The fashion industry & its cost

Many people it seems, including Insta-influencers, have seen and taken up discussing issues raised by documentaries such as Stacey Dooley's Fashion's Dirty Secrets which, in my opinion, raised them very effectively. Who would have thought that the garment / textile industry would be so polluting, so damaging to the environment and public health globally. Pollution, ecological effects, human cost and water consumption are the products of the 'need' mentality and 'fast fashion' in the West.

We are continuously bombarded by trends (and micro trends), advertising, influencers, cheap clothing hauls, multiple seasonal collections on the rise; the list goes on and on. Fast consumerism (often labelled "Fast fashion") with fast turnover of cheaper transient trends, an urgency to demand those trends 'now' and a throw-away mentality throughout most of society almost seems the inevitable result.

Ruki Sayid (Mirror.co.uk 31/8/18) suggests that we have an average of 36 outfits in our wardrobes that we never wear. A Privilege Home Insurance Report suggested that we each have an average of £834 worth of unworn clothing (£597 men, £877 women). That. Is, Huge.

Apparently the average wardrobe has £1754 of clothing, probably with many being worth considerably more...Indeed, Sandra Halliday (UK.fashionnetwork.com) reports that UK women collectively have 588 million unworn items, and men around 223 million. So what? Well, the true cost is difficult to fully quantify.

One of the difficulties with considering carbon footprints, ecological / environmental and human costs is that it can be difficult to see and measure (especially when reduced to an individual scale), but Stacey's documentary aptly demonstrated the effect of the industry in a tangible way. Will it bring change? I truly hope so. I also hope that sustainability and changes in consumer behaviour are not just the latest fast topic in vogue.

What is the true cost?

The effect on the planet is huge. Pressure to supply garments quickly means environmental consideration cuts, and potentially the use of cheap toxic dyes, the pollution of clean water, the use of cheap textiles such as polyester (derived from fossil fuels) the micro-fibres from which can increase plastic presence in the oceans simply from washing. Cotton farming demands high water usage, potentially leading to drought, as well as the use of pesticides which can enter food chains of many species as well as water supplies, also raising other environmental concerns including soil quality, land clearing etc.

Textile waste is a huge problem too (235 million pieces of clothing were thought to be sent to landfill in 2017). That shocks me. Indeed, a 2017 report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation found the amount of clothing being made had doubled over the past 15 years [www.the-pool.com] and number of times a garment is worn has reduced, as well as that simply throwing away has increased. What are your thoughts? Please feel free to comment on this post.

There are also human costs (low wages, poor health and safety conditions, negative effects on physical and mental health).

Journalist Lucy Siegle reported that "Globally, we are producing over 100 BILLION new garments from new fibres every single year, and the planet cannot sustain that." [referencing mummyofboygirltwins.com]

Personal plans

This issue for me seemed to be a wake-up call and made me start thinking more about what I can do. I want to combat my clothing amnesia (see separate post) and shop my wardrobe more, rather than buying new items and following trends largely being pumped out by the fast fashion machinery. I want to focus more on enjoying thrifting and 'new' items I need, and when this is not possible, trying to support more Ecologically-conscious brands (about which I need to learn more.)

I have already seen a shift on social media platforms such as Instagram, for instance the use of new hashtags such as #choosereused (@stylethemother, @sarahwearsthis, @secondhand_surprise).

I am labelling my own more conscious shopping habits with the hashtag #letsnotcosttheearth. Please feel free to use and share this hashtag yourself!

Solutions?

To me, it is clear that a change in mentality is needed; by the consumer and by the industry itself.

A certain amount of individual vigilance is required against 'it' items being marketed as achieving some unattainable lifestyle aspiration. Let's not allow individuality to be stamped out; fashion should celebrate personal style, not stifle it.

Thrifted jumper and skirt, Autumn 2018

Developing mindful shopping habits could avoid fast fashion, champion individuality and support smaller ethically conscious retailers. This promotes a shift in consumer behaviours that may help to drive down excessive micro-trend numbers, portray changing consumer wishes to bigger retailers and hopefully slow fast turnover fashion. For me, the savvy post world war 'make do and mend' mentality needs a reboot - why not invest in fewer better made quality pieces with longevity, swap clothes with friends, ignore any claims an outfit only has a one-event life, have swap shop nights with friends / families / colleagues, recycle / re-invent pieces that seem a bit tired. This might incorporate (for me at least) an element of thrifting too, so I can support charities close to my heart, continue to enjoy shopping trips and select new pieces in an affordable way that avoids low quality 'fast' purchases that soon become throw-away products with high costs, not only monetary but ecological, environmental and human.