The importance of buying sustainable fashion from now on
Why should you consider this change in your shopping habits when looking for new clothes.
Many consumers are thinking twice whenever it comes to purchasing new clothing and are giving more thoughts on how ethically produced they are.
Sustainable in its core is “the integration of environmental health, social equity and economic vitality in order to create thriving, healthy, diverse and resilient communities for this generation and generations to come,” (definition provided from UCLA).
Everyday more and more fashion consumers are making the change to go sustainable to help the environment. This particular movement originated from the late sixties in the 20th century with the hippie movement in response to the counterculture they were rebelling against the social norms of the time.
Over the past decades there have been coalitions and alliances that help out against the dangers of depleting the environment such as the Clean Clothes Campaign, Global Organic Textile Standard, and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.
Although, this movement didn’t pick up steam until the rise of social media in the 21st century where consumers can see with their own eyes the aftermath of destruction left behind in the ecosystem.
With the unveiled secrets that shined into light about workers across the globe from the unsanitary conditions to the low wages these workers are given for their work. Not only humans are harmed, but animals are injured in the process as well. There is no surprise why many people are outraged at the revelation of this information.
Commercial chain stores like Forever 21, Zara, and H&M have come under fire for their practices. Online stores like Shein, Fashion Nova, and Romwe are not left behind either. While these stores are not tangible they contribute just as much damage to the never-ending waste of fast fashion.
“Over the decades, the fashion industry has made an intentional choice to move its labour to low-income Asian countries like Bangladesh, India, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Stories coming out of factories in Bangladesh tell us about women with bladder infections due to a lack of bathroom breaks and managers forcing women to take the contraceptive pill. The lack of a living wage amplifies issues like denial of maternity leave, inadequate sanitation, and sexual harassment in the workplace,” said Jaclyn McCosker in her detailed article where you can read here.
Here are some eye-opening statistics collected by Vogue writer Rachel Silvestri. You can read her thorough article here.
• 20% of global water waste is caused by the fashion industry
• 1 in 6 people in the world works in a fashion job
• 80% of fashion workers are women
• 93% of surveyed fashion brands do not pay their workers a living wage
• 20–35% of ocean microplastics come from the fashion industry
With the increase of awareness of these hazardous practices that are implemented are providing potential shoppers the clarity they need to make the correct decision.
Collective Fashion Justice has extensive articles in where they go in-depth on the torture animals go through just for the sake of fashion to satisfy the demand consumers create to acquire items with said quality.
Next time when you go out shopping for new clothing give it some extra consideration on how your next purchase will affect the never-ending cycle of the consequences of fast fashion.
Would you like to help out the planet we inhabit in the next time you have a shopping spree? Check out this informative list of brands that are beneficial to the environment from Conscious Life and Style where they have over 200 brands here.
