love the clothes you already own

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Wear the denim you already own for as long as possible. When your jeans do (inevitably) start to show signs of wear, consider bringing them in for mending. Or learn how to mend yourself. 

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If you’re worried you’ll get bored re-wearing your clothes and want some style inspiration, these Instagram accounts focusing on wearing the clothes we already own are a great place to start, and so are the hashtags #OOOTD (Old Outfit of the Day) and #gridrepeater.

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AIR YOUR DIRTY LAUNDRY

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Literally.

Try to wash your jeans less frequently. If there’s just a bit of dirt (or a pasta sauce stain) in a specific area, it’s best to spot treat them. You can just scrub with some soap and water, using a wet cloth or even an old toothbrush. For extra tough stains, try using a baking soda paste. 

 

When you do need to wash them completely, Levis recommends doing this only every ten wears or so in order to keep them in good shape. Be sure to wash them inside out in cold water to avoid shrinkage and fading. 

 

Avoid drying them in the tumble dryer. This actually breaks down the fibres, and makes the jeans more fragile. The best option is to hang them to dry.

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keep dreaming

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As we’ve shown, the perfect sustainable, ethical, affordable pair of jeans doesn’t exist (yet). 

If you want to buy new jeans, hopefully this exhibition will have helped you see some of the many factors to consider while shopping for denim, and you will be better informed to make a choice that reflects an issue you care about, whether it’s lessening the impact on the environment, saving water, or supporting better working conditions for the people who made them. The little things do matter. 

 

Perhaps consider shopping second-hand, vintage, or even doing a clothes swap. All of these options reduce the carbon footprint of each pair of jeans. 

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