With the climate crisis in full effect, we are looking at our lifestyles to see what changes can be made to make a difference. From cutting down our use of disposable plastics to reducing our meat intake, another way has been looking at our material items and the waste generated by their manufacture and consumption – one of which is the clothes we wear.
The current fashion industry is incredibly wasteful and exploitative, described by some to be the most detrimental industry to the planet. This includes power and water usage, the treatment of workers and the amount of raw material used.
In terms of charity and vintage stores, Glasgow has a variety to choose from. From the Glasgow Vintage Company in Kelvinbridge, the long line of charity shops on Byres Road and the notable Mr Bens. Unfortunately, these stores can be restrictive in sizes and difficult for plus-size shoppers like me to discover a rare gem.
Trying to shop at more ethical, independent stores is great too – especially for some unique finds. These places can often be inaccessible to those on a budget, although, you can rest assured that your money is funding an innovative independent designer. Plus size options can also exist in these stores but there is still a way to go in terms of sustainable size inclusivity.
Some of my favourite Glasgow based independent environmentally conscious designers include WhatLydiaMade and GRLCLB, both class themselves as “slow fashion” with their garments being made and designed in Glasgow – often at home.
WhatLydiaMade
Glasgow School of Art graduate, Lydia Morrow makes inclusive design-led underwear from her home studio in Glasgow. Lydia noticed that she had difficulty in finding underwear which was both stylish and came in her size so started making her own underwear and sharing it on Instagram. Here, she found that many other people felt the same way she did and that her product was in high demand. Her unique pieces are made to your measurements with a selection of contemporary colourways to choose from.
Lydia also shares her own plus-size ethical fashion finds on her Instagram, many of which she finds on eBay. Lydia often discusses fast fashion concerning plus size clothing on her Instagram – even sometimes selling her pre-loved clothes via the platform.
GRLCLB
GRLCLB is an online collective and store founded by Ruth Finn Leiser with values, of intersectionality, ethics, feminism and resistance at its core. GRLCLB stocks tote bags, slogan t-shirts and hoodies and accessories – all ethically manufactured in Glasgow. Many of Ruth’s slogans and designs reflect activism and womxn-centric experiences – a favourite product of mine being the “Walk Home Hoody” which illustrates the all too familiar act of grasping your keys in between your fingers when walking home at night.
GRLCLB goes up to a 5XL with more sizes being introduced in the future.
A great resource to use when trying to make your choices more sustainable is ethicalconsumer.org. This site has advice on how ethical the brands are you are funding are, giving them a score out of 10. They have information on lots of brands, from skincare to biscuits. The site also shares details of incidents which have happened to workers in their factories, proving that people often face immoral treatment as well as the environment by this industry.
Thanks to Lydia @whatlydiamade (Instagram) and Ruth @roobsgrlclb @grlclb (Instagram)
All photos used with designers permission.
