Earlier this spring, I wrote about the Guardian’s challenge to buy just five new items of clothing this year. The concept was immediately appealing because it presented a concrete, accessible and best of all doable means of addressing what can easily feel like an overwhelming problem: too many clothes! Announcements, Events & more from Tyee and select partners Join the Vancouver Fringe Festival for Their 40th Anniversary The beloved performing arts showcase is back this September on Granville Island. In addition to being one of the largest industrial consumers of water, the fashion industry dumps 85 per cent of its wares in landfills every year.
And it’s not just environmental but also human costs. Garment workers are some of the most exploited in the world. Now we’re nearing the end of summer, and perhaps you’d like to know how the “five new things” challenge is going for me.
I’m now up to item number 3. And happy to report that the parameters seem to be working. Here are the rules: In a calendar year, you are limited to buying five new articles of clothing.
Vintage, second-hand, gifted, thrifted or stuff found in the middle of the street doesn’t count. Other items, like socks and underpants, that you cannot buy second-hand are also allowed, and, within reason, shoes, which are also not great used. Everything else — hats, earrings, bags, scarves, stuff that you can easily find other places than traditional retail stores — is fair game, so long as you can .