January 18, 2022
WNU DNA: How to care for your shirts with Kair
A 360 degree approach to living well
Are you doing Veganuary this year? Or was your New Year's resolution to sign back up to your gym? (Let’s be honest, virtual classes were too hard to motivate yourself to do). Or perhaps this year your aim is just to get a better work-life balance.
Either way, as the years wear on, as a society we are all starting to make more ethical choices in our life, ensuring we take more care of our minds, bodies and the planet. A 360 degree approach to living well.
But are there some areas of our lives that we are neglecting?
Let’s take food for example. We have started intuitively eating to combat the environmental issues caused by mass consumption. With food we think about what and how much we are putting in our bodies, where it has been sourced from, how we cook it and then, if there are leftovers, how we compost it.
If we compare how we unpack our relationship with food to our relationship with fashion though, it is clear that we do not dissect it in the same way, despite the detrimental effect this industry has on the environment.
As a fashion company, we know that we are inherently part of the problem but it is imperative to us that we be as responsible a version of ourselves as possible and in doing that, we want to share how you as a consumer can be too…
How to be a responsible consumer
Buy well: Between a fair bit of greenwashing going on (not naming names) and sustainable brands generally being sold at a higher price point we know that this can be easier said than done. However, if you are looking to buy better we recommend that you do a bit of digging on brand’s websites to find out a bit more about them before heading to the checkout; Do they have a sustainability page? Have they got a B-Corp certification? Are they transparent about how and where their clothes are made? P.S. Influencers like Bianca Foley and Venetia Le Manna are great to follow as they constantly introduce their followers to ethical brands, so can give you great inspo for where to shop.
Alternatively, buying second hand from sites like Vestiaire or from charity shops is very sustainable for our planet in terms of clothing manufacture, not to mention it is usually at a much lower price point.
Alternatively, buying second hand from sites like Vestiaire or from charity shops is very sustainable for our planet in terms of clothing manufacture, not to mention it is usually at a much lower price point.
Buy less: The process of bulk manufacturing clothes is harmful for the planet, so when it comes to clothes, it is quality over quantity every time. Investing in timeless staples that will last you years, as opposed to a season, is much better bang for your buck. It’s worth creating yourself a capsule wardrobe of basics - including the perfect shirt, a great pair of jeans, black boots, a blazer and a basic white tee - which can all be styled in many different ways together. You will find yourself wearing these classic pieces day-in-day-out and as a result do not need to buy so many other pieces.
GIF sourced from Tenor.
Get ready to fall in love with all taking care of your clothes. All of them.
Wear more: How often do you wear the pieces in your wardrobe? Like ours, yours is likely to be filled with your mum’s hand-me-downs and clothes you have hoarded over the years (you know, just in case it comes back into fashion - low rise jeans anyone?). There are lots of pros to doing a good wardrobe clear out, but we are also here to back up your current, overflowing wardrobe, as long as you are still wearing everything. It’s impressive that your wardrobe has stood the test of time, both in the way it has been made as well as your style! In a society who daren’t be seen twice in the same outfit, be the person who re-wears yours.
Take care: If you are taking the time to invest in better pieces less frequently and wear your current wardrobe more often, then you need to make sure you are helping maintain the lifespan of your clothing by looking after it as best you can. Take time to read through the washing instructions, store your clothes well and think about how to wash different materials. At first this can seem like a lot more maintenance, time consuming and with lots of confusing laundry symbols but trust us it’s not too bad and it is totally worth it. To help you out, we have partnered with Kair to break down the best way to look after your WNU shirts…
Who is Kair?
Following a decade-long career in fashion, founder Sally Hughes decided to tackle the sustainability crisis within the fashion industry by creating a product that supports responsible consumption by helping you extend clothing life, so that you can buy less and wear more. That product was an ethical detergent, which led to the inception of Kair. Expertly formulated to clean the clothes you love, Kair allows you to wear your wardrobe as much as you want, and for as many years as you want to.
“Our formulas are biodegradable and contain absolutely no questionable ingredients: no bleaching agents, no optical brighteners, no phthalates, nada. Every formula is housed in our refillable, infinitely recyclable glass bottles too.”
Having responsibly reimagined laundry, we have drawn on their expert advice on how to ensure the longevity of your shirt, so no matter the type of fabric - from poplin to brushed to weave - we’ve got you covered.
