Opt-out of environmentally and socially destructive fashion

There's nothing stylish about fast fashion

Image: Oprah.com

I love clothes. I love expressing my personal style through clothing. I like making it, shopping for it, and styling it. For so many years, like with lots of young women, clothes shopping was how I self-regulated, celebrated, and distracted myself. As I got older, and could afford better, I bought better. I knew I didn't like cheap, synthetic, or disposable clothes, but I wasn't as aware then as I am now, about fashion's (fast, cheap fashion, and expensive investment fashion) horrible impacts on the environment and on those who make it. When we say, "Oh that's cheap because it's not handmade," we truly misunderstand what it takes to make a garment of any kind. Every garment - even the one on sale at H&M for $1.99 was handmade all the way down the chain. From producing the fibers, to weaving the cloth, to assembling the item. And all along that chain there is waste and pollution. These days, I've revived my love for vintage shopping and refined my wardrobe down to things I really love that stand the test of time against fashion's fads. I don't advocate for a minimalist wardrobe - that's too constricting for me, but I'm sure I own way less than the average woman of my age and means. But here's the thing - we can all get on board with reducing fashion's impact on people and planet, no matter what income bracket we're in, because, there’s nothing trendy about fashion that ends up in a landfill, not matter where you're at with it.

Plus, didn’t you hear? All the cool kids (and adults) are wearing second-hand clothes this season! What makes fashion one of the worst industry polluters in the world? The answers are more numerous than the plastic sequins on the racks at Target, but here’s a few unstylish reasons fashion has a devastating effect both environmentally, and socially.

• The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter in the world, right after oil industry.
  
• Fashion contributes to about 5 percent of the world’s global greenhouse gas emissions – more than the whole country of Russia.
  
• The toxic wastewater from garment production is major polluter to the countries that make our fast fashion. Plus, making clothes uses a shed-ton of resources. It can take 1500 gallons of water to manufacture just one pair of jeans. That’s enough water to support a human’s life for 13 years.
  
• Garment manufacturing doubled between 2000 and 2014 globally. In 2014 we exceeded 100 billion new garments.
•  Americans throw away 32 billion pound of textiles per year.
• To keep up with demand, clothing manufacturers use cheaper, synthetic (read: made out of petroleum) fabrics and low-quality production. The consumer life of products shortened by 50 percent between 1992 to 2000.
• If you’re only paying $4.99 for a new garment, how much of that do you think the maker was paid? Fashion is a major contributor to child labor, extreme poverty, and other humanitarian abuses. Check out the movie, The True Cost, for a shocking behind-the-scenes look at the industry responsible for most of the new clothing on racks today.
  

How can you opt-out of environmental and socially-destructive fashion?

• Buy second hand! Give great clothes a second life by making them your own. This is especially great for kids, that grow out of clothing quickly. The stigma of second-hand is quickly fading away for these generations what harmful effects our years of crazy consumerism have done. Locally, check out consignment and thrift stores. Online, try Thred-Up and Poshmark.
  
• If you must buy new (and let’s face it, second-hand underwear is not a thing anyone wants), then go quality over quantity when you can.
• Choose natural fabrics over synthetic ones. Synthetic clothes are made out of petroleum. They are non-renewal, non-biodegradable, and wear out more quickly. Synthetic clothes shed micro-plastics into our water every time you wash them. Try a Guppyfriend Washing Bag to help cut down on your micro-plastic waste.
  
• The average consumer now buys 60 percent more clothing items a year and keeps them for only half as long as they did 15 years ago. Consider investing in less, better quality items, or go second hand!
  
• Extending the life of your clothing by just three months, reducing carbon, water and waste footprints of that garment by up to 10 percent. Consider mending, alterations, and washing less to extend garment life.
• Host a clothing swap with your friends! Get some new duds, get rid of some old duds.
• Try renting when you have an event that requires a special outfit. From services like Rent-the-Runway, to this fabulous lady right in Portland, the options are endless.
  
• Donate unwanted clothing that is clean and in good repair. But keep in mind, with so much excess clothing already out there, the pile-up of used clothing is creating its own pollution problem.
  
• Do your research! Buy from from environmentally and ethically responsible brands. Check out the app Good On You for their easy-to-use rating system.
  

Don’t be trashy: #iquitfastfashion