Why You Should Care About What YOU Wear
Can I ask you a question? What do you think the most polluting industries are? If you’re like me, you would have guessed industries like oil, manufacturing, energy, and so on. Your guesses would be correct, but would you be surprised if I told you that the fashion industry is also considered one of the top polluting industries? In fact, it was once widely speculated that fashion was the second most polluting industry. Even though today industry experts have refuted the claim, there is no denying that the fashion industry is carrying plenty of environmental and social impact.
The Rise of Fast Fashion
Many fashion industry leaders have attributed the growing amount of pollution to the rise of fast fashion. You may be wondering, what is fast fashion? Fast fashion is essentially cheap clothing that is quickly produced to replicate the latest trends. There are three main aspects to this phenomenon. The first is trend replication. Fast Fashion retailers are often inspired by the latest trends from the catwalks and designers, which has created some issues. There’s a grey area between brands, from being inspired by other designers, to copying their work. Fashion copyright laws leave designers vulnerable for their work to be copied because the laws aren’t as strong. This can be even worse for independent designers, who don’t have enough resources to legally protect their work from bigger brands.
The second characteristic is rapid production. Traditionally in the fashion industry, there were two seasons per year; but with fast fashion, there can be up to 50 micro seasons. This means some brands are releasing a new collection every week. It has become the new normal for stores to always have an abundance of stock.
Lastly, fast fashion is associated with low clothing quality and cost. For shoppers, this seems great, because we can buy a t-shirt for a couple of dollars. Although, problems arise when we can only wear the t-shirt a couple of times before it falls apart! The sad truth is to maintain the low cost of clothing, it often leads to the exploitation of workers. A couple of years ago, workers for Zara were putting notes and sewing messages in their clothing as a call for help. Many of the messages noted how they were not being paid for their work. Sadly, this is not the only example, many workers must work in poor and unsafe conditions while being held accountable to maintain orders. There is always a cost, and it often goes unseen.
Now What?
When I first learned about this issue, I felt guilty. All these years, I spent much of my time, energy, and money on clothing that was damaging the lives of others, as well as the environment. Even though this situation is large and complex, there are still ways we can make a DIFFERENCE.
Buying Tips: Quantity, Quality, & Brands
It starts with our consumption habits and attitudes. The issue with fast fashion is it often treats clothing as disposable, making it acceptable to constantly make purchases. I would encourage you to treat clothing as an investment. It changes the focus from temporary to sustainability, and you’ll probably end up buying less. When you go shopping, it might be helpful to ask yourself, do you see yourself wearing this item multiple times? I know that sounds like a silly question, but I remember going through my closet, noticing that some of my clothes were only worn a couple of times. Talk about waste!
My next tip while shopping is to read the labels. Yes, clothes have labels! These are helpful because they tell you about the materials in your clothing, and how to properly care for them. You may be surprised to see what materials are in your clothing. Common materials you’ll notice are synthetic fabrics like polyester, acrylic, and nylon. I would encourage you to stay away from these materials, as they often use a lot of harmful chemicals, emit tons of waste on the environment, have a short shelf life, and can be harmful to your health. Instead, opt for more natural fabrics like cotton, wool, silk, linen, and cashmere. If you’re able, look for organic fabrics. Note they will still undergo processing treatments; however, it’s not as extensive or harmful as synthetic fabrics. It’s also worthy to note that shopping for more sustainable clothing will cost more. Although, I’ve found it’s helped conserve my money in the long term because I don’t have to shop as frequently.
Cost Friendly Alternatives: Thrifting, Repairing, and Fun
Buying new, more sustainable clothes is great, but it’s not the only answer. Before you go out and shop, see how you can conserve the clothes you already have. A lot of the time when I shop, it’s because my clothing has been damaged in some way. Luckily, many brands like Patagonia and Levi are now offering services where they will repair your stained, ripped, and otherwise damaged clothing. If the brand you shop from doesn’t offer you those services, find a tailor or search online for DIYs to try. It’s good for your wallet and helps extend the life of your clothing.
If you’re trying to look for different clothes beside the ones you already have, thrifting or having a clothing swap is another alternative. Those options help reduce clothing waste, give shoppers more variety, and saves on cost. Clothing swaps are also a great way to have fun with friends! Who knows, maybe you’ll end with your friend’s sweater that you’ve been eyeing.
Through this article, I hope I helped provide awareness on some of the harmful practices within the fashion industry. While there needs to be a change in how the industry operates, there are still ways we can help. By being aware of this issue, it helps us as consumers shop more consciously. Even though it may seem small, it makes a DIFFERENCE.
