Like many folks, I’ve been completely blind to the effect that fashion has on our environment. There was an exposé on sweatshops a few years ago, so I started to shop more carefully. I avoided the big names, knowing that they make their profits from the cheap labour of the vulnerable. But, ludicrously, I had never even thought about the wider effect on the environment of my purchasing choices. I had no idea about the amount of pesticides and water that it takes to grow cotton! I had no idea that making a single pair of jeans takes 1,800 gallons of water! Now that the massive consequences and the havoc that’s wrecked on the environment by buying clothes has come to light, I must say, I have a very different reaction to the thought of buying something new.