Shop for change

We’ve finally made it to Challenge No. 12! Phew.

The festive season is supposed to be a time to spend time with the ones we love, take stock of the year that’s passed and look forward with anticipation to the year ahead, but for many of us its become a time when we feel overwhelmed, isolated and under pressure. It’s also a time of year that sees monumental sums of money being spent on novelty items that aren’t built to last and will more than likely end up in the bin soon after the festivities have passed. We’ve seen the damage of single-use plastic - and yet so many of the things for sale are designed to give a quick buzz and then thrown away. it’s no better.

Our final challenge of the year focused on giving good gifts, supporting ethical brands and finding creative ways to buy less, buy better, or buy nothing at all. Each of us has the power to make a positive difference with the way we spend (or don’t spend) our cash.

Our levels of consumption have reached epic levels and are completely unsustainable. We are literally draining the earth of precious resources, sometimes in the name of a quick fix, boredom, or pressure to buy stuff for the sake of it.

Buying less and buying better are two simple yet powerful ways to make a positive change. This is especially relevant at Christmas time, when we’re being targeted from every angle and encouraged to buy aaaaaall of the things, but it applies all year round too.

Thank you to everyone who has joined us this year in exploring how our clothes impact the world around us. We have so enjoyed hearing your ideas, questions, and struggles (because, let’s face it, we all struggle). If we’ve learnt anything this year, it’s that the things we do, say, think and buy are powerful. Our everyday actions - though they might seem small - make up the habits that shape our lives. In the year ahead let’s continue making small steps in the right direction. Go easy on yourself, go slow, keep learning and most importantly, keep going.