Pledge Takers
Liters of Blue Water Preserved
Kilograms of CO2 Emissions Prevented
Kilograms of Waste Prevented
Dollars Saved
The 2022 No New Clothes Pledge Counter was last updated on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.
F.A.Q.s
Should I refrain from buying any new clothes if I take the pledge? Or can I purchase secondhand?
The choice is up to you! Some #NoNewClothes pledge-takers limit themselves to purchasing no apparel, while others only limit their purchasing of “new products.” The rules are yours to set.
Can I take the pledge after June 1st?
Yes, absolutely! Taking the #NoNewClothes pledge is a personal journey, meant to help you reset your consumption habits. This action can be taken at any time, and Remake will be here to support you on your path whether you start the challenge on June 1st, or later.
What difference does this pledge make?
The purpose of this campaign is to stop and reflect on the values we want to wear, and the role we can play in changing the fashion industry going forward. By pledging to buy no new clothes — whether that’s buying nothing at all or only secondhand — for 90 days, you will reduce your carbon footprint, limit the waste you send to landfill, and keep your hard-earned money out of the pockets of companies that hurt people and the planet.
You can make a big impact over these 90 days!
On average, Americans purchase about 16 new pieces of clothing every 3 months. But by opting out, and not buying new clothing, each person taking the #NoNewClothes pledge saves approximately:
- 9,705 liters of blue water
- 207 kg of CO2e
- 9.1 kg of waste
- And $471 USD!
What about small, sustainable brands? Don’t these brands need our support?
Yes! Some ways that you can support small, sustainable brands during your #NoNewClothes pledge:
- Purchasing gift certificates or non-clothing items products from their stores, like household decor.
- Saving up over the course of the three-month pledge to invest in an item from a sustainable fashion brand that you’ve long wanted.
- Support an upcycling fashion brand.
- Support a vintage or secondhand fashion business.
- Support your local seamstress or tailor by having them work on a piece you already own.
- You could also decide your pledge allows space for purchasing from sustainable brands as gifts for friends.
The #NoNewClothes pledge does not have to equate to “no shopping” – it is what you make it. The hope is that by refraining from purchasing new clothes over the next three months, you’ll become more aware of your consumption and waste habits, and learn how to better assess and challenge them.
How can I experiment with fashion while participating in the #NoNewClothes challenge?
Just because you’re committed to buying no new clothes doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy fashion! There are a plethora of alternatives when it comes to style during #NoNewClothes.
Instead of shopping new, consider participating in a style change to revive your love for pieces in your closet, choosing secondhand first, or swapping with friends!
What should I do if I’m going to a wedding or a special event?
It’s really important to rewear event wear (Jane Fonda does it)! Consumers spend billions of dollars each year on “wear-once” event wear for weddings, vacations, and special occasions. Much of this clothing ends up in landfills after one wear. There might be an urge to splash out for a special event outfit now that the world is opening back up, but you don’t have to buy new to look nice!
Instead, rewear what you have, choose secondhand first, or rent something special for your event.
Should we really be shopping secondhand if we can afford to buy new clothing instead?
We get asked this question a lot, and our Director of Education penned an article about this topic. In short: we encourage everyone to consciously choose secondhand first.
Don’t garment makers rely on our purchases to make a living? Doesn’t buying less negatively impact garment makers around the globe?
We get asked this question a lot, which is why we penned an entire op-ed on the matter!
In short:
Fast fashion exploits and engulfs generations of women into a cycle of poverty. On every Remake journey to production hubs, the women we meet tell us that they are sacrificing their own wellbeing to keep their children in school and secure a better life for their families. Yet, she is making barely enough to pay rent and put food on the table. Remake was once told a story of one woman that haunts us to this day. Her garment job paid her so little, that when she had a tooth ache, she had to take out a predatory loan and take up sex work on the side to pay the loan back. Should our dollars be supporting these types of jobs?
Garment jobs are neither good nor safe. So the argument that at least fast fashion creates jobs is not good enough. Deaths and injuries are common place in our industry — from the infamous Rana Plaza factory collapse to the lesser known but constant truck accidents which injure, kill, and hurt garment makers on their way to work.
“In a best case scenario, robots take on board the most repetitive, mundane, and non-cognitive tasks of apparel manufacturing,” Jae-Hee Chang, the author of the ILO report, says in The Guardian. “Robots would also assume more of the dangerous and dirty tasks, like mixing of chemicals, which can be hazardous to human workers. Ultimately, human workers would be able to perform more satisfying and rewarding, as well as higher-paid, jobs in the sector like programming robots for better production and design.”
I’m excited about starting the #nonewclothes challenge.
I’m so excited to join the challenge. For me this is summer #2 of #NoNewClothes.
Honestly, at first I was dreading this pledge. It’s hard to pull in your consumption just as the world reopens and summer is almost here. Sometimes life feels hard enough and these challenges can add frustrations that we feel we don’t need.
But then I think about the years I unknowingly supported fast fashion and all the horrors that hid behind my indulgent consumption. What a wake up call! So I checked my privilege and decided to practice what I preach.
In the end, I want to be more knowledgeable about fashion systems and production, regenerative textiles, and the importance of style over fashion.
I’m so grateful for this like-minded community! It keeps me growing and in the know. Here’s to another challenge! I can’t wait to see what we all discover about ourselves and each other.
I do not buy new clothes for a long time (years). Taking this pledge is very simple for me. It will end after 90 days but I will continue after that. In a certain moment in my life I just chosed to replace things that get in bad condition. Even on those moments, when I need to replace something, I check for ECO friendly materials and brands and when possible, I buy VEGAN products.
Super easy. Just make the right choices, keep things simple and you will be happier!