Clothing. We all have it. Some of us love it. Some of us hate it. There is so much behind the
action of choosing what we wear and just by looking at us, someone might be able to gather a little bit about our personalities. Some of us choose to wear bright colors with big, bold patterns. Others choose to have a closet filled with only one or two solid colors. You might be able to tell where someone has been, how much money they do, or don't have, even what kind of mood they might be in that day. Our clothing tells a story.
We all have pieces of clothing in our closets that when we look at it, a memory immediately pops into our brains.
"That's the jacket I wore when I nailed that interview and landed my dream job."
"This is the top I was wearing when my girls and I had that fabulous night out."
"That sweatshirt has been there for me on my worst days."
You know what I'm talking about. The clothes, shoes, purses, jewelry, all of it, take on a personality of their own because of the memories we have attached to them. We create their story...right?
I want to challenge this thought, because I believe that our clothing has a story, a life of their own if you will, before they even find their way into our hands. A story that most of us don't know, or haven't even really thought about. I'm going to digress a little bit, but bear with me, and I promise I will circle back to this point.
I decided that for the year 2021 I was going to challenge myself to be better and to do better. I had fallen into a really bad pattern of complacency and blamed pretty much everyone but myself for it. I decided to enroll in the IGNITE program (see my previous post) in order to gain a sense of accountability. IGNITE, lead by Majo Molfino, is a program for women that challenges us to find our creative purpose by testing an idea through creation, iteration and exploration. Each woman has an idea of how they want to creatively express themselves and for 8 weeks, we are pushed out of our comfort zones to test our ideas. When I originally started, I was planning to test out starting a podcast. That, has shifted, although is still an idea I am playing with.
I was fascinated by how the consumerist society we live in is fueling our need to have "things" and how the concept of minimalism challenged this way of living. I was so excited to create content that helped people simplify their lives, get rid of their stuff and understand the personal benefits of minimalism. But as I started researching, I discovered a flaw in my messaging and all these questions started flooding over me. Here's how the conversation went in my head:
"Where do all of the things go when we are done with them?" - Well you donate them...duh.
"Yea but...what happens to them if Goodwill doesn't want them?" - I'm pretty sure I saw something about unwanted items going to third world countries..so you know, they are still getting used and it's still a good deed.
"Really? But...there's A LOT of stuff...are you sure?" - Hmm...looks like a lot of it actually just ends up in the landfill and those third world countries are inundated with clothing that they don't really need.
"Well that can't be good." - ......
Image Courtesy of Google Images
Since I started thinking about what happens to things after we are done with them, I started exploring where things come from before we actually get them. You hear this a lot around the topic of food. "Where was that chicken raised? Did that cow live in sanitary conditions? Were those vegetables covered in pesticides before being harvested?" I decided to focus on clothing, because just like food, this is something we all consume.
I was horrified at what I found.
Did you know:
The fast fashion industry is the second highest polluting industry in the world behind big oil
It takes 700 gallons of water to make 1 cotton shirt
The harsh dyes used are dumped into drinking water of people in developing countries.
There can be hazardous chemicals in our clothes, including lead at times.
They take anywhere from 6 months-80 years to break down in landfills.
The fashion industry is believed to produced 10% of emissions worldwide
Courtesy of SavvyAF - https://savvyaf.com/style/sustainable-fashion/whats-fast-fashion-why-should-you-care/
When I was younger, I poured over fashion magazines, went on mall shopping sprees almost every weekend, and even wanted to become a fashion designer. I had NO idea the impact this industry was having on the environment. Fast fashion has taken over the industry. Instead of 2 seasons a year, the fashion industry now has 52 seasons a year. That means that sweater you just bought at H&M last weekend, is already out of style and advertisers are going to push for you to buy the next thing. What happens to those sweaters that are still hanging on the rack that don't get sold? And who made those sweaters? How are they going to feel when they hear that all of their hard work is going to waste?
The who. That's what I really want to focus on. Their story is the story that should precede the story we create for each article of clothing that hangs in our closet, yet most of us don't know it or haven't taken the time to think about it. When we buy a shirt for $15 we think "Oh, that's a great deal!" when we really should be thinking "How am I getting it that cheap? Who's getting the short end of the stick?" The short answer is that fashion companies want to make a profit, so they outsource their contracts to textile factories in other countries. They say "Who can make this garment at the cheapest cost? Whoever can, will get the contract." These factories end up cutting corners in their regular maintenance of factory safety features, cut pay for their workers and force them to work longer hours so they can meet the needs of these companies. These workers barely make enough for a living wage, miss spending time with their families or often have to bring their small children to work with them, live in poverty for the majority of their lives and put their lives at risk every time they step foot into the factory. Still sound like a good deal? Does it change the way you look at that top you wore on your night out with your girlfriends?
There are a lot of other points that I could touch on, however, I want to focus on finding a solution. Instead of throwing our clothing away when the story we created for them no longer fits our narrative, how about swapping them with someone who could create a new and beautiful story? This is where my new IGNITE idea comes into play! (See I told you I would circle back) I want to change the way we look at used clothing. There are some pretty ingrained negative connotations of shopping at a thrift store that aren't necessarily true! Swapping clothing with your girlfriend's should be a party. A celebration even!
My goal is to create an event planning business that changes the way we celebrate, by infusing the opportunity to swap clothing in a fun and relaxing environment. If you are looking for a unique experience to celebrate you or a friend's birthday, bridal shower, graduation, promotion, or if you want to just book a fun night for you and your closest friends to get together, then this service will be right up your alley! You'll be doing something fun, refreshing your closet and also making a positive impact on the environment.
We have control over where we choose to buy our clothing. Let's not let fast fashion make us feel inadequate if we don't have the next latest and greatest piece of clothing. Let's not get sucked into that cycle. Instead, let's think about the stories behind our clothing. Who are we impacting? How can we make a positive difference on their lives and the environment? How can we challenge the fashion industry to do better? How can we change the story?
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