Capitalism’s great trick is to make us long for stuff we simply don’t need. Which is fine, to an extent, but at the tail end of high capitalism fast fashion is proving to be extremely wasteful and damaging to our environment.
Every day billions of people buy clothes with no thought of what will happen to those purchases at the end of their lifespan. That lifespan is getting shorter by the year - currently in the uk the average number of times a piece of clothing is worn is 7. Collectively we throw away 2.1 billion tons of fashion every year.
And that’s just the clothes that are actually sold. From the huge inventories of big fast fashion conglomerates 20 percent go unsold, shipped offshore to be buried, shredded or incinerated. That’s not to mention the huge human cost including unsafe working conditions, and large scale modern slavery that keeps our clothing cheap.
There’s no shortage of brands claiming to be sustainable fashion, but what is sustainable clothing, and what are the key factors when making environmentally and ethical clothing choices.
Sustainability is complex and there are lots of different aspects. It would be difficult to produce truly sustainable clothing, since the most sustainable choice is to make nothing new. But here are some ideas for what to look out for when making good sustainable clothing choices.
Vivienne Westwood’s been talking about this for years, but buying less and choosing well has to be a top priority. It’s a way of signaling production to slow down and demanding better quality. By returning to quality and rejecting the $5 t-shirt that will look terrible after the first wash or two we’ll reduce the amount of cheap clothing produced and save our landfills.
Cheap clothing relies on a model that produces huge quantities at a low cost and is highly exploitative to humans and our environment. This decades-long offshoring trend is now being overturned and ‘local’ is making a comeback. Locally made clothes can be made in small runs (or to order) keeping waste to a minimum and reinstating a production model that supports our local industries and people.
From the production of the fabric to what happens at the end of its life, understanding the materials your clothes are made from is important. Synthetic fibres (acrylic is the worst offender) shed tiny plastic particles (a single wash can release about 700,000 microfibres) into the ocean and take many years to break down while slowly leaking toxins into the earth. Whereas organic cotton, linen and wool break down much more readily and some natural fibre production can help regenerate the land. Look for clothes made from organic and natural fabrics as a preference since they aren’t reliant on petrochemicals.
Support brands that provide proof of equitable and transparent supply chains. Some brands such as Sheep are already starting to do this where information about the base material and its provenance is included in the tag of the product. Other brands will have information on their website about the environmental and social impacts of their business practices and products.
There’s a lot to know but if you find a brand that is making a positive contribution without the greenwashing, support them.
Probably the most sustainable option aside from no new clothes at all is buying pre-used or vintage - my personal favourite is Auckland based Crushes or Tatty’s. More and more options are cropping up to allow users to share/swap/ or sell items themselves. Renting is also a great option for a special occasion such as a wedding or special outing.
Until we have a system that doesn’t create large quantities of leftovers, using excess fabrics aka deadstock fabrics can be a good option. For smaller brands who don’t have the buying power or international reach, this is a good way to make use of fabric already in existence.
Consider the end of the item's life at the time of purchase. For example, does the brand offer a mending service, will they take back the product and recycle it when it’s life is over. Are they incorporating recycled materials into the production of their clothes in the beginning?
It’s only when we as consumers care about how our clothing is made and the effects of its production on people and the planet that brands will be truly sustainable.
Sustainability is a complex issue, but if we buy well, expect more from our clothes and look to incorporate more pre-worn clothing and natural fibres into our wardrobes we are making a good start.
At Pruecha my focus is on natural fibres, deadstock fabrics and local production. Find out more about my fledgling sustainable clothing brand at www.pruecha.com