That new outfit you bought for the Christmas party looked amazing. But what will happen to it now?

The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter in the world (according to the UN). So giving that dress a new lease of life could help save the planet (and might kick-start your eco-friendly New Year’s resolution).

Bella Middleton, founder of sustainability brand Norfolk Natural Living, says that making our clothes last longer can be simple - and it doesn’t need to mean wearing worn-out outfits every time we hit the tiles.

“The average piece of clothing in our wardrobes will only be worn a handful of times. 1 in 6 people won’t wear an outfit again after they have been seen in it on social media. But less than 1% of our clothes are recycled. So what happens to the rest? Landfill. We dump or burn a bin lorry worth of clothing every minute. A lot of which was only worn once.

“But, of course, there is a solution! There are a few easy ways to keep your look fresh and new without contributing to fashion’s dirty secret (it’s the second biggest pollutant in the world - after oil).”

Bella’s tips to keep your wardrobe fresh (without polluting the planet):

We all have those clothes that we haven’t worn for ages. They aren’t doing you any good sat in your wardrobe and you will probably throw them out eventually anyway. So why not swap? Get some friends over - everybody brings a few outfits they will never wear again and get swapping!

You will be amazed at the combos you come out with. And you’ll have a great evening while you’re at it.

If you bought a cheap, throwaway dress for the Christmas party then you already know it won’t look the same after going through the washing machine. But that’s fine - it doesn’t need to.

Spot-clean any drinks spills (it happens to all of us!) and hang it up in the bathroom while you take a shower. It’s the easy DIY way to steam-clean the creases out.

Laundry in the washing machine is a major cause of pollution in our oceans. Your dress is most likely made of polyester. When it’s washed, tiny microfibres break away and are washed down the drain by your machine. Those fibres are too small to be filtered out when the water is cleaned so they end up in the ocean, where small creatures eat them. Those small creatures are eaten by bigger creatures… then you eat the bigger ones. So you’re eating somebody else’s party outfit. Delicious.

If you’re nimble-fingered and have a good imagination, you can create some amazing designs with that party dress and a sewing machine.

A quick search on Pinterest for upcycled clothes will give you tonnes of inspiration.