When I first started learning just how unsustainable and exploitative the clothing industry was, it was overwhelming. I’ll never forget my first time watching The True Cost – tears streamed down my face, followed by rage and an urge to do something about it.
But the more I learned, the more I realised there are no simple answers, and certainly, there are no perfectly sustainable or ethical choices; at least not when overconsumption remains the root cause of so many of the fashion and clothing industry’s woes.
Overconsumption gives rise to overproduction. Discount culture, and dubious marketing tactics using behavioural science, target us to buy more at any environmental or social cost – and this fuels more overconsumption. We go around and around in a pattern that’s very difficult to break. Even the circular economy, without addressing overconsumption, can’t be the silver bullet that saves us; a growing circle is only marginally better than a growing line.
Even as we make products more efficient and ‘green’, these improvements often fail to curb the problem. Instead, the savings from these efficiencies are quickly gobbled up by an increase in both production and consumption. This is an addiction that both brands and individuals succumb to and without a circuit breaker – such as regulation, a global supply crisis or a collective uprising – we won’t see an end to it anytime soon.
Now, before you think I'm blaming consumers for this entire mess, let me clarify. It’s not on you, the individual, to fix the fashion industry's systemic pollution, environmental destruction and social harm.
It’s the industry’s responsibility to overhaul sourcing practices, transform supply chain relationships and eliminate overproduction, planned obsolescence and low-quality clothing from the system. It’s on them to work harmoniously and regeneratively with the Earth to create products that safely flow through the biosphere and technosphere. It’s on them to make high-quality products, be specialists in their field, to innovate and create quality, long-lasting and purposeful products that people actually want.
Our responsibility, as wearers of clothes, is that we do our part in the choosing and using of clothing. Our task is to break the addiction to fast fashion, ultra-fast fashion and any other low-quality clothing that eventually ends up as waste, regardless of the brand name. In the Global North, where the majority of overconsumption occurs, we must stop buying so much even when it’s cheap. It’s on us to choose wisely, remembering our dollars are actual investments into companies, economies, culture and the future.
It might seem boring, but if you were to ask what the most sustainable action you can take right now, I’d say to look at what you already have and really work out how you could keep it in use for as long as possible.
Can you fall back in love with something by wearing it differently? Could you alter or restyle what doesn’t work anymore? Could you shop your own wardrobe or share it with someone else? How you display and store your clothes can play a big part in this. Habitualise good laundering techniques, proper care and repair, and embrace wear and tear. All these things are the most radical and sustainable things you can do right now to make a change.
When you do need to buy something new, do so slowly, thoughtfully and with a sense of responsibility for that item while it's in your custody. If that sounds too open and you prefer more concrete guidance, I recently created a handy materials hierarchy for shopping that prioritises using what already exists, more systematically. I’d note that if you have skin or sensory issues you might need to pay closer attention to the fibre regardless of whether they are pre-loved, surplus or new.
• Shop or share your wardrobe (using apps or informally among friends and family). The bottom line is to buy less overall.
• Shop second-hand. It saves money, reduces carbon emissions and opens up a world of creativity. Second-hand clothing deserves to be used, regardless of fibre or previous production ethics, as long as it is fit for purpose.
• Shop from small businesses that actively use surplus materials, regardless of fibre, as long as the items are fit for purpose and well-designed. These brands often produce beautiful clothing with a lower environmental footprint, and because surplus materials are typically available in smaller quantities, mass production is less common.
• Shop from small businesses with transparent practices in place, making new clothing from renewable, natural fibres.
• When you need to buy new synthetic clothing (like polyester, elastane or nylon), choose items made from recycled technical fibres, preferably a single fibre type, such as 100 per cent recycled nylon.
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