Sew sustainable. Photo: laetitiaWant to combat throwaway fashion but feel oh-sew-alone? Inhabitat recently listed several sewing clubs in Brooklyn where you can socialize while stitching up old duds. And for non-hipsters, Meetup.com has nearly 150 sewing groups around the world, from Austin to Hoboken. Nonprofit Sew Green has sewing classes for kids and adults in Ithaca, N.Y. And Seattleites can use one of the sewing machines at fabric shop Stitches for $5 an hour. (Know of sewing clubs near you? Tell us in the comments!)
So why fumble with a needle when you could get something new for just a few bucks at H&M or Forever 21? In an age of cheap shiny fashion, somebody has to pay, even if it’s not you. (Read: the environment.) About 75 percent of old clothes end up at the dump — even if you donate ’em to a thrift store first. And if you get rid of 70 pounds of clothes annually like the average American, that’s over 50 pounds of old threads that you add to the landfill every year. Yeesh. Guilt fudge sundae. And that’s even before you consider the massive amounts of energy, pesticides, water, and CO2 involved in making a single T-shirt.
So go Project Runway on your sock heels. It’s for the planet.
