Lazy Oaf is for life, not landfill.
So, you’ve bought your beautiful new Lazy Oaf garment, it is now PERMANENTLY attached to your person for the next six months come rain, shine or late-night red wine spillage. But then what???? In this era of throwaway fashion, the last thing we need is to chuck away another lovingly made and perfectly wearable piece of clothing.
80% of the carbon footprint of any garment comes after purchase and while we work on reducing our carbon footprint and our commitments to sustainability we want to ensure that our products have a long and happy life with you! Let’s care for, reuse and continue to love our clothes for years and years.
So here’s a little ‘how-to’ on getting the most out of your beloved Oaf.
When putting printed oaf’s into the wash, ensure to turn the garments inside out. This helps to reserve the print, ensuring it doesn’t age prematurely, or if you like that look, go the other way sometimes the more cracked and aged a print looks the better. Also make sure you iron on the reverse, always.
Soaking, chemicals and spinning can take their toll on fabric so try to hold off washing until its really necessary. 40% of the clothes we wash could be worn again. Look at alternative detergents, and make a more responsible choice, a more eco friendly, refillable packaging etc and NEVER TUMBLE DRY!
Wire or plastic hangers can stretch the shoulders of garments, so replace them with wooden or padded ones. (swap your hangers or recycle hangers).
Washing clothes on cold helps maintain colour, especially for black, denim and cotton twill. Not only are these better for the fabric but 90% of the energy used by washing machines goes on heating the water so cooler = kinder.
When it comes to true knitwear, try to reshape whilst damp and dry flat away from direct heat to keep the shape.
More is more when it comes to fluffy clothes, but fluffy garments can also be more delicate, so always follow the care instructions! And if you want to give a little extra TLC, put delicate bits inside a pillowcase when you wash them to keep safe and intact. Or try Guppy bags, super handy and eco-friendly as they help filter microplastics and prevent them making their way into our oceans.
If down the line you think you’re ready for a change then YouTube is a black hole of ideas on how to get crafty with your clothes and these are just a few suggestions:
Dye it! Get enviro friendly dyes or make your own out of Avo skins or beetroot (they go pink) and change the colour up.
Chop it, change it, turn jeans to shorts and shorts to skirts. A men’s shirt could be your new favourite dress and who said a hoodie had to have sleeves? The possibilities are endless.
Japanese Darning /visible mending is the newest up-cycling trend we’re obsessed with. Make a feature of a hole by sewing bright thread around it or ripping it further for an exaggerated distressed finish.
And of course you can always upcycle your Oaf! Swap clothes with friends, Depop them or give them to your fave chazza shop so the can become someone else's treasure
