Emma Westwood
Team Guinea Blogger
The enduring sustainable style of Guinea
Here at Guinea, we feel we have always been at the forefront of sustainability, as since our inception we have focused on high quality pieces, made in limited quantities, in classic styles- making our garments enduring, exclusive, and timeless.
Fast fashion in contrast, is designed to be worn for a season and then discarded, destined to end up in landfills, as the garment has gone out of vogue- having been manufactured with the sole purpose of cashing in on the latest trend.
Guinea pieces however, are designed to be timeless, flattering and feminine, as we want women to feel fabulous in them- from the first try on to the fiftieth wear. We pride ourselves on creating garments which are a wardrobe staple that will last you for years to come.
And Guinea is proud to be part of the Slow Fashion movement.
We nurture a direct relationship with couturiers and bespoke manufacturers, ensuring that we can produce in small less wasteful production runs– every metre of cloth is used up and nothing is thrown away! If we aren't happy with a design or a sample, we won't have it manufactured just for the sake of having a new garment to promote, we will redesign, remeasure and consult until it is exactly the way we want it.
What is you want to become more sustainable but don't know where to start? Read below to learn see how Royalty and celebrities are doing their bit for the environment through fashion, how you can too through old purchases and new, what exactly is fast fashion and why it is so bad for the planet.
Repeat, Re-wear, Revamp, Restyle
One of the biggest trends amongst Royalty and Hollywood in recent years, is to re-wear clothing or have it restyled for another occasion.
While Princess Anne and the King have unknowingly been Royal trendsetters for years, once mocked for re-wearing garments over and over again, they are now praised for their sustainability, and the new generation of Royals is taking a leaf from their book.
From the youngest royals wearing their parent's childhood clothing, to a couture gowns being revamped, to a granddaughter restyling a dress of their grandmother's into a wedding dress! The Royals are doing sustainability on a multigenerational scale.
And it works!
Princess Beatrice looked an absolute vision at her wedding, wearing a gown created in the 1960's by Norman Hartnell, for her grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.
Recent red carpet events have also been encouraging red carpet redo's, as celebrities, re-wear and revamp previously worn dresses, encouraging the sustainability trend in fashion.
Princess of Wales
Rewear and restyle for different seasons/Re-Design of neckline/ Revamp & Restyle
Rebel Wilson: Re-sized. Cate Blanchett: Restyle. Jane Fonda: Rewear
Rehome, Repair, Repurpose!
As we mature our style evolves to suit our changing lifestyle: clubbing clothes swapped for work wear, office clothes replaced by comfort for working from home, styled and polished making way for hardwearing and easy to style on the school run, or formal wear for networking events being given the heave-ho in retirement to be replaced by chic and casual for brunch with the girls.
All this can mean we can end up with a large portion of our wardrobe being occupied by clothing we no longer wear, and let's face it, we are all guilty of having garments hanging around from our younger days, which we remember making us feel gorgeous at the time, but now make us feel ridiculous and over exposed- clinging onto them purely for sentimental reasons and stubbornly reluctant to get rid of them, even though they may no longer fit or make you feel fab.
So if you feel it is time for a wardrobe clear out to make room for pieces which will become part of your everyday style, rather than items taking up space which rarely see the light of day, but you are conscious of the impact on the environment if you get rid of them, here are our suggestions:
First, ask any relatives if they want them. Hear me out, I know, I know, you're thinking, why would they want something so potentially out of date, but now vintage and retro is in! A younger generation are absolutely loving and finding joy in original fashions from the 80s, 90s and 00s. While we might be shaking our heads going, ‘what was I thinking’, at the garish jumper you can't pair to part with, someone new will embrace it in all its glory.
Have you considered a resale site like Vinted? Certainly not for everyone, but this is a way of making absolutely certain a good quality item goes to an appreciative new home.
Donate to a charity shop, this is an obvious suggestion, but not only are you helping the planet, but you are aiding a good cause too.
But what if it's not good enough to pass on? What if the reason you were holding onto to it is because it has a tear or the moths got to it? Then repair or repurpose. Get it fixed or patched, or if it is beyond hope, consider giving it you a local craft group- you never know that jumper could get unwound and reknit as baby booties. Or that blouse with the unrepairable tear, could become part of a glorious patchwork. Crafters make use of every scrap, literally, the scraps can be used for stuffing, and the buttons might even become a brooch! This Shropshire based company, Turtle Doves, repose pre-loved Cashmere jumpers into the most wonderful accessories.
Whatever you do, don't bin it! Let it have a lease of life, as remember sustainability is forever, fashion fashion, never!
Buying New? How to buy wisely
We all need new clothes for one reason or another, but that doesn't mean we can't be savvy about our choices and sustainable at the same time. No need to feel guilty, if you follow our top tips:
Dress for your body shape. You know your body, you know what suits, so don't get sucked into buying that low cut, key hole cut out halter dress, if you know it won't suit you, just because it is the latest style, which leads onto…
Steer clear of trends and fads which won’t stand the test of time. Instead choose classic pieces and go for quality over quantity.
Focus on smaller or independent brands that can trace the entire life-cycle of their garments.
Look at key pieces that can build the basis of a capsule wardrobe that you will still love in years to come – investment pieces are key.
Avoid synthetic fabrics if possible, as these release micro-plastics into the environment. Here at Guinea one of our favourite fabrics to use is silk, as it is natural and breathable. We are also expanding our range in viscose- a super soft, sustainable fabric made from vegetable fibres.
Look after your clothes by hand washing, repairing and wrapping expensive knitwear in summer months to protect them from moth damage. This way you can make items last for multiple seasons and still look good.
If you like it but don't love it- don't buy it! You know in your heart of hearts it won't get worn.
Think long term and build a capsule wardrobe of key investment pieces. That way you are more aware of what you own and can ensure that everything gets worn- additional unneeded items are not bought just to be forgotten about or discarded.
Why Fast Fashion is unfashionable
Just like single-use plastic, palm oil and climate change, fast fashion is having a long overdue backlash- and rightly so! Did you know the fast fashion industry contributes more to climate change than air and sea travel combined. Shocking isn't it!
What is Fast Fashion exactly?
As we've touched on earlier, but maybe not elaborated on fully, fast fashion can be defined as cheap, on-trend clothing sampled from the catwalk and/or celebrity culture, that is then mass produced. This gets cheap garments into the high street stores and online retailers at breakneck speed at a price easily affordable, and generally targeted at, teenagers.
Fast Fashion Facts
Brits only wear 39% of the clothes they own.
In 2015 greenhouse gases from textile production globally totalled 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2– more than the emissions of all international flights and shipping combined.
The UK buys more clothes than any other European country and £140 million worth goes into landfill or is incinerated
Why Sustainability is Stylish
Here at Guinea we are very much invested in slow fashion. Yes, ethical fashion is more expensive, but the time and processes involved in each garment we create, from the design, through to going to market is lengthy. Here at Guinea our design process is stringent and time consuming to ensure that the final product has a beautiful fit and feel. All the fabrics we use are of the highest quality, plus we make a point of visiting the all couturiers that make our products. That's because consumers, and our customers, are increasingly aware and interested in knowing exactly where their clothes are coming from and who is making them.
We all have a part to play because fast fashion is not only bad for us and our wallets, it’s bad for the planet. If a new top costs you £4, then ask yourself this…’how much was the person paid that made it?’ -A top shouldn’t cost the same as your morning macchiato!
We hope the Guinea team has helped you understand why sustainability is forever, fast fashion never and why Guinea never goes out of style! #guineaglam
And we will leave you with the beautifully simple and succinct words of the wonderful Dame Vivienne Westwood: “Buy less but buy better.”
-The Guinea Team xx