Unlocking the Value of Your Wardrobe. February - March 2014

Transcription

1 Unlocking the Value of Your Wardrobe February - March 2014

2 Theme focus Straplines, messages and calls to action The Love Your Clothes campaign has been designed to help consumers change the way they acquire, use and dispose of clothes across the clothing lifecycle. To help us achieve this, we have developed an annual calendar of Love Your Clothes themes to help us to target messages and information to encourage behaviour change amongst consumers. The first theme focuses on Unlocking the Value of Your Wardrobe, which aims to raise awareness of the value of existing clothes and how this can benefit consumers directly and also help others. Unlocking the value of your wardrobe Example Straplines Messages Calls to Action "Love a second chance" Missing a button? Don t throw it away- clothes can be easy to repair Clothes too big? Too small? Have them altered and they ll look good as new Repair or alter clothes "Love a fresh look" Don t hide your old clothes a new accessory or combination from your wardrobe can revive them Don t give up on your old clothes a new accessory or combination can revive them Revive old clothes with an accessory/new combination "Love your wardrobe" Regularly check your wardrobe before shopping for new clothes Plan before you buy clothes Key behaviours As part of this theme, we are encouraging people to maximise the value of their clothes by adopting the following behaviours: "Love to be valued" "Love to be needed" "Love to be shared" If your unwanted clothes are still wearable, pass them on to someone else, or donate them to charity Most of us have over 1,000 worth of clothes in our wardrobe, if you don't wear them sell them Pass on clothing through donation or sale Increasing use of existing clothing; Repairing and altering clothes; Ensuring unwanted clothes are re-used to help benefit someone else e.g. through donation or re-sale; and Ensuring clothes unsuitable for re-use go to recycling instead of landfill. Our key aim for this theme is to get consumers to visit the Love Your Clothes website to view tips and advice on how to get the most from their clothes and also share any tips they have. Changing consumer behaviour "Love a new life" If your unwanted clothes can t be worn, make sure they get recycled so less goes to landfill Recycle old clothes that can no longer be worn, so they can come back as something new Even worn out clothes have a value so don t put them in the bin remember to pass unwanted clothes on or recycle them Don't put clothes in the bin Pass on clothes unsuitable for re-use to recycling collectors

3 Facts 3. Tweak your clothes Did you know the average UK household owns around 4,000 worth of clothing and on average, 30 percent of the clothes in our wardrobes haven t been worn in the last year; More than 5 billion worth of clothes lie abandoned in British wardrobes, according to research by Weight Watchers. Every woman owns an average of 260 worth of clothes that are banished to the wardrobe; Did you know extending the average life of clothes by just three months of active use would lead to a 5-10% reduction in the carbon, water and waste used in the clothing manufacturing process; The cost of unused clothing is around 30 billion; and Did you know an estimated 140 million worth (around 350,000 tonnes) of used clothing goes to landfill in the UK every year? If your unwanted clothes can t be worn make sure they get recycled. If any clothing item is a bit big, a bit small or a bit long right now, a few clever alterations will make clothes feel like new. It will save you the trip to the shops to buy something new and will be a fraction of the cost. Plus it will be fitted exactly for your measurements! There are lots of alteration services available and check out local alteration services for more information. Try and 4. Oh darn it! Sewing s not everyone s cup of tea, but you probably know someone who will happily replace that shirt button for you in exchange for a cuppa. Or you could have a go yourself, it s really easy to do. Take a look at these 4 quick fixes: How to sew a button /tip/how-to-sew-a-button/ How to mend a seam /tip/how-to-mend-a-seam/ 10 Tips for consumers 1. Do a wardrobe stock take It s easy to forget what s hiding in our wardrobes and drawers - we cram so much into them these days that once loved tops and shirts get pushed to the back never to see the light of day again. So it's a great idea to regularly have a good look to see what hidden clothing gems are in there. You re likely to save money too as you re bound to find old outfits and unworn clothes that were once your favourites. Dig them out and love them all over again. 2. Mix and match for a whole new look Try putting clothes you already own together in new combinations, you ll be surprised what you can achieve and the money you can save too! Get an idea for this season s trends by looking online and in magazines and then see what s already in your wardrobe to achieve the looks. It may be that you need to wear different accessories or shoes, or simply putting different colours together can create a new outfit. How to mend a hole /tip/how-to-mend-a-hole/ How to fix a zip /tip/how-to-fix-a-zip/ If you don t feel brave enough to tackle this yourself check out local repair services, which are very reasonable and can turn around repairs in a jiffy. Try and 5. Have a swishing party! If you don t need some of your clothing anymore, there s a fair chance a friend will, or even want to swap it for one of their items! So try hosting a swishing party where you invite friends who each bring an item (or more) of good quality clothing they re happy to trade! At the end of the party, you all have new clothes to add to your wardrobe for free! Click on the link below to find out more: Printed on 100% recycled paper

4 6. Pass it on Charities are always thankful for clothing donations it helps generate vital income for their cause. It also helps to get the most value from your clothing too (even if you re not the one wearing it!). Put all your unwanted clothes in a bag and simply drop them into your local charity shop. Use the handy charity shop locator to find the shops in your local area If you are fundraising for your school, church, workplace, sports club or organisations such as Girl Guides, or Scouts, there are textile companies who can arrange a textile collection to help you to raise money for your cause. Not only does this generate valuable funds, but creates a great team spirit by getting your supporters to work together to clear out their wardrobes. Don t throw that fundraising away! 7. Sell your clothes If your clothes are in good condition then they re likely to be of value to someone else meaning there s money to be made! There has never been a better time to sell unwanted clothes either on line through websites such as ebay and Gumtree, through your local cash for clothes outlet or at car boot sales. With two thirds of people already buying pre-owned and vintage clothes, there is a willing market to buy yours. Check out your options and sell, sell, sell! 9. Get to the bank a recycling bank! Clothing is a valuable commodity, which is why you can find clothing banks in popular places like supermarket car parks and council sites. Here, you can recycle clothes, shoes and textiles - you name it, they ll have a use for it! Some banks even accept items that are worn out (check on the container for what is accepted). Materials like this often get shredded before being processed into new items e.g. car insulation panels. Check your local council services and charity shops before you bin it. 10. Be wary of washing How we wash and dry our clothes has an impact on how much use we can get out of them. So to make sure your clothes look good for longer take a look at the clothing labels in your garments before washing. Too many washes for woolens will make them lose their shape and polyester in the tumble dryer could make your outfit shrink. You ve been warned! For more Love Your Clothes tips visit: 8. Look out for doorstep clothing collections Wash me at 30 o C, and I ll keep my shape Line drying will help me last longer Some councils offer textile recycling collections as well as picking up your cans and glass. To find out about your local recycling collections visit Charities also post bags through doors asking for unwanted clothes which they will then collect.

5 Editorial - Unlock the value of your wardrobe. 4,000 deal or no deal? Who wouldn t say no to 4,000, especially when it comes to fashion? Well, we ll let you into a little secret that 4,000 is currently sat in YOUR wardrobe at home, in your bedroom, at your finger tips! That sounds like a good deal of value to us. We ve been through drawers, wardrobes, closets and our research shows that the average UK household owns around 4,000 worth of clothes. That s quite a big deal. Plus about 1,200 of our clothes are sat gathering dust when they could be re-fashioned into new this-season s outfits, given to new homes or if they re ripped or faded, even recycled into speakers (yes, speakers! They re made from shredded fibres). So we ve got a plan to help us all look good, get the most out of the clothes we own and not be so tempted to throw our clothes (and money) into the bin. Find more details at Open sesame! Squeeze more value from the clothes hiding in your wardrobe with these top 5 tips Tip Have a go Possible results Do a wardrobe stock take What s hiding in the there that you ve forgotten about? Mix and match for a whole new look Try putting clothes you already own together in new combinations, you ll be surprised what you can achieve. Tweak your clothes If it s a bit big, a bit small or a bit long right now, a few clever alterations will make clothes feel like new. Oh darn it! Sewing s not everyone s cup of tea, but you probably know someone who will happily replace that shirt button for you in exchange for a cuppa. Pass it on If you don t like it, there s a fair chance a friend will, or even want to swap it for one of their items! Wearing a forgotten about shirt that would look great this season and because you ve not worn it for a while it s the it-feels-new-to-me factor! Bright tops, coloured jeans, work jackets worn with a statement brooch and layered jewellery could be just one completely new and surprising outfit combination. Move a button on a pair of trousers so they can be worn again, and again, and again. Good as new and the perfect fit! Repairing a zip on a skirt will give you more wear out of it and see Tip 2 for ideas on how to get even more from it now it s been rescued! Are 3 t-shirts you don t like anymore a worthy exchange for a new jacket from a friend? If you don t ask, you don t get! For more ideas on unlocking the value of your wardrobe, visit Sell your clothes online to make more money dot com There is a big need for buying pre-owned or vintage clothes, two thirds of us are already buying them and a fifth of people are selling clothing online. There s definitely money to be made out there. There are plenty of websites where you can sell any clothing items that are still in a good condition and that you really don t like or can re-use in any way. Have a look at gumtree.com, ebay.co.uk or even Facebook groups that have been created for this very purpose. Try searching for swap and sell and add your location in the Facebook search box at the top of the page, or ask friends. If you ve got a smart phone, it can be really quick and easy to snap, upload and sell in minutes have a go and see what can money you can make. Find helpful links and more at Go to the bank a clothing bank Any unwanted clothing, especially clothes and materials that have seen better days and are full of holes, stained or misshapen are worth something to someone. Clothing banks take your clothes and sort them to be sent off to the most appropriate place. Some can even accept damaged items which are then sorted, shredded and their fibres used to make music speakers or insulation! This generates invaluable money for the organisation who owns the clothing bank. If you don t know where your nearest clothing bank is, visit to find it. Also a great tip is to take your unwanted clothing to the supermarket with you as most large stores tend to have clothing banks in their car parks, look out for the signs next time you go. Unlock the secret to extending the life of your garments It s not how we wear our clothes that can make them seem old before their time, it s often how we launder them which the key to making them last longer. Different fabrics behave in different ways when they re being washed, ironed or dried. Wool: Don t wash it too often! Washing too frequently can wear out the fabric, make it lose its shape and shorten its life. Cotton: Iron to remove wrinkles but avoid ironing over stains as this will end up setting the stains and make them permanent. Polyester: Avoid using the tumble dryer as this can cause shrinkage. Viscose: Requires delicate hand-washing using luke-warm water but avoid wringing or twisting clothes as this can rip the material. Silk: Check the label before washing as different types and blends of the material require different laundry methods. Reading the label on clothes will help you and help to reduce the amount of clothing we send to landfill each year - 140m worth of clothing gets dumped each year. More fabric tips can be found at Printed on 100% recycled paper

6 Editors Notes Social media content Love Your Clothes, a clothing campaign supported by clothing retailers, brands and manufacturers which encourages consumers to think about the way the buy, use and discard clothing to help reduce their impact on the environment. It has been developed with industry as part of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP), which is coordinated by WRAP on behalf of the UK Governments (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). SCAP brings together clothing retailers, brands, suppliers, local authority representatives, end of life organisations recyclers, charities, trade bodies, academics and the public sector to look at how to reduce the environmental impacts of clothing in the UK. WRAP is working with SCAP members, along with other major consumer influencers to encourage them to formally sign up to the SCAP 2020 Commitment an industry led sector agreement. One of the key areas of focus is helping consumers to reduce their impact. SCAP 2020 signatories will use the Love Your Clothes brand to reinforce their commitment to changing consumers clothing behaviour whilst also contributing to their corporate social responsibility, carbon and waste reduction targets. For more information contact: info@getitsorted.org Tweets Any day Each UK household has 4k worth of clothing! Find out how to cash in on your closet here Any day 5 fashionable tips on how to make new clothes magically appear in your wardrobe! Open sesame! Any day A tip on how to keep those winter woollies looking good for longer: Don t wash them (too often). For more tips visit Any day Each UK household owns around 4k of clothes! Find out how to make money from your wardrobe here 11th Feb Today we ve launched #LoveYourClothes campaign, it s a must-have follow for #fashion tips #MoneySaving tips and latest clothing news 12th Feb We love February! It s the perfect month to start to #LoveYourClothes. Check out for details on how to keep your clothes looking good for longer. 14th Feb Happy Valentines Day to all your wardrobes and their contents! We love you all! What romantic outfit have you got on today? #LoveYourClothes 15th Feb London Fashion Week kicks off today. Great news as we can keep ahead of trends and scour our drawers for colours, trends and styles we probably already own! #LFW 17th Feb Unlock the potential of your wardrobe find out which looks will be hot for later in the year from London Fashion Week and get ahead of the trends! 18th Feb The #LoveYourClothes team have loved London Fashion Week Autumn Winter looks this week #LFW. Loads of ideas to help us start planning our wardrobes NOW!! Printed on 100% recycled paper

7 Facebook posts Facebook posts Date Copy Image Suggestions 11 th Feb Ta-dahh! We ve officially launched our Love Your Clothes campaign. We ll be sharing tips on how to turn your current wardrobe into this season s latest fashion trends and how to make money from your clothes. But first, we re kicking off with ideas on how to Unlock the Value of Your Wardrobe! 12 th Love is definitely in the air! Feb February is a really lovely month to #LoveYourClothes! Check out details on how to keep your clothes looking good for longer on our website 14 th Happy Valentines Day to all your Feb wardrobes and their contents! What new outfit will you fall in love with today? Try putting a new combination of clothes together today for a new look that will probably turn some heads! Which clothes do you love in your wardrobe and couldn t bear be without? Suggested responses: Reader posts I love my woolly jumper, I put it on every night when I get home from work and snuggle up in this cold weather! LYC reply Sounds very cosy! Remember you can make it last even longer by washing on a cool wash and drying it flat so it keeps its shape so you can wear it next year too!) 15 th Feb London Fashion week kicked off yesterday with some amazing shows celebrating 2014 Autumn/ Winter catwalk looks. Take a look and plan ahead for later in the year. Your wardrobe is bound to have something you can wear and you can be one of the first to wear the trend! LONDON FASHION WEEK Date Copy Image Suggestions 18 th Feb We ve loved London Fashion Week! Some amazing outfits, styles and colours are coming our way, but do you know the best bit? We re already looking in our wardrobes NOW to see what we can save for later in the year and wear ahead of the shops! Any Any Any Find out how to get ahead of the trends and plan your wardrobe at Open sesame! The secret to getting new clothes to magically appear from within your wardrobe? Follow some of our tips. 1. Do a wardrobe stock take 2. Mix and match a new look 3. Tweak clothes 4. Repair or alter them 5. Pass it on Find out more at A little #LoveYourClothes value for money fact for you today: There s 4k of clothing in each UK household including yours! PLUS 1,200 of it is gathering dust and could be used this season, or made into a fabulous new outfit. Find out how you can do it here We re on a mission to save your winter woolies! Tips for keeping woolen items looking good for longer don t wash them (too often!) Washing tires fabrics out, can make them shrink (if you don t read the washing label) and make them misshapen. Saving money NOT buying new jumpers is much more fashionable, so let s keep them looking good! For more #LoveYourClothes ideas, click here

8 Website Love Your Clothes Contacts The Love Your Clothes consumer website will be launched on 11th February A holding page is currently available which allows users to submit their contact details so that we can inform them when the site is launched. loveyourclothes@wrap.org.uk Facebook: Logos and Guidelines Love Your Clothes logos and guidelines are available on request from Get it Sorted - info@getitsorted.org All communication materials produced to support the Love Your Clothes campaign should adhere to the Love Your Clothes guidelines to preserve the integrity of the brand and its benefits. Pinterest: Helpline: Photography Further information We now have an extensive library of photographs to support the Love Your Clothes campaign. To access these please info@getitsorted.org For more information about the Love Your Clothes Campaign and how to get involved contact: Get it Sorted on or info@getisorted.org Supporting Imagery We have developed a series of contextual illustrations that can be used to support Love Your Clothes editorial, tips, facts and social media. More contextual icons are available on request from Get it Sorted - info@getitsorted.org Printed on 100% recycled paper

9 Printed on 100% recycled paper While steps have been taken to ensure its accuracy, WRAP cannot accept responsibility or be held liable to any person for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with this information being inaccurate, incomplete or misleading. This material is copyrighted. It may be reproduced free of charge subject to the material being accurate and not used in a misleading context. The source of the material must be identified and the copyright status acknowledged. This material must not be used to endorse or used to suggest WRAP s endorsement of a commercial product or service. For more details, please refer to our Terms & Conditions on our website Waste & Resources Action Programme The Old Academy 21 Horse Fair Banbury, Oxon OX16 0AH Tel: Fax: info@wrap.org.uk Helpline freephone