wardrobe it’s worth considering where your clothes are coming from and not just in terms of style.
Many large stores, as I’m sure you’ve heard, pay workers unfairly and do a lot of damage to the environments they use to source their products. And I get it, it’s pretty hard to know which places are doing what and we all need clothes. It’s difficult to be completely guilt-free especially when most of us have a budget that doesn’t cover having hand-made ethically-sourced everything totalling in a T-shirt being £200. However, I’ve put together a list of some places that you can look at to get sustainable winter jumpers. Although the clothes on this list aren’t necessarily budget, it’s often worth paying a bit extra for something good quality that will last longer than the Christmas period.
1. Seasalt
This is one you probably haven’t heard of before, a Cornish shop that started out 35 years ago selling waterproof coats and working clothes for fishermen. Many of their products are made locally in the UK, but are also committed to ethical trading and preserving the environment, using organic cotton for 60% of their products.
Find the jumper in the picture here:https://www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk/women/clothing/knitwear/ballswidden-merino-wool-ombre-fishermans-jumper_ombre_anchor_fathom.htm
You can read about their policy here: https://www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk/customer/pages/about/our_standards
2. Fatface
You’ve probably seen this shop around as you can find it on many high streets, so it’s great to see it here as a sustainable brand. Fatface has policies covering both the environment and their workers, and as student you also get 10% discount, which is a great bonus.
Find the jumper in the picture here: http://www.fatface.com/knitwear/islay-fairisle-christmas-jumper/invt/919129#ff_colour=Ivory
You can read about their policy here: http://www.fatface.com/careers/making-a-difference/page/diff
3. Monsoon
Another potentially familiar face, Monsoon protects the environment by recycling waste and saving energy. They’re also committed to not using animal fur and do not test on animals as well as looking after their workers.
Find the jumper in the picture here: http://uk.monsoon.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/mon_1,mon_1.6/1411920818
You can read about their policy here: http://uk.monsoon.co.uk/uk/content/heritage#sustainability
Recycling?
So with all you new jumpers coming in it’s probably time to clear out the one’s from last year or the year before, or maybe you just want to get rid of that Christmas present that was two sizes too small or the cardigan that was never your style. Well, I have good news for you as H&M offer a clothes-recycling service for both your old and new clothes. The ones they cannot resell will be broken down and the fibres reused, and the new ones given to a new owner.
So please, before thinking of tipping your old winter wardrobe into a landfill where you think it belongs, please give your jumpers (or any other clothes) on so that others can use them. You never know, maybe you’ll wear them again next year as a part of your brand new jumper. You could even donate good quality clothes to your local charity shop to raise some money for a good cause.
It’s also worth looking at the H&M conscious range with a green tag, meaning the clothes are made from 100% organic cotton, and a water and energy saving washing process. (This range is sustainable for both the environment and your pocket.)
Find H&M’s Recycling policy here: http://about.hm.com/en/sustainability/get-involved/recycle-your-clothes.html
Find H&M’s sustainability policy here: http://about.hm.com/en/sustainability/get-involved/the-way-to-sustainable-fashion.html
So why not think about others coming up to the festive season? It’s so easy to be a bit more eco-conscious with your choice in where you buy your clothes. And why limit yourself to jumpers only? Although it may be getting colder, you might want to look to these shops all throughout the year now that you’ve been made aware of them. Feel warm this winter with your new woolly jumper that’s not only helping you stay warm, but helping the environment too.