Consumption

Fast fashion has drastically lowered both the value and quality of clothing. As a result, many traditional skills related to caring for garments and extending their lifespan have all but disappeared. In many cases, maintaining or repairing clothing is no longer worthwhile, or it’s simply not possible with items designed to last only a handful of wears. At the same time, ‘longevity’ is one of the foundations of sustainable fashion. Understanding what quality looks like (and what can be properly maintained) also helps consumers make better purchasing decisions. And that, in turn, further reduces fashion’s environmental impact.

WASHING AND DRYING

Sometimes sustainability lies in small things, and as a consumer you can definitely do your part. Old habits die hard, but keep in mind: the things you’re used to doing or that your parents may have taught you are not necessarily the best options. Washing machines and laundry detergents have changed, and other rules apply these days.

For instance, a dryer can be a big help, but it puts an enormous strain on the environment. Moreover, the quality of washing powders has gone up, so check if you’re not overusing. Every supermarket offers environmentally friendly washing detergents these days, and there are a lot of zero-waste alternatives available, too. The washing temperature also has its consequences: hot water is bad for your garments. On a brighter note: we iron too much!

Food for thought:
Lowering the average washing temperature in Europe by 3°C would result in a reduction in CO₂ emissions that equals removing 700,000 cars from our roads. (I Prefer 30)

Some basic guidelines to help you out: try not to wash your clothes too often and wash them at low temperatures (30°C). Use the dryer as little as possible and opt for an airer instead. In addition, you can also try to iron a little less by putting freshly washed clothes on a hanger as quickly as possible to avoid wrinkles. You can also hang wrinkled clothes in the bathroom when you take a shower. The steam will help smoothen the fabric (a top tip for travelers!).

REVENUE MODEL FOR CARE

Moreover, there’s real revenue potential in care, the Recare About Shoes researchers concluded. During in-store experiments at Torfs, for example, they found that many customers were willing to buy care and protection products alongside their (mainly high-quality) new shoes when store staff explained the benefits. Care and maintenance also create additional touchpoints between brands and customers, helping strengthen community-building and brand loyalty. A few tips?

• Make maintenance and repair part of the purchasing experience.
• Use maintenance and repair as a way to differentiate your brand from competitors.
• Make maintenance more accessible through service bundles.
• Design products so parts can be easily repaired, cleaned or replaced. (Read more about this in Design to last.)
• Make maintenance and repair more appealing through workshops, demos or other experiences.
• Communicate transparently about costs, savings and environmental impact.
• Provide simple, practical instructions that genuinely help consumers, such as short tutorials, product labels or QR codes with care tips.

As a consumer, you can act sustainably by not always buying new items, but taking a good look at what you already own. Swap the pieces that you no longer wear but that are still in good condition, buy second-hand or rent clothes.

THE BUYERARCHY OF NEEDS

Sarah Lazarovic wondered what consumers really need and used her reflections to compose her very own version of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The pyramid playfully reminds us that – next to the usual impulse buys – there are other ways to breathe new life into our wardrobes. (More information)

SWAPPING

You can participate in swishing and swapping events that take place all over the country or perhaps organize your own afternoon or evening – among friends or for a larger crowd. Belgian events of this type can for instance be found at swishing.be.

RENTING

Next to thinking long and hard before buying new clothes or swapping clothes, you can also rent your clothes. These days the three main variants are:

• Clothing libraries, where you can borrow clothes with various subscription options, just like in any regular library.
• Online rental platforms, where you can order clothes  that you have to send back after a certain time. 

You can find some examples here.

The idea of renting clothes coincides with the shift in ownership. When we no longer own clothes, new business models will emerge that incorporate leasing systems or even ‘deposits’ on clothing. Read all about this in our 'Retail' section or turn to MUD Jeans for inspiration.

More traditional brands are also catching on, launching collections that customers can lease. These brands take it on themselves to maintain the items from these collections.

SECOND-HAND

Consider the second-hand market when you want a bit more variation in your wardrobe. There are lots of on- and offline initiatives for all kinds of clothes, no matter the segment, label or brand.

Did you know? Repairing products can cut CO2 emissions by up to 31% compared to linear models. (Ellen MacArthur Foundation)
While it used to be the most natural thing in the world to mend your own clothes, nowadays we have forgotten how to do this. 

The argument that we have to save in order to buy something new is less valid these days than it used to be. Buying new things is no longer an attack on your wallet. Quite the contrary: because ‘time is money’, buying something new may actually be cheaper than trying to fix old stuff.

Yet this attitude is slowly changing. Several initiatives are emerging, both online and offline, to help consumers (literally) take matters into their own hands again.

Offline you can get together in a Repair Café, where you get help with your first steps into the world of repairing. In the meantime, sewing and knitting workshops are also on the rise.
Online there are also loads of places to go to to learn about repair, DIY, … and to score tips & tricks on how to creatively transform old clothes into something new.

And that’s more important than it might seem. Researchers at REuse in Style emphasize this in a 2025 conference paper and in the summary report on their Living Lab. Repair is crucial for reducing waste and conserving raw materials. It fosters collaboration, knowledge sharing and an appreciation for craftsmanship. Moreover, every repair extends the lifespan of a garment by an average of 1.3 years. So there’s a direct link between repair and a longer lifespan (WRAP). The Recare About Shoes team adds a staggering figure from the footwear industry, which they describe as “a throwaway culture”. Namely, that you save about 27 million tons of CO2 emissions by wearing a pair of sneakers for just three months longer. (To give you an idea: that’s the equivalent of the annual emissions of six million cars.)

BARRIERS AND MOTIVATORS

Why not?
A survey by REuse in Style shows that, while most consumers support the idea of repairing products, very few actually follow through. One major reason is cost. The Recare About Shoes researchers examined this specifically for footwear and found that most consumers are only willing to pay about one-third to one-fourth of the original purchase price for a repair. In other words, repairs are often perceived as too expensive compared to buying something new.

Moreover, the REuse in Style survey found that consumers’ willingness to have something repaired depends on factors such as the type of garment, its condition and how complicated the damage is.
Most respondents had had pants repaired at some point, or had tried to repair them themselves. Shoes and coats were also repaired, but mostly by professionals. T-shirts and sweaters were repaired the least. Expensive or newer garments were repaired more often, while cheaper or older items were considered ‘not worth the trouble’ to repair or have repaired.

Why yes?
Nearly half of respondents believe repairing items is ‘the right thing to do’. They want to reduce their environmental footprint and they have a lot of respect for the craftsmanship and expertise of repair professionals. Consumers are also more likely to choose repairs for garments they’re emotionally attached to. That said, not all customers relate to clothing in the same way. Some approach garments from a practical or financial perspective, while others think in emotional or identity-based terms. Recognizing these differences, and tailoring your offer to them, is key.
The Recare About Shoes researchers identified several motivators specific to shoe repair. Saving money was a major driver, but consumers also appreciated creative DIY options like patches and customization. According to the researchers, repair services should be “local, easy and affordable”, with “clear information” readily available for consumers.

In summary
REuse in Style’s Repair infographic (slide number 4) provides a useful overview of the way consumers decide on repairs:
This customer journey makes one thing clear: quality, trust and experience are just as important to extending a product’s lifespan as the materials or design. In other words, longevity is not so much an inherent property of an item as it is the result of care and context.

IN-HOUSE REPAIR

The Recare About Shoes Living Lab showed that, compared to other sustainable options, repair has the biggest positive impact on both purchase intent and customer loyalty across all age groups. In-house repair is therefore a very attractive option for increasing brand value.

But anyone looking to offer in-house repairs should keep in mind that most consumers still prefer local repair services over those offered by brands. They tend to trust the quality and expertise of local repair shops more than brand-run services. That’s especially striking given that in industries like automotive, consumers often prefer manufacturer-approved repairs. In fashion, however, shoppers still mainly associate brands with selling new products and are often unfamiliar with their repair services. That’s why the REuse in Style researchers recommend focusing on the visibility, quality and value of your repair offering. Let’s take a closer look at each of these elements.

Visibility
Visibility is key to attracting customers to your service. This means giving your repair shop a prominent, strategic location within the store. You can also highlight the benefits and possibilities of repairs online. Additionally, offer customers a glimpse behind the scenes, for example by having your repair experts share tips with them.

Quality control
High-quality repairs start with skilled tailors and seamstresses. Beyond handling repairs, they can provide valuable input on how to make your designs more sustainable and easier to repair. Offering warranties on repaired items can further build customer trust. And finally, transparency matters: talk about how your repair process works and what you do to ensure high-quality results.

Added value
Because price remains a major barrier, it’s important to highlight the added value of repairs. Repairs and customization can give products a real upgrade, helping customers feel more connected to their items and more likely to take good care of them. Transparency also plays a key role: when customers understand exactly what they’re paying for, they’re more willing to invest in repairs. Maybe you can give a discount to customers who handle small prep tasks themselves, like removing a zipper. The Recare About Shoes researchers recommend offering subscriptions, maintenance packages and care kits.
 

WORKING WITH PARTNERS

In-house repairs give you maximum control and strengthen your brand image, but they also reduce flexibility. Moreover, it requires some capacity to free up your own staff. So, should you partner with external repair providers instead? The Circle Scan explores this and other repair-related topics in more detail. The document brings together all the findings from the INFINITEX Living Lab and examines, among other things, the pros and cons of centralized outsourcing versus working with decentralized, local repair shops.

Centralized outsourcing offers advantages like scalability and professionalization, but it can also lead to longer turnaround times and make it more difficult to work locally. A decentralized approach – partnering with independent repair professionals in your area – can solve that issue. The tradeoff, however, is that it requires separate agreements with each partner and gives you less control over the overall process.

Perhaps partnering with a social enterprise could be a good fit for your volume and strategy. Flanders is home to many organizations of this kind, including Weerwerk, De Posthoorn, Kiemkracht, Kontoer, Kunnig and ‘t Uniek. The Circle Scan encourages collaborations with the social economy, including thrift stores, because they create social impact, offer more flexibility and provide access to strong logistical networks. A key recommendation from the INFINITEX researchers: establish clear contractual agreements on volumes, transportation and quality standards.
 

A CLEAR FLOW

No matter which organizational model you choose, the Circle Scan emphasizes that a repair process benefits from very clear steps:

The researchers recommend bundling repairs, establishing routines and prioritizing digitization. Doing so makes it easier to track garments, manage deadlines and monitor capacity.

Once you’ve mapped out the stages of your repair process (from intake and diagnosis to repair, quality control and return) and decided whether to work with an external partner or not, there are a few additional steps to consider. You can find them in the Circle Scan:

• Conduct a benchmark analysis of your repair pricing, taking the product’s original retail price into account.
• Create a communication framework covering turnaround times, pricing and which repairs are and aren’t included.
• Use repairs as a way to strengthen brand value and build customer loyalty.
• Train your store staff to position repairs as part of the overall brand experience.

The REuse in Style researchers, too, stress that repair is not a side project, but a complex service that only works when expertise, logistics, volume and communication are perfectly aligned.
 

WHAT ABOUT REFURBISHING?

The Recare About Shoes team also explored the appeal of refurbishing. In their research, ‘refurbished’ is not the same as ‘professionally repaired’. They found that professional shoe repairs are difficult to scale because labor costs are high and consumers aren’t willing to pay a lot. What does prove feasible and profitable is giving customers the opportunity to refurbish or customize their shoes with fun patches and other personal touches. You can read more about this approach in the case study “Torfs: focusing on care”.

What to do with clothes you no longer like? This question undoubtedly pops up at least a few times a year. What are the options in that case? Do you give your unwanted clothes away, sell them online, donate them to charity, exchange them for others at swapping events?

THE USUAL SUSPECTS

• door-to-door clothing collections by charities
• depositing items in your municipality’s clothing drop boxes

The clothing that is collected via these two channels is picked up and sold to sorting companies. The clothing that is collected via these two channels is picked up and sold to sorting companies. Charities can invest the resulting profit in their mission. The sorting companies select those items that are suitable for the second-hand market. These clothes are then shipped to for instance Africa and Eastern Europe in large quantities (sometimes pressed into bales). Items that can no longer be worn are turned into cleaning cloths and insulation material for the automotive industry, or burned. Only a small percentage is actually recycled. Because textiles have to meet a lot of requirements before they can be recycled (in terms of purity and so on; see ‘End of life’), this strategy is not nearly as popular as we’d like. Be the fibre is a Belgian organization that closes the loop by processing clothes into fibers, and then into new products.

RETAILERS ALSO STEP IN

Retailers have been involved in this story for quite some time now, sometimes putting take-back boxes in their stores so customers can drop off old clothes in exchange for a discount. The profits earned from these projects are donated to charities or invested in research in innovative recycling techniques.

KRINGWINKELS OR SECOND-HAND STORES

If you prefer to give your clothes a second life, you should look for initiatives that sell second-hand. They’ll take your clothes and put those that are still in good condition in their stores, so other people can buy and enjoy them. Kringwinkels are experts at sorting clothes. As a brand, you can team up with them for take-back systems and to keep old stock in the loop. Thanks to their year-long experience with manufacturing, they also know their way around the social economy.

WHERE ELSE?

Next to these more traditional options, there are still more fun and interesting ways to collect clothes!

To those who fancy a night out and like to gain something from depositing their clothes, swishing or swapping events are the way to go. These initiatives have taken your home-variety swap to the next level. The idea is to bring your clothes and hand them in in exchange for coins, tokens, tickets … that you can buy other people’s clothes with. Easy, and fun!

In addition, the internet also offers a lot of cool platforms that help you get rid of those items you no longer want.