Places where you can shop sustainably in Cardiff:
Any local charity shops
Buying second hand is the easiest way to shop sustainably for clothes in the city centre. There are so many options including Oxfam, British Heart Foundation, Scope, etc. right on the high street. While helping the environment, all money goes to charity so it’s a double win.
Vintage shops
Cardiff has a wide range of vintage stores, which are again also perfect when trying to shop sustainably because you are buying second-hand. Most notably there is Sobey’s in the Royal Arcade, Hobos Vintage in the High Street Arcade and Hatts Emporium at Cardiff Market.
Zero Waste stores
The first zero waste store in Cardiff recently opened, and it not only sells food but also clothes, kitchen products, and much more. Ripple, located in Roath, is the perfect place to stop to make sure you are shopping sustainably in more areas than just your clothes.
More people are taking up sewing and making their own clothes over concerns about the effects of the fast fashion industry on the environment
Sewing and making your own clothes workshops have started to become popular due to the current concerns over the fast fashion industry and its sustainability problem, so says local sewing experts.
People are choosing to learn how to sew and make their own clothes so they can limit how much fast fashion they are buying, especially when bringing in their own fabrics or charity shop purchases they want to repurpose.
When thinking about the effect fashion fashion has on the environment it is apparent people are wanting to change their ways, especially with the Extinction Rebellion protests that have occurred in Cardiff and all over the country, notably with the group being invited to the Welsh Government climate change conference last week.
Charlotte Peacock, 37, owns Twin Made, a creative craft studio in central Cardiff. They put on workshops where people can come and learn to sew or make an item of clothing, such as a dress. She said, “The increased awareness of climate change and people becoming more educated about things they can change has sparked an interest in people making their own clothes.
“Attendees bring their own fabric, and lots are choosing to upcycle curtains, duvet covers, and one even sewed together lots of tea towels!”
Cynthia Gerrard, 63, owns The Little Sewing Works, a place where people can receive expert sewing tuition, also in central Cardiff. She puts on lots of different sewing classes, ranging from beginners sessions to a two-day dress making course.
She said, “Because of the focus on climate change and sustainability, many more of my pupils are wanting to repurpose their clothes or charity shops purchases, either by altering to fit or completely refashioning.”
Sewing and making your own clothes is an easy way to become more sustainable and cut down on how much fast fashion you are purchasing as instead you are making the clothes yourself and not contributing to the harmful effects of the industry.
Both Twin Made and The Little Sewing Works offer a huge variety of different courses that are put on both during weekdays and at the weekend that can be booked online.
Places where you can shop sustainably in Cardiff:
Any local charity shops
Buying second hand is the easiest way to shop sustainably for clothes in the city centre. There are so many options including Oxfam, British Heart Foundation, Scope, etc. right on the high street. While helping the environment, all money goes to charity so it’s a double win.
Vintage shops
Cardiff has a wide range of vintage stores, which are again also perfect when trying to shop sustainably because you are buying second-hand. Most notably there is Sobey’s in the Royal Arcade, Hobos Vintage in the High Street Arcade and Hatts Emporium at Cardiff Market.
Zero Waste stores
The first zero waste store in Cardiff recently opened, and it not only sells food but also clothes, kitchen products, and much more. Ripple, located in Roath, is the perfect place to stop to make sure you are shopping sustainably in more areas than just your clothes.