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Understanding what EPR achieved for packaging helps explain why textiles lag and what is structurally missing.

The original idea of sustainable development.

Millions of teenagers in the U.K. worry about their body image. A 2019 survey from the Mental Health Foundation [1] found that: 31% of teenagers felt ashamed in relation to their body image 40% said social media had caused them worry about their body image 35% had stopped eating due to body image concerns 35% worry about their body image every day The International Journal of Scientific Development and Research’s (IJSDR) 2025 paper ‘Clothing Choices and Self-Image Among A

Clothing is often framed as a basic material need that is functional, seasonal, and widely accessible. However, this framing is incomplete without understanding that clothing not only covers the body but communicates one’s identity. It is frequently reduced to a purely practical set of items that everyone has, yet research consistently positions clothing as something far more fundamental: a cultural and social symbol. It shapes how individuals express who they are, how they a

What it is. Where it sits. How it is measured.

How sustainability is defined, organised and measured in UK policy.

How spreading the cost keeps poverty out of sight.

What is necessary and what is required to belong in a contemporary society?

Today sees the launch of the 50/50 prize draw raffle, powered by RaiseHero , which gives you the chance to win some amazing prizes AND raise valuable funds for us in the process. The raffle, which runs until 22:00 on 30 June 2026, is offering a prize of a Suzuki Jimny, plus Ninja and Shark goodies to one winner. Alternatively, if you do win, you could choose £20,000 in tax free cash instead. Tickets are available for £5, £10, £25 or £50 and we receive 50% of the monies donate

Combatting clothing poverty is complex. It isn’t just about meeting a significant material need, but respecting the dignity derived from choice and access. Clothing Collective works on a donation-based model that takes financial contributions and transforms them into gift cards – ensuring people can choose independently, based on their needs and personal preferences. That said, we recognise that meaningful change happens across a broader ecosystem. In this piece, I will highl

The circular economy is increasingly presented as a solution to environmental pressure from production and consumption. In UK policy discussions, it appears in government strategies, waste policy documents and industry initiatives as a framework for reducing waste, conserving resources and lowering emissions.

"Becoming more mindful about clothing means looking at every fibre, at every seed and every dye, and seeing how to make it better. We don’t want SUSTAINABILITY to be our edge. We want it to be universal." Eileen Fisher, fashion designer (2014) Sustainability is as much a social issue as it is an environmental one. According to WRAP, “extending the lifespan of clothing by just nine months could reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints by up to 20%, saving £5 billion in reso

Our volunteer profile feature returns, with another opportunity for you to meet and learn more about one of our volunteers. This time it's Zoe Rucker - one of our writer and researchers who joined us at the start of the year. If you're one of our social media followers or email subscribers, you're likely to have seen us sharing some of the articles that Zoe has written over the past few months, which includes: No Kit, No Game. How clothing poverty is excluding children from s

Part 2: Britain’s clothing poverty in a paradox of abundance without access This article forms Part 2 of a two-part series on the Clothing’s Hidden Crisis , presented here alongside Clothing Consumption, Culture and Systems as a paired analysis. It makes explicit the relationship between clothing as a condition of participation and the absence of a public voice when participation fails because clothing inadequacy has become the limiting factor. Part A examines clothing a

Part 1: Britain’s Clothing Poverty in a Global Consumption Paradox This article forms Part 1 of a two-part series on Clothing’s Hidden Crisis , presented here alongside Clothing Consumption, Participation and Public Voice as a paired analysis. It makes explicit the relationship between the cultural normalisation of high-volume clothing consumption and the systems that allow over-consumption and clothing poverty to coexist, without being recognised as connected conditions.

What is ‘enough’ when it comes to clothing? The PSE UK Research Project1 identifies “three essential clothing items for adults: a warm, waterproof coat, two pairs of all-weather shoes, and appropriate clothes for job interviews.”

What this language does not capture is the condition as it is understood in deprivation-based approaches: a layered form of material inadequacy that develops over time through loss of adequacy across essential areas of life, rather than a single moment of collapse.

People being “in need of clothes” is a phrase that often passes without resistance. But what if we stopped to ask what that need actually consisted of?

Valentine’s Day has cemented itself as a key event in the commercial calendar. The U.K. is expected to spend around £2.1 billion to celebrate February 14th [ 1 ], with a YouGov poll reporting that 5% of these expenses go towards clothing gifts [ 2 ]. This spending boom around Valentine’s Day is like a soulmate for fast fashion. The Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) describes how ‘fast’ business models have exploited the wholesome origins of Valentine’s Day “by selling us

Clothing poverty persists in the UK despite widespread surplus. This article examines how access infrastructure can exclude people with unseen disabilities. ________________________________________________________________________________ Clothing poverty as an access problem, not a supply issue When clothing poverty is discussed publicly, it is often framed as a problem of material availability: not enough coats, shoes or uniforms¹. Evidence from poverty and disability resear