When a garment factory collapsed back in 2013, killing 1,138 people and injuring 2,500, many people believed that this would be a wake up call for the fashion industry. The eight-story commercial building known as the Rana Plaza, collapsed on April 24th 2013, making it the fourth largest industrial disaster in history. This plaza was already infamous for its low factory wages and unsafe working conditions. Leading up to the collapse, warning cracks had begun to form in the foundation – naturally, the workers had evacuated the building. This tragedy should have been prevented right there, however the workers were told to return to their stations, as they had strict deadlines to meet. The Rana Plaza manufactured apparel for some of our biggest fast fashion brands, and after the collapse, companies started to admit that they had ‘no idea’ how bad things were at the factories where their garments were being made. From this rubble, Fashion Revolution was built. This global movement encourages people to ask “Who Made My Clothes”. We are reminded that our voice is power, and together we can tell the big brands out there that things must change.
But there’s more to consider when it comes to today’s fashion. There are still unseen consequences that come with our pleasure for adding the latest styles and trends to our wardrobe. It’s not just about who makes our clothes. There’s much more to it. All around, and to put it bluntly – this industry is rather sickening. Fast fashion was built solely on our insecurities, it plays off our social desire to fit in, and stay on trend. It doesn’t help that we’re are also pretty easy to trick as consumers. We’ll buy pretty much anything if we have the cash or credit to do so. We justify our shopping habits as retail therapy, but as you know – that little streak of happiness that we get from a new item fades pretty quickly, especially since there is always something new right around the corner. There’s a theory as to why we love buying things: when we finally get what we want, we get to experience the feeling of not wanting something. For a brief moment, we experience a little dose of peace and happiness.
The True Cost
Clothing has been decreasing in price, and respective quality, for decades now. When we shop we’re trained to look at the price tag, our first concern is whether we can afford it. But their may be a smarter way to shop, especially if you really care about the world. While that $10 top from H&M may be cheaper than that $100 linen top from a local sustainable designer. The true cost for fast fashion is much, much more. You’ll likely get 10 solid wears out of that H&M top before it self-destructs, it’s likely coming from a developing country where workers are underpaid and treated poorly, it’s threads are toxic, and when you’re left with no choice but to toss it, that garment will take hundreds of years to break down. Your $10 contribution to H&M, feeds their cycle of mass production.
Considering that the planet is now running low on resources, we should really be questioning what we find to be inexpensive in dollar value. Who’s paying the price? Is it a human cost, or an environmental one? While that $100 linen top from a local sustainable designer may be something you need to save for, purchasing quality clothing is as an investment, and with every investment, comes a return. In the case of quality clothing, it’s longevity.
It also feels good to support a local designer and small business, especially if they share the same values as you. Sustainable fashion is an approach to making, buying and using clothes while protecting the planet, and the lives of those involved in their creation. The small guys care much more about this than the big guys.
Shop Not By Price
If you ever venture to an outlet shop, it’s likely that you’re not getting a product that was overstocked and didn’t sell last season. It’s common now for many outlet retailers to manufacturer specific lines of clothing for their outlet shops, that are not the same quality that consumers expect.
We’re so obsessed with buying things that we’ve collectively fuelled the fast fashion industry to manifest 52 micro-fashion seasons. Most big brands are pushing out well-over 200 new styles a week.
A cycle of careless production and endless consumption. You’ll hear from bloggers, and news sites, that fashion is often ranked as the second most polluting industry in the world, after coal and oil. While there’s no real ‘official study’ for this ranking. Fashion is a resource-intensive industry, in terms of both natural and human resources. It is estimated that fashion accounts for over 10 percent of global emissions. Yet still, many people don’t associate fashion with pollution. How can our new clean clothes be so dirty? Without looking at a fabric tag for today’s outfit. Could you guess what your garments are made of, and where they are manufactured?
I’ll take a wild guess that it came from overseas. Fast fashion is commonly manufactured in rural and poor areas throughout Bangladesh, India, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, where it’s cheap to produce. There’s also a 60% chance that polyester is one of the thread components. The industry likes using this material because it’s very cheap and doesn’t wrinkle or shrink. Since polyester is so widely used for our clothing and home decor, it’s estimated that we’re producing over 50 million tons each year.
What’s the deal with polyester? First off, it’s not natural. Polyester is a synthetic fiber derived from petroleum, and it includes harmful chemicals and carcinogens. It is made through a chemical reaction involving coal, petroleum, air, and water. Many people also suffer from textile dermatitis when they come in contact with this material.
Yes. This fabric is made using fossil fuels, and it’s one big reason as to why fast fashion is almost as polluting as the coal and oil industry. Cotton is another unsustainable crop, even though this plant naturally exists, it’s very needy and requires a near-endless supply of water to grow. On average it requires 20,000 liters to produce one kilogram of cotton; equivalent roughly to a single t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Cotton is also a genetically modified product, which involves heavy use of pesticides, and herbicides. Considering that our skin is our largest detoxification organ, which is eliminating and absorbing all day, every day. If we’re wearing clothing coated in toxic chemicals, are we also absorbing them?
We don’t always think about how our clothing interacts with our skin, but if you’re avoiding phthalates in your skin-care and personal care products, are you also avoiding them in your clothing? Did you even know they were there?
How Clean is Your Wardrobe
If you looked at your wardrobe, how many pieces would you find that are free from polyester and conventional cotton? Of those, how many weren’t made in Bangladesh, India, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka or the Philippines? Would you find any? Maybe we should let the garment tag do the deciding for us on our next shopping venture. (It’s really more valuable than the price tag)
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
You may be thinking that it’s time to detox your closet and start fresh, but another way we’re killing the planet is by thinking that when we throw something out, that it’s going away forever. There’s no such thing as ‘away’. Everything has to go somewhere.
We may feel good with the out of sight, out of mind way of thinking, however, our landfills are overflowing with fashion waste, and we can’t keep sending bales of unwanted clothes to developing countries. It’s unfortunate that most of the damage is already done, but it’s not too late. If you really want to help the planet, sustainable fashion is the only way.
How to Build a Sustainable Wardrobe
The most sustainable thing you can wear is what’s already in your closet. That may sound a little redundant, but it’s not ethical to toss what you have and buy all new. Achieving a sustainable wardrobe is a slow process. Start by falling back in love with what you have and consider the impact of your future purchases. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make informed decisions when it comes to the clothing you buy. The planet, and the people who make our clothes, deserve more than what fast fashion offers.
