The Titian Thread
The month in fashion, condensed.
Hi ,
The Titian Thread newsletter is officially a year old! 🥳 Last year, I set out with the goal to demystify the world of sustainable fashion by making it a little more accessible and engaging. It's been a real joy to share the things I've discovered along the way, and ever-so-slowly build a community of curious, consciously minded people here. Most of all, I've enjoyed the freedom to adapt and evolve the newsletter every month.
Going into year two, I'd love to hear about what you want to see when this lands in your inbox. Are you looking for sustainable and ethical brand recommendations? More stories, podcasts, apps, films, reports, tips and tricks? Interviews with interesting people? More of me bitching about fast fashion brands? (this one I can guarantee). Or something completely different? I'm all ears.
If you've got any burning sustainable fashion questions, I'd love to find the answers. Hit the reply button on this email to share your feedback, or if you're feeling generous, I'd love you forever if you forward this newsletter to someone who would enjoy it!
Thank you for subscribing, giving me your valuable feedback, and joining me on this journey.
Meg X
Stories I Wrote
Why Can't Fashion Brands Just Make Less Stuff? for EcoCult
This was a story that kind of unravelled from asking the question you see above. We can't talk about why fashion brands overproduce without discussing overconsumption, or capitalism. What are the alternatives? Well, the degrowth movement has some solutions that could help reel in not only the fashion industry, but also our societal obsession with consuming more, more, more all the time. Never one to shy away from the big questions!
What Responsibility Does the Fashion Media Have to Promote Sustainability?
Last month, I started a series of IG Live conversations with sustainability experts, starting with fashion editor-turned-activist Bel Jacobs. We had such an interesting chat about the fashion media's responsibility to be more sustainable, and then I promptly buggered up the recording so it couldn't be watched back with sound. Good start! Luckily, I was able to turn it into a Q&A that you can read above.
Stories I didn’t write
You Thought the Pandemic Killed Fast Fashion? Not Even Close by Elizabeth Segran for Fast Company. There was a moment last year when we all stopped shopping and thought that maybe, just maybe, the pandemic was the cultural reset we all needed. How wrong we were. Segran tracks the rise and rise of fast fashion.
How Could the Future of Fashion Be More Sustainable? 11 Fashion Students and Experts Dream Big by JD Shadel for Good On You. There's a new generation of fashion students emerging into the industry with bold ideas about the future of fashion. I'm here for it.
The Nasty Logistics of Returning Your Too-Small Pants by Amanda Mull for The Atlantic. Ever wondered what happens when you wave goodbye to your clothing returns at the post office? I'm currently writing a piece on this for EcoCult, and I really enjoyed Mull's story about the messy logistics of returns.
How To Vet A Fashion Brand’s Ethics & Sustainability Practices by Maggie Zhou for Refinery29. There are some fab organisations that I use regularly to check on a brand's sustainability credentials. My fave? Aussie-based Good On You. Maggie shares five more that can help you shop more sustainably.
100+ Fast Fashion Brands and Reasons To Avoid by Besma Whayeb for Curiously Conscious. Besma has just added 40 more fast fashion brands to her big list to avoid, and it's worth a scan! There are some additions that may surprise you...
Brutal Honesty: The New Look Sustainable Marketing by Bella Webb for Vogue Business. I'm all for radical transparency – it's necessary to uncover the dirty secrets of the fashion industry. But something feels a little too polished and insincere about these 'brutally honest' marketing gimicks. Thoughts?
The To-Do List
My IG Live series with sustainable fashion experts continues in November with a conversation on the cost of clothing. Joining me is Sophie Slater, founder of Birdsong, an ethical brand based in London. Birdsong is super transparent about its pricing, helping to educate its customers on the true cost of clothing, which has been warped by fast fashion brands over the years. So what should we be paying for clothes? Let's find out!
What's the deal with recycled polyester? This episode of the Wardrobe Crisis that unpicks the world of fashion's so-called wonder textile. But is it really all it's cracked up to be? I also loved hearing about London's sustainable fashion scene of the '90s, reminding me that these discussions have been happening for decades, long before sustainability was cool.
The Edit
Supporting small brands is undoubtedly a better way to shop, but they can be tricky to find! Enter the sustainable multi-brand retailer, curating ethical brands across a range of product categories to take the hassle out of buying better. Below are four of my favourites.
