In fashion, 5 is the magic number! 😉

I’ve read a couple of really interesting fashion articles recently.  Being passionate about fashion, (I do all the fashion buying for Two Ducks), I am always curious about what’s topical. 

The Telegraph highlighted a report from the Hot or Cool Institute which says that the average consumer (those in the UK, US, Germany and Japan) should buy just five new (or preloved) items a year. 

The article continues - This, the think tank says, is the most effective way to ensure the fashion industry’s emissions are in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal – to keep the average global temperature rise below 1.5C. Fast fashion is a major culprit: as the cost of clothing has gone down, the volume purchased has gone up, and cheaper clothes means poorer quality. The result is that clothes have a shorter lifespan and more end up in landfill – even the stuff donated to charity. The report highlights that a “substantial share” of donated clothes exported as second-hand “end up directly in landfill or is incinerated”.

Some of the most influential women in fashion believe it is possible to break this what they call 'hamster wheel of consumerism', and have pledged to buy no more than five new items (excluding hosiery and lingerie) this year. 

And they want us to do the same apparently. 

Well it’s all well and good for them to say that 😂, not sure how I’d restrict myself to just 5 items 😬. In all seriousness though, I happen to think it’s not a bad principle, if you can buy quality or pre-loved. 

This challenge does depend on your having a well-stocked wardrobe already of course. But let’s assume you have an average sized wardrobe, there’s a few issues at play here. 

1. A lot of us only wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time. 
2. We are in a cost of living crisis so it can be harder to pay for quality pieces and tempting to buy cheaper items
3. Many of us don’t know how to make the most of our current wardrobe and weave in new pieces for maximum usage. 
4. Not all of us know what colours/styles suit us or what items may truly lift our mood/self-esteem. 

So how do we work round these issues? 

1. Have a wardrobe clear out - be ruthless, consider each piece with a ‘love it, like it, repair/donate it’ ethos (you’ll be amazed how much you reduce it).
2. If you just stick to the 5 QUALITY pieces the experts suggest, you might spend more at the time but you’ll most likely be spending less across the year 
3. Visit your local boutique or see a stylist who can help you make more of your wardrobe and advise you on the best colours and style for your shape/skin tone. 

We are always exploring ways in which we can be more sustainable as a business and so the ‘5 piece ethos’ really does appeal to us. 

As a team, we would be of course delighted to advise/help you with any wardrobe dilemma’s (colours/styles/key pieces/blending with current wardrobe) based on our years of experience dressing customers of all shapes and skin tones. 

We are rather proud of our gorgeous independent European brands which are not only affordable (starting from £24.99) but also high quality and of course if you are a bit strapped for cash, we also offer a rail of pre-loved clothing where designer items start for as little as £10.

We'd love to see you soon! 

Hugs, Claire xx