Did you know that the Fashion Industry is one of the largest contaminators in the world? One afternoon, while I was reading some fashion content, I couldn’t comprehend that one of my most enjoyed passions contributes to such a large increase in garbage, water pollution, animal and human abuse… But why is that?
According to web site Minimalism Made Simple, “Fast fashion describes low-cost designs which are quickly transferred from the catwalk to clothing stores”. Fast Fashion retailers are often involved in controversies such as copyright infringements, child labor and slave like conditions for their workers. So, I thought, where are the human rights? … why do the customers not know about this? Well, due to fast fashion retailers growing in popularity, we ignore quality over price. Indirectly, we all participate in contribution of these injustices. Think about why do you use clothes or accessories and how many times you’ll wear it… is it necessary? Do I need it or want it because it’s trendy? Remember, not knowing limits us, but knowing empowers us!
Many are marketing single use clothing items which are responsible for ‘throw away fashion’ a “trend” that affects the re-usability of an item meaning that a lot of these cannot be re-sold or donated due to the cheap material they are made from and most of these simply go into the trash after a couple of uses. Because clothing items may seem inexpensive from a monetary perspective, people often don’t mind throwing them away if they don’t fit right or if they simply just don’t use them anymore.
The fashion industry is a huge polluter, “70 to 100 million trees are cut down each year to make rayon and modal cellulose fabric. 2.5 trillion pounds of used clothing are dumped into landfills every year. 2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions are produced on an annual basis, second only to the oil industry. The volume of water consumed to produce clothing in 70 billion meters and will increase by %50 by 2030.”
See below to learn easy steps to becoming a more environmentally friendly fashionista:
- Hold on to some older styles: Everything comes back!
- Experiment: There are so many ways to style that one pair of pants you haven’t tried yet.
- Practice Slow Fashion: Try and only buy new clothes when you really need to.
- Rent the Runway: If you know you’ll only use that gown or suit once, why not rent it instead of buying.
- Thrift & Flip: Hit up your local thrift store for repurposed clothing. You might find a few hidden gems.
- Swap Party: Host a clothing swap party with friends and family or exchange clothes through mail for the sake of social distancing.
- Donate: You don’t want that shirt? Don’t throw it away; give it to those who might need it more.
Remember, style is reflected in how you project yourself by highlighting the happiness you carry and the beauty in you. If you are conscious of each step you take and each piece you wear, we can make a difference.When it comes to human rights and saving our ecosystems these trends stay in style!
Looking for some sustainable brands? Check out these companies:
MONSOON, Able, Patagonia, INDIGENOUS, Boden, Mara Hoffman, KOTN, NISOLO, PeopleTree, and Reformation.
We are proudly certified by the Green Business Bureau.
