In the 6th segment of this series, we take a look a company is helping extend the use phase of our garments post purchase. I speak with Rachel Sterling, the co-founder of Alternew.

Alternew offers bespoke tailoring and repair services for brands by connecting them and their users to local tailoring shops. This allows customers to tailor their clothes upon purchase to ensure perfect fit easily.

In this episode we discuss:

• The business case of extending a garments life to reduce its overall environmental impact
• Identifying opportunities in underserved segments of the supply chain
• Support a declining trade and educating consumers around repair

Poor fitting clothes are at top of the list for why clothes get returned (~70% of returns cite sizing was the cause of the return), many times never returning to the shelves for resale. By tailoring a garment, the fit is improved, meaning the user will wear and cherish that item for longer, extending its life and therefore reducing the need for further purchases, returns, or clothes sent to donation centers.

Fun fact: wearing your clothes for an extra 9 months, reduces its carbon footprint by 20%.

Check out their work here: https://www.alternew.com