Introducing the ‘Caring to Care’ series: A mini-series about how the potential of after-care is hiding in plain sight.

Why I care to care

So why do I care to care? For me, it's woven into the fabric of my life. I cherish relationships that have stood the test of time and adorn my living space with vintage treasures from flea markets. My wardrobe tells a story, one that spans generations to inherited items of my grandmother. I'm not just a collector; I'm a caretaker- devoted to the art of maintenance—repairing, restoring and transforming items or passing them forward. In today's world, people often invest in relationships but overlook their nurturing, acquire possessions but neglect their maintenance. The problem is mostly that we lack awareness of what can be cared for, how to care and where to seek assistance.

The fashion industry currently contributes 10% of global CO2 emissions, with projections indicating a potential doubling by 2030 and even reaching a quarter? of the world's carbon budget by 2050. While much of this impact stems from clothing production, there's a significant opportunity for change. Extending the lifespan of garments through aftercare initiatives could yield up to 25% of the industry's potential CO2 savings by 2030.?

It's time to initiate a dialogue about the pivotal opportunity of caring for our wardrobes, prolonging their lifespan, and integrating them into the circular economy:?

The wardrobe aftercare opportunity.

What this series will be about

In this series I will be speaking about:

• Why caring for wardrobes matters - how do I define aftercare, what are size and growth opportunities of the market and what is the impact potential?
• Why has aftercare often been an afterthought and what challenges are craftsmakers, brands and consumers facing?
• Who is working on making a change and what is needed to care more?

Why caring for wardrobes matters - the opportunity

Having spent a decade within strategy roles in the world's largest fashion and retail companies, I would like to start this series with the key business metrics, defining the market, the opportunity and the impact:

Summary for the quick read:

• Wardrobe Aftercare Definition: Wardrobe aftercare spans activities like laundry, alterations, and repairs. I will focus on alterations and repairs as key drivers within the circular fashion system, enabling longevity and other circular services such as resale and rental.?
• Market Size and Growth Drivers: Circular models like resale, rental, repair, and remaking are expected to expand to 23% of the fashion market by 2030, growing at 23% while continuously surpassing forecasts. The total wardrobe aftercare market is currently similar in size and forecasted to grow at similar rate as the resale market.
• Consequences of a Linear Fashion System: Global clothing production has doubled since 2000, leading to decreased garment lifespans, increased landfilling (73%), and minimal recycling (1%). The fashion industry currently contributes 10% to global CO2 emissions, with projections indicating a potential doubling by 2030. Wardrobe aftercare, if maximised, could contribute up to 25% of potential CO2 reductions in the industry by 2030.

What is the wardrobe aftercare market

Understanding the significance of wardrobe aftercare unveils a realm of opportunities within the circular fashion industry. Post-purchase wardrobe aftercare encompasses a spectrum, from home-based laundry and dry cleaning to alterations and repairs, playing a pivotal role in extending the lifespan of garments. In my research I focused on tailoring, alterations and repairs, as it became evident that these aspects are the key drivers in a circular fashion system to elongate a product's life and an enabler of other circular services like rental and second hand.?

The size and growth drivers of the aftercare market

The total wardrobe aftercare market accounted for 9% of the total fashion market (Link) in 2022, including laundry care (5% (Link)) dry cleaning (3% (Link)) and alterations and repair (0.5% (Link)). Forecasts predict significant growth for the wardrobe alterations and repair market, estimated to grow globally at 12% to reach 32bn$ until 2030, becoming 1% of total fashion market size (Link).?

Circular models like resale, rental, repair, and remaking (excluding laundry and dry cleaning) are expected to escalate from 4% to reach 23% of the fashion market in 2030, growing at 23% (Link). This surge is substantiated by increased consumer interest in sustainability and the resale market. Its growth can be assumed to outperform predictions, as the resale market has continuously done so. Forecasted in 2017 to reach 33bn$ in 2021 (Link), it reached 137bn$, outperforming forecasts by 315%? (Link). Even more recent forecasts of 2021 were still off by 300% for prognosing the size just two years ahead (Link).

However, when compared with other industries, the aftercare market in fashion is still in its nascent stages. For instance, the resale market in the German car industry accounted for 43% of the total car market in 2020 and the aftercare market including maintenance and repair accounted for 12.5% (Link I/II).?

The Consequences of a Linear Fashion System

Since 2000, global clothing production has more than doubled, with consumers purchasing 60% more while wearing items just 7-10 times on average (Link). Just 1% of clothing is recycled back into clothing, while a staggering 73% goes to landfill, despite the potential for 95% to be reused or recycled (Link). Imagine that 3/4th of your wardrobe will be burned or end up in landfills, also in countries without waste infrastructure as for example in the Chilean Atacama Desert, where the waste can be seen from space (Link).?

While upstream production, including raw materials, manufacturing and sales processes, accounts for over 75% of the industries emissions, up to 25% of the environmental footprint stems from aftercare and consumer habits like maintenance, reusing, and disposal of garments (Link).

The fashion industry holds a significant stake in global carbon emissions, currently contributing 10% with forecasts suggesting a potential doubling by 2030, surpassing a quarter of the world’s carbon budget by 2050 (Link). Aligning with the Paris Agreement to limit global warming, significant emission reductions are vital both in the production processes and in consumer behaviour. Accelerating the decarbonization within the supply chain and brand and retail operations are crucial areas of improvement, in which various stakeholders in the industry are currently engaged to expedite progress.

When it comes to consumer-driven reductions, the most substantial potential for savings lies in reducing consumption. However, current production forecasts indicate a disparity in the pace required to achieve the 1.5-degree target. The second most effective saving is driven by prolonging the use-time of garments, offering an emission saving potential of up to 25%, followed by other behaviour shifts such as embracing resale and rental practices along with adopting sustainable laundry and disposal habits (Link).

Therefore, beyond purchase reductions, elongating the lifecycle of garments emerges as the most impactful saving potential.

Wardrobe aftercare is one of the most? significant yet often overlooked sectors within the circular fashion market, holding substantial market opportunities with high impact potential for brands, consumers, the environment and investors alike.

In the next series, I will dive deeper into why aftercare is often an afterthought and what challenges craftsmakers, regulators, brands and consumers are facing?

What are your thoughts?

I am deeply curious about your feedback:?

• What do you think about this topic? What do you agree/ disagree with or have additional perspectives on??
• Please comment or write me directly

Please find further readings here:

• Resizing Fashion for a Fair Consumption Space (Hot or Cool, 2022) - Link
• Fashion on Climate report (McKinsey & Company and GFA, 2020) - Link
• Circular business models: redefining growth for a thriving fashion industry (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2021) - Link