To combat global heating, people in wealthy countries need to stop buying so many clothes. Australians buy more cheap fashion than any other wealthy nation, according to the Berlin-based thinktank Hot or Cool Institute, and need to reduce their clothing consumption by 74%.
This calculation is based on the assumption fashion emits 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions (not the oft-quoted but inaccurate 10%). The institute suggests buying just five new items of clothing a year, something that prompted the British fashion editor and author Tiffanie Darke to create a wardrobe challenge called the rule of five.
