It’s time to change fashion. 

Style and sustainability can coexist. At West Carolina, sustainability is important to us. For the planet, for the economy, for our ethics and our values. 

How does West Carolina implement sustainability? 

West Carolina is a slow fashion brand. We have a lean start up business model. For example, we produce and launch a small number of items at our store in Hackney, London and for our online store. After the products are tested and sold, more units are produced in order to reduce waste.. 

Style and sustainability can coexist!

West Carolina wants to keep transparent sustainable fashion affordable and accessible to our customers worldwide. 

Our business model supports the local economy. 80% of our clothes and accessories are made in London. 20% is made in Brazil. Manufacturing most of our products locally enables us to reduce the environmental cost of shipping. It also helps support the local economy. 

Local production means less transportation of clothing, less wasted energy and less of a carbon footprint. 

Take care of your clothes. Take care of the planet. Take care of you. 

Wash your clothes less frequently. It’s better for the environment. It uses less energy and it means your clothes will last longer, so you won’t need to replace them as often. You don’t need to use a dryer. Air drying your clothes is more sustainable as you don’t need to use excess energy. 

Recycle your clothes. Recycle responsibly. In the waste disposal stream - 70% of clothes go to landfill and 30% are incinerated. In the U.S alone, there is 21 billion pounds of textile waste sent to landfill every year.

Offer your clothes to a local charity shop. Or sell them online. This is good for the environment and the economy. If your clothes look too worn down to give them to a charity shop, take them to a recycling centre. This way they won’t end up in landfill. 

Why is it important to be sustainable in fashion? 

Fashion is the third most polluting industry in the world. The environmental cost of the fashion industry is huge. Our attitude to fashion for a long time has been frivolous, the constant chopping, changing and purchasing of clothes, has been hugely detrimental to the planet. In the United Kingdom alone, people buy an average of 26.7kg of clothing per year (green peace). 

Respect

At West Carolina, respect is one of our core values. Respect for yourself. Respect for others. Respect for the planet. 

It’s time to act responsibly. 

 

Style and sustainability can coexist. 

West Carolina wants to keep sustainable fashion affordable and accessible worldwide. 

Join us on our journey to sustainable fashion.

 

Words by Marni Rose, Illustration by Frances Stevens