Supporting Fashion Workers with Lost Stock
Like so many people working in the hospitality industry, I was furloughed from my job at the end of March this year, receiving 80% of my normal wage from the government instead of my employer. This meant, like most of us, that I had to tighten my purse strings and rein in my shopping habits. It’s been a long 3 months of online window shopping with no parcels turning up at my door. Well, except for the random crap I one-click on Amazon at 3am when I can’t sleep.
But then I found out about Lost Stock, and the work they do for the people who have been making the clothes no one is buying, which is something that hadn't even occurred to me before. In countries like Bangladesh, where clothing manufacturing is a big employer, coronavirus has meant so many cancellations of orders which have already been made. This amounts to an estimated $2 million, and means that the workers making the clothes have not and will not be paid. This puts many at risk of starvation, and leaves nowhere to go for the clothes but landfill sites.
That’s where Lost Stock comes in. For the price you would pay for one good quality piece of clothing in your favourite store (£35), LostStock will send you 3 garments at a 50% discount on what you would have paid otherwise, feeding a worker and their family for a week with some of the proceeds, and saving so much unworn clothing from going to landfill. I have to admit, I have been trying to shop less fast fashion this year because of the effect it has on the planet, and this almost feels like an eco friendly way to still get a fashion hit. When you consider the fact that you are buying products that would otherwise be going to stores like Topshop, it feels like a win-win.
So How Does It Work?
It’s actually really easy! I went onto the website and clicked ‘buy now’. Once I was taken through to the order page, I was given some style options. The first two were if the box was for a male or female, and the dress size. After that, I was asked if I prefer neutrals, brights or darks. I was given the choice between plain and patterned, and then which age bracket I fall into. All of these options help the staff tailor the items sent to you, and you are more than likely to receive a few items you will love and wear as if you bought them yourself.
Once checked out, items should arrive within 6-8 weeks - not bad considering you receive a hand selected order based on your preferences! You can also purchase gift cards for those hard to buy for lockdown birthdays.
I can’t wait for my LostStock order to arrive. The unknown factor makes it feel like a little present, and the fact that I’m helping people at the same time (as well as the environment) takes away some of that shopping guilt I know we all get! I’ll post my order when it arrives!
