Irish eco-friendly alternatives to the big fashion chains

New eco-friendly Irish websites aimed at style enthusiasts and those with limited disposable incomes offer alternatives to high-street fast fashion chains.

Started by students for students, www.thenuwardrobe.comis based on a formula of "look good, save money, reduce waste".

The format, founded by Trinity College students Aisling Byrne and Ali Kelly, is a clothes-swapping service where people can exchange their preloved gear for “new” additions. Started in September 2015, the pair quickly earned an enthusiastic following for their approach to ethical consumerism and during last year’s Fashion Revolution Week organised events, film screenings and seminars.

Tasty Threads for men and women – www.tastythreads.ie – claims to be Ireland's first fashion exchange of "handpicked, tasty styles" trading high-calibre, previously owned garments. Customers have the option of buying some of the hand-picked pieces on display, sell their own preloved items via consignment through which they earn back 60 per cent of the retail price or trade their threads for store credit at 40 per cent of the resale value. It previously had a pop-up presence in South William Street, but is now online and circulating around Dublin's flea markets.

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Founded by Dublin archaeologist Catriona Lynch based on the principles of buy or borrow, Sustain Sister (https://sustainsister.com) is a carefully put together selection of independent sustainable labels to buy along with an array of vintage and contemporary pieces to borrow; an example being a printed 70s Lanvin maxi a designer nab that can be sported a limitless number of times over seven days for the sum of €40.

This fledgling online platform uses eco dry cleaners and laundry services in Dublin and the 100 per cent environmentally viable products of Green Earth Cleaning. Green Earth uses liquid silicones instead of petrochemicals, highlights outdated wash instructions and encourages the positive use of 30 degree machine washing.

Stiall (www.stiall.com), where "ethics meet aesthetics", was founded by Linda Conway. It encourages consumers to choose 30 items from their wardrobe for 30 days basing their outfits around these pieces only (something similar was done in New York some years ago). Stiall's online store features a selection of global brands and names a dozen sustainable fashion Instagram accounts to follow. Stiall means to strip in Irish.

THE LEAF PRINT

They may be tropical, but they’re also topical – leaves are being swept up on to our clothes and from botanical to tropical, prints are everywhere for winter from socks to pyjamas and even on iPhone covers. They can grow on you – in every sense – and are best teamed with plain block colours.