Like many other young girls, I have always been drawn to the glitz and glamour of the fashion world. Even today, my eyes light up when I come across any sort of fancy trims, cuts, appliques and the chic boho jewellery, ahh!! My all-time favourite.
So basically, I have all possible reasons to gather as much information about fashion as I could. For instance, I know the significance of camouflage print in military uniforms that most people don’t. I also know that Chanel is pronounced as “s-h-e -n-a-l” and not as “c-h-a-n-n-e-l”. But recently, I came across a concept that has magnificent importance in our lives but we are completely clueless about it. It all starts with the raging topic of today’s era “Save the planet Earth”. I personally never knew about the term “Sustainable fashion” and how important it is in our lives.
You may think that sustainability has nothing to do with your wardrobe but in reality, it has to do a lot. I expect you could imagine a clear picture in your head if I tell you that the apparel industry is the second most polluting industry on the planet after oil or maybe cotton is the fourth most polluting crop to be grown by mankind. Unexpected right??
But how did all this start, how come we have 48 seasons every year now while once we used to have 4 every year? This all started with the trend of fast fashion where designs go off the shelves within days of them showing up. One thing goes out of fashion, other shows up. Not to a great surprise, this trend of fads has led to the production of 4 billion clothing items every year most of which untimely ends up in landfills really soon because of the cheap quality of fabric, stitching and trims used.
So ultimately, we are not saving money by buying cheap clothing but rather spending more by later paying backbreaking taxes to the government to clean the mess we have created.
I might just seem like a cranky old person who finds a problem with each and everything happening around her but never has any solid solution to it. But here’s the twist I do have a few suggestions for you. Don’t freak out ladies I will not ask you to wear the same outfit every day or to lose your individuality by switching your style. There are a few simple things we could easily adopt in our lifestyle.
Learn To Question
Brands produce what we ask them to, we as consumers have the supreme power to dictate the whole market. So why not let them know that you care about the environment? Why not ask where the clothes you purchase come from? Is it from any other factory of Bangladesh like the Rona plaza? What is it made of? Is the cotton used organic? If the fabric consists of any synthetic fabric then how much blend it is? Is it recyclable?
Don’t Hesitate To Spend A Few More Bucks
I know sustainable fashion brands charge you a bit more because they are paying basic wages to their workers, they are not exploiting human and capital resources and surely, they don’t have “shadow factories”. So why hesitate to spend a bit more when you know in the end it’s all worth it.
Before Purchasing, Make Sure You Will Wear It 30 Times
Should I get it or not? Is literally the dilemma of the century so this simple trick will make your job easier. Before buying anything think for a moment- “Will I wear it at least 30 times in my life?” If not, you clearly don’t need that one.
Look For Alternatives
We belong to the land of diverse cultures and talents and handicrafts have always been our MSP, right? So why not look for locally produced textiles than for artificial fabrics. This way you will not only add an indigenous aspect to your wardrobe but also leave very less carbon footprint on the planet.
- And finally, if you manage to succeed in all these parameters, we have more sustainable ways of living like the “zero waste lifestyle”. We clearly have miles to go but bits of changes in our own wardrobe is surely a great start.