Clothing
I think it’s safe to say you are wearing clothing while reading this. Maybe you’re in your pyjamas, or wearing sweatpants. Maybe you’re just wearing a simple shirt and jeans. But have you ever stopped to think about where the clothes you’re wearing and those in your closet came from? I don’t mean the store where you bought them. Do you really know where your clothes were made, and how?
Clothing in the past
In the past, making clothes was a traditional craft. Local people would specialise in making textiles and this was often a family business.
During the Industrial Revolution in Western Europe, we saw these traditional crafts disappear. Instead, machines were on the rise and workers were gathered in textile factories to work in often terrible conditions.
This way of mass production made textiles cheaper and more available, yet a lot of people remained in poverty as the factory owners didn’t offer them adequate protection or fair wages.
The situation right now
People protested a lot for better working circumstances. This is why you no longer see kids working in factories, usually don’t have to work during the weekends, get to go on holidays…
You may also have noticed that not a lot of clothing seems to be produced in the West anymore.
Take a look at the tag in your shirt, where was it made?
With the push for better pay and working conditions, companies still wanted to mass produce cheap garments to sell for a profit. This is why a lot of production moved to developing nations. Think of Bangladesh, for example. Not only does this have a negative impact on the people losing those jobs, but it’s not exactly a good thing for the people at the other side of the world either. There are still children working in factories and often factories collapse. The workers still don’t get enough money. This is largely due to the rapid demand for new clothing at the cheapest prices possible. This also has a negative effect on the environment. Have you ever wondered why big clothing stores can sell such cheap products? It’s often at the cost of poor workers and the environment. It’s simply not sustainable.
There’s even a term for this: Fast Fashion. This can be defined as an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to the consumers.
The fashion industry has sped up seasons and continuously pushes new trends. This makes people buy more clothes than they need so they can fit in or express themselves. It’s a lot of fun to put together an outfit you like and feel comfortable in, but it comes at a cost.
With seasons changing so fast, your outfits can go out of style very quickly and make you feel like you need to buy new clothes to keep up.
What now?
Obviously, this way of living is not sustainable. With a constant push to buy more and with the growing need to stand out and express yourself, people buy way too many new and cheaply produced clothes. Even buying designer clothing isn’t a solution, as they’re often still produced under bad circumstances and remain unnecessary for the people purchasing them.
However, there are plenty of ways to have nice clothes in a more sustainable way. It’s good to own a few basic, functional pieces that match well with everything in your closet. It’s better to have two or three pairs of pants that fit you well and will last for a long time, than to buy many that you may not like wearing a lot, just because of temporary trends. Do you really need 50 pairs of shoes? A more minimalist and simple attitude can make a big difference, although it’s understandably difficult to resist the pressure of staying on trend.
There are some other alternatives that don’t have to be expensive either! You can easily find great pieces in thrift stores or online. You can find quality clothes that have barely been worn on Vinted and Depop, for a much cheaper price than new ones in stores.
You can even find designer items, as plenty of people get rid of their clothes after a few seasons because they want to keep up with the trends.
Of course, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the clothing they get rid of and it’s still perfectly fine to wear. Maybe you can even learn how to sew and make your own, unique pieces using old clothing!
Maybe, in the futures, people will become more conscious and buying second hand clothing will become the norm.
Already, certain brands are looking into recycling old garments to make new clothing! This way, people can create a cycle for their clothes and they will no longer end up on landfills or collecting dust in your closets!
People’s perspective on fashion needs to change. They cannot keep consuming the way they are now or it will have a negative impact on everybody’s futures.
It’s not easy to resist the pressure of moving along with all the trends being pushed, but if you truly feel comfortable in an outfit, confidence is all you need to make it shine and look good, regardless of the brand or price!
