Small Town Swaps & Sustainably Dressed Daisies

Choosing blog topics at Dune Daisies is always fun as we get a chance to don our creative hats and think about not only inspiring issues, but also ones we feel would interest our fellow readers. This particular blog was top of our to-do list and grew from a short story that was entered into the St Francis Today monthly writing competition. It began as an account of a feel-good experience of bartering and second-hand clothes shopping in our beautiful town. However, when we delved deeper into the closet of sustainability in the fashion industry, we uncovered a few proverbial skeletons (and they were not dressed for success).

We hope you enjoy the short story and related insights uncovered when we scratched around in the back of the wardrobe.

SMALL TOWN SWOPS: A short story by Sas

Small towns are known for their charm, special ways and individuality. I am sure you’ll agree St Francis Bay is no different. We have our own sports clubs, pizza combos, pale ales, surf breaks and bumper stickers. The views are breath-taking and there is a plethora of unique opportunities for its citizens. And let’s not forget the blissful lack of robots or rush hour.

One of my (many) favourite things about the small town we call home is its brilliant barter system. Have something to offer? There’s a good chance that you will be able to swop it for items you desire. It’s all about knowing the people around you; something which is possible in St Francis Bay. And the beauty of a good barter is that you always give and receive more than the monetary value of the goods in question. I would love to share with you one of my bartering bonanza experiences.

Growing up overseas, I went to a high school where matric dances were not the massive productions that they are here. We borrowed dresses, did each other’s hair and were lucky if a photo or two were taken by the math teacher outside the school hall. So, it was with disbelief that I learnt about the extent and complexity of my daughter Jemma’s upcoming matric dance preparations. The dress code for her school was long and white. Seriously? Make no mistake, I am a huge fan of tradition, but ‘long and white’ sounded very much like a wedding dress to me – help!

Desperate to find a dress that would make both Jemma and our budget happy, I went to my favourite clothing shop; Gently Worn. This boutique is home to not only a wide range of pre-loved clothes, but the owners also happened to be customers of my organic vegetable business. The arrangement we had was this; I would deliver a weekly box of veggies and Angela would translate that into a credit, allowing me to ‘purchase’ her pre-loved clothes. No cash ever changed hands, and we both felt we were getting an amazing deal.

On the hunt for miracle, Jemma and I browsed the rails and there, tucked in between a 70s floral house coat and a maroon jumpsuit, we found an utterly gorgeous, beautifully embroidered white wedding dress. When she stepped behind the changing room curtain to try it on, we all held our breath. She emerged triumphant. Not only did it fit, but she loved it, and it met the dress code! When we arrived at the till to settle up, Angela happily announced that I had enough credit (from my veggie sales) to cover its cost.

The day of the matric dance arrived and Jemma looked stunning, graciously receiving many compliments on her appearance. I overheard a friend of hers asking, “your dress is to die for Jems! Where did you find get it? In Johannesburg? Or did you get it specially designed for you in Cape Town?” Jemma looked over to where Anton and I were standing and, with a slight, sardonic raise of her eyebrow replied, “my mum bought it for a box of vegetables.”

And that is why I love this town.

Understanding the lingo:

Fast Fashion: Fashion that is cheap, quickly manufactured and disposable. Fashion that has a speedy turnaround and aims to bring expensive catwalk trends to the ‘man’ on the street.

Slow Fashion: Similar to sustainable fashion in that it aims to be ethically sourced, environmentally sound, locally made, high quality and honours textile workers’ social & cultural rights.

Thrifting: To shop for used clothing, whether it be at a garage sale, flea market, estate sale, charity store, donation centre, or a used clothing store.

Fashion-flipping: To buy second-hand garments for resale (they can be altered, mended or upcycled before the resale).

Greenwashing: Misleading or deceptive publicity regarding how environmentally friendly a product is.

The Environmental Impact of Fashion

The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second (UNEP, 2018)

Approximately 60% of all materials used by the fashion industry are made from plastic (UNEP, 2019)

500,000 tons of microfibers are released into the ocean each year from washing clothes — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017)

That the world of fashion has a lot to answer for in terms of social, ethical and environmental responsibility is nothing new. We have all watched appalled as overcrowded, life-threatening, dehumanising sweatshops have been exposed. We have gasped in horror as rivers turned green, poisoned by chemical effluent from textile factories. And we have averted our eyes and shrugged our shoulders as our teenagers have pressurised us into buying the latest, coolest, fast fashion trends, hot off the catwalk and now in our local malls. Clearly, there are a multitude of destructive social and environmental consequences stemming from the life cycle of a fast fashion garment.

Daisies, it’s time to say goodbye to mindless consumerism and embrace conscious, sustainable, ethical shopping. It’s time to take a moment, pause, breathe deeply and embrace slow fashion. Trust us, you won’t regret it, and importantly, you’ll look good too 😉.

Luckily, we have a number of options at our fingertips: one of which is buying pre-loved clothes. The demand for second-hand garments is set to skyrocket (by up to 185% in the next 10 years vs a paltry 10% increase in fast fashion: thredup.com). The fusty, dingy thrift stores of the ‘80s have been replaced by modern, appealing boutiques, such as Gently Worn. And if digital browsing is more up your alley, there are a variety of online pre-loved and vintage sites on offer.

Gently Worn, and our other favourite, Vintage with Love SA, are not only in the business of acquiring and selling second-hand clothes, but they are also true ethical and sustainability warriors. Vintage with Love SA has donated over R9 million to numerous charities, from their pre-loved goods sales (Pre-loved Clothes | Vintage With Love). And here in St Francis Bay, Angela and her staff at Gently Worn make sure that the clothes received, if not sold, definitely do not end up polluting a landfill. Any unwanted items are boxed and donated to Freddie Van Rooyen. As well as being part of Kouga Disaster Management, Freddie also runs an NPO in Jeffrey’s Bay called Masikhathaleleneni. His outreach covers the entire Kouga region and all who live there, providing clothing, furniture and food parcels to those in need. In exchange for Gently Worn’s unwanted clothes, Freddie donates food to the soup kitchens in St Francis Bay. And last Christmas, his organisation provided festive food hampers to 10 local needy families (who had been identified by Pastor Andrew Vena and Catherine Falconer of the Green Box (greenboxorders).

So fellow daisies, even if you are struggling to adjust to the thought of buying pre-loved, please consider a visit to your local thrift shop, and ensure that your unwanted garments find a new home in a skeleton-free closet.

OTHER WAYS TO FIND YOUR ETHICAL FASHION GROOVE

• Be like twyg (twyg.co.za) and host a swap & mend group. Grab a friend, some snacks and wine and revitalise or exchange your unwanted garments.
• Support local brands (we have awesome local designers in our town, such as Shelly @surfsense Surf Sense | Handmade Surf & Swimwear – Surf Sense SA, Carrin @ Surfeez Handmade Beachwear St Francis Bay | Surfeez | Eastern Cape, Angie @ Salty Dog Surf Wear (1) Salty Dog Surf Wear | Facebook & Maria @ Shakti Shanti Where To Buy – Shakti Shanti (shaktishantiyogawear.com)
• Reduce the number of garments you buy, choose quality over quantity and opt for a capsule wardrobe The Ultimate Guide: How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe (modernminimalism.com)
• Research ethical and sustainable brands & shop consciously Why Fashion Needs to Be More Sustainable – Sustainable Living (columbia.edu)

The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of humanity’s carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined (UNEP, 2018). If the fashion sector continues on its current trajectory, that share of the carbon budget could jump to 26% by 2050 (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017)

Some 93 billion cubic metres of water – enough to meet the needs of five million people – is used by the fashion industry annually, contributing significantly to water scarcity in some regions (UNCTAD, 2020)

Around 20% of industrial wastewater pollution worldwide originates from the fashion industry (WRI, 2017)

WHERE TO FIND YOUR NEXT VINTAGE GARMENT:

Instagram/online shops: wolf_the_vintage_store  /  vintagelovercpt / vinatgewithlovesa

Whatsapp & Telegram groups: Pre-loved St Francis Bay

Markets:

• St Francis Bay: St Francis Bay Market – St Francis Bay Food and Craft Markets (stfrancismarket.co.za)
• Jeffrey’s Bay: Milkwood Mark \ Market | Jeffrey’s Bay | Facebook

Boutiques: Gently Worn / SPCA & Hospice shops in Jeffreys Bay