Here at the 5th, we’re big on sustainability and bringing you clothes that are made to last so we’ve put together some of our best tips to help you get the most out of your wardrobe and keep your clothing looking fresher for longer.
Caring for the garments in your wardrobe not only reduces your impact on the environment, but also saves you money in the long run as you’re significantly less likely to have to ‘top up’ your wardrobe as often. In turn, this means opting for ‘investment pieces’ which may be more expensive, but are designed to last and therefore tend to be of greater value in terms of cost per wear. Investment pieces also tend to be a more considered purchase (rather than an impulse buy), meaning that generally we are more likely to care for them properly.
There are myriad ways to ensure that you get the most out of your clothes, but we thought we’d start with the simplest: always read the care label. Often neglected, the care label is the key to making sure you wash the piece appropriately and therefore, it will more or less guarantee that you no longer fall victim to common faux pas that can lead to anything from shrunken knitwear to dye/discolouration mishaps.
Another great tip for making your clothes last longer is washing them less. Now don’t get us wrong, we’re not advocating wearing dirty clothes but as a general rule of thumb, garments like jeans and knitwear don’t need to be washed after every wear. If they do need to be washed, opt for a cold cycle to reduce the chance of shrinkage and the impact on the environment. Alternatively, if an item isn’t dirty but needs freshening up, try hanging it outside to breath.
After washing, let your clothes air dry rather than popping them in the dryer. This not only saves electricity, but is actually better for the clothes as dryers tend to break down the fibers which can cause clothes to age prematurely. For best results, once the wash cycle is complete, shake the item to get rid of any wrinkles, then hang them outside to dry. A big advantage of air drying is that if you dry your clothes the right way, you may not need to iron them!
Don’t be fooled into thinking your work is done once the clothes are washed and dried properly, there are still a few small things you can do to keep your clothes looking their best! Storing them correctly is a great place to start - ideally in a dark, cool (but not damp) area away from direct sunlight. It’s also useful to know that certain garments - like t-shirts and sweaters - fare better folded, but be sure to hang up shirts to ensure they keep their shape.
If you’ve decided that you’ve got all you can out of an item of clothing, there are still things you can do before sending them to landfill. Firstly, can it be repurposed? Repurposing and upcycling has become very popular recently, and with good reason, it can give neglected clothes a new lease of life. So whether it’s turning an old pair of jeans into shorts for the summer season, there are plenty of ways to repurpose clothes. If you’ve exhausted all your options and simply want to free up a bit of space in your wardrobe, it’s best to do so in a way that will prevent the clothes ending up in landfill. For big ticket items, there’s real money to be made on resale websites or apps. Failing that, do your research about the best places to donate to or even ask around friends and family to see if they’d be interested in maybe swapping items.
With the fashion industry responsible for about 20% of the world’s water pollution, at The 5th Store we really do consider it important to make small changes in behaviour to reduce our individual impact, and alongside bringing you sustainable brands, we believe that taking care of the existing items in our wardrobe is one of the easiest ways to do so. Whether it’s squeezing in an extra wear between washes, or repairing items rather than simply throwing them out, small changes can make a big difference.
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100ml
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250ml
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100ml
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