What does the fashion industry currently look like?

The world has reached an unsettling place with fashion. What was once seasonal now sees fast fashion brands introducing new designs into their stores every three to five weeks. The easy availability and selection of cheap clothes has led to a throw away culture where people don’t see value in items and often buy things for just one occasion.

As is the case with our food, consumers often don’t know much about the production of our clothes; who makes them and how the raw materials are sourced or the devastating impacts of the manufacturing process, distribution and disposal.

PEOPLE

Most of the craftspeople who make clothes for the global market live in poverty, unable to afford basic necessities. Many are subject to exploitation, abuse and work in appalling conditions.

The True Cost gives further insight into this industry.

Scarily, 152 million children worldwide are victims of child labour; almost half of them, 73 million, work in hazardous child labour. (source) This is especially clear in the cotton industry.

Labour Behind The Label, has shared that approximately 80% of garment workers are women aged 18-35. Factory owners are also known to turn a blind eye when male managers or workers sexually harass female workers.

OUR PLANET

The fashion industry accounts for around 10% of global carbon emissions (source).
Millions of tonnes of clothing end up in landfill or are incinerated every year (source).

Chemicals used to grow, dye, launder and treat the clothes pollute our water sources. Have you seen the blue dogs of Mumbai?
The fashion industry produces 20% of global wastewater. It takes around 2,000 gallons of water to make a typical pair of jeans. Cotton production is shockingly destructive too- from the habitat conversion into agricultural land; soil degradation and erosion; pesticides contaminating soil and water, poisoning animals and humans alike to the crazy amount of water used for irrigation. Read more here about why choosing what brands often label natural or “eco friendly fabrics” isn’t as sustainable as they make it sound. In a nutshell, ancient and endangered forests are irreplaceable.

If the industry doesn’t change, the apparel industry’s climate impact is expected to increase 49% by 2030. (source)

What can we do as individuals?

I shop secondhand or vintage, unless there is something really specific that I need (such as underwear), in which case I will save up and support an ethical brand or small, local business if I can speak to someone who makes the clothes.

The most sustainable clothes are the ones you already have.

We need to push for systemic change, but we also have so much power as consumers. By changing our buying habits we can lower demand for fast fashion and slow the insane production rates, lessen the pressure on landfills and condemn the criminal abuse of human rights.

Another way to engage in your love for fashion is to rent or swap clothes. There are numerous apps, but here are a few to try out:
- Nu Wardrobe
- Planoply
- Frontrow
- Lena Library

Love and care for the clothes you have. I’ve included some laundry tips at the bottom of the page, but a big one to remember is that we don’t need to wash our clothes as often as we do. Only launder things that neeeed it.

Repair, mend, repeat. We can often easily extend the life of items just by mending them or replacing parts. Mending can be beautiful too.

Charity shops are often overwhelmed with donations. A third of everything goes to landfill and huge amounts are shipped across the world for developing countries to deal with. It's nice to think that our unwanted items may find a home with those in need, but in reality there's so so much brought in that it often ends up being a burden to those communities or in landfill emitting greenhouse gases.

• Do laundry less often. Air out your clothes & only wash them when necessary.

• Don't wash solid items such as shoes with clothing. The friction causes more fibres to break off.

• Choose a cooler wash like 30/40°C & shorter wash cycles. The hotter you wash synthetic textiles, the more plastic fibres break & end up in the water cycle.

• Avoid the tumble dryer. The heat & movement also lead to microplastic pollution. Plus, tumble drying clothes uses a lot of electricity - an average 159 kg CO2 per year.

• Consider buying a Guppyfriend bag to catch microplastics before they enter your washing machine.

• Mend tears and holes early on to avoid further damage. We can have fun with this too.