These are some tips on how to make your clothes last for longer, from the experts

The ole’ hashtag of ​#OOTD (Outfit of the Day) has had some real mileage on social media.

In the instance of fast fashion retailers, the OOTD Brigade tend to resemble an army of single-wear-aficionados who appear to wear outfits just once before discarding them (according to Barnardo’s garments are worn on average just seven times.)

In fact, a recent analysis notes that people keep clothing for just half as long as they did 15 years ago.

But as the iniquities of the fashion industry are steadily being exposed, it can often feel as though we have a considerable lack of individual agency to make a change.

Clothing care is a sure-fire way to resist the lure of fast-fashion and to ease our collective eco-anxiety.

“Before fast fashion people had the skills to repair and mend, and kept clothing for generations”, says Roxanne Houshmand-Howell, founder of The Right Project, a sustainability consultancy.

In actual fact, according to research, if just 10% of the world’s clothes can last longer, then 3 million tons of CO2 and almost 40 million gallons (150 million litres) of water could be saved each year.

Here are a few of the ways you can help your clothes, and the planet, live longer.

Don’t wash it: spray it

Houshmand-Howell explains that “the user care phase has the most impact on your garment and the environment” – meaning the key to prolonging a garment’s life is to ensure you meticulously read the care label.

There’s Day2 Dry Wash Clothes Spray, a spray which revives tired and worn clothes, without the need for washing them. 

This means that, not only is energy being saved by not using washing machines, but your clothes will forego the wear and tear of a washing machine, decreasing the likelihood of tearing. 

And for fans of a classic pair of Levi 501’s, there’s even ‘denim refresh’ spray (Montamonta x Raey have a great product) which awakens lack-lustre denim and prevents unnecessary washes (vintage mavens will know you should always avoid washing vintage denim anyway.)

If you do have to wash, follow these planet-friendly hacks

Washing clothes at 30C uses 40% less energy than washing at 40C, meaning that from the get-go, washing clothes in a cooler temperature is a planet-friendly move as less energy is used to heat the water.

But more than that, exposing garments to high temperatures can also put an unnecessary strain on clothes and shorten their lifespan.

Similarly, as opposed to washing clothes with similar colours, opt to wash them with similar fabrics – and only ever when there’s enough for a large-enough load. While some pieces will be able to go several wears without a wash – such as cotton – others may require specific laundering instructions to retain their shape. 

“When putting clothing in the wash, make sure zips are pulled to decrease abrasion in the wash. Air dry your clothing and if you need to dry clean, seek out an eco-cleaner,” advises Houshmand-Howell.

Upcycle, upcycle, upcycle

Over the past three years, figures have shown that the resale market has grown 21 times faster than ‘apparel retail’, meaning there’s serious money to be made in taking care of the clothes you already have. 

For some inspiration on how to DIY upcycle your wardrobe, there’s Lily Fulop’s upcoming book, Wear, Repair, Repurpose: A Maker’s Guide to Mending and Upcycling, which contains a plethora of hacks on how to prolong garments’ lives, from learning about fibre composition – the expert’s advice is to avoid synthetic polyster which sheds microplastics – to organising clothing swaps with friends. 

If you’d rather skip the literature, Fulop is also the woman behind the hit upcycling Instagram account, @mindful_mending, which shares useful and innovative tips for rejuvenating tired wardrobes.

For trickier pieces to mend yourself, such as shoes, there are a host of companies offering restoration. ShoeSpa has a workship in North London and is one of the best to make your shoes look brand new again. There’s also a company called The Restory which has an outlet in Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge and majors in breathing life back into worn-out handbags.

Get to love second-hand

Not only does the renaissance of second-hand clothing mean you can snap up some seriously chic vintage pieces, but you can also flog the pieces that you no longer wear. 

From Vestiaire Collective’s concession at Selfridges, to Ralph Lauren’s recent Depop collaboration, vintage is back in a big way and there’s no better reason to look after your own clothes properly in the first place (and to treat yourself to a vintage garm – or two.)