The problem with fast fashion
September 22nd 2010 02:25
Despite economic pressures to spend less on all everyday products, Australians are spending more on fashion than ever before. And rather than investing in high quality garments that go the distance, we're buying cheaper clothes that are on-trend, knowing full well that in a couple of months, they'll be unwearable by the fashion-conscious among us, and we'll have moved onto the next big thing. Those clothes we bought less than a season ago will be sold on eBay, given to charity, or simply chucked out.
This is called fast fashion. And let's face it - Australians love to buy clothes. Even when times are tough and we should be tightening our (trendy) belts, we buy clothes. In 2007, in the very midst of the global financial crisis, we spent $10.4 billion on fashion - and industry analysts expect us to spend 3% more a year on our outfits for the next five years.
Every year, on average, Australian women buy 56 new garments of clothing, while the average guy buys 29. If you're under 30, you'd typically buy double that number, according to the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia (TFIA).
Jo Kellock, executive director of TFIA, believes that this culture of fast fashion must change. "In an environment where we are being asked to consume less - less petrol, less energy, less water... less of everything - this whole culture or cycle of wanting more fashion faster just doesn't seem to fit," she says. Fast fashion is damaging to both the environment, and the living standards of the people in developing countries who are forced to work in slave labour conditions.
But convincing companies to slow down their production cycles or consumers to buy less won't be easy, says Kellock. "To change these patterns in the way we shop for clothes is going to a big job. It's going to be interesting to see what happens. For example, will there come a day when we are ashamed to say we bought a new dress this week, last week, the week before and the week before that?"
It's tough to say. In an increasingly materialistic society, it doesn't seem likely anytime soon. But rather than drowning ourselves in a sea of pessimism, it’s time for the fashionistas with a social conscience to make the change, and in doing so, inspire others to do the same.
By embracing the basic tenets of eco chic (buying less, buying secondhand, and buying only from designers who meet eco-ethical standards) you'll be doing your part to minimise the damage to our planet and its people. And by telling others about it, you'll be going even further towards addressing the issues created by our culture of consumerism.
Like any kind of social change, it's not going to happen overnight.... but if enough people get behind this cause and are passionate about promoting it, then the big manufacturing companies will eventually be forced to sit up and take notice. Every little change you make will count!
How many skirts does one woman really need?
This is called fast fashion. And let's face it - Australians love to buy clothes. Even when times are tough and we should be tightening our (trendy) belts, we buy clothes. In 2007, in the very midst of the global financial crisis, we spent $10.4 billion on fashion - and industry analysts expect us to spend 3% more a year on our outfits for the next five years.
Every year, on average, Australian women buy 56 new garments of clothing, while the average guy buys 29. If you're under 30, you'd typically buy double that number, according to the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia (TFIA).
Jo Kellock, executive director of TFIA, believes that this culture of fast fashion must change. "In an environment where we are being asked to consume less - less petrol, less energy, less water... less of everything - this whole culture or cycle of wanting more fashion faster just doesn't seem to fit," she says. Fast fashion is damaging to both the environment, and the living standards of the people in developing countries who are forced to work in slave labour conditions.
But convincing companies to slow down their production cycles or consumers to buy less won't be easy, says Kellock. "To change these patterns in the way we shop for clothes is going to a big job. It's going to be interesting to see what happens. For example, will there come a day when we are ashamed to say we bought a new dress this week, last week, the week before and the week before that?"
It's tough to say. In an increasingly materialistic society, it doesn't seem likely anytime soon. But rather than drowning ourselves in a sea of pessimism, it’s time for the fashionistas with a social conscience to make the change, and in doing so, inspire others to do the same.
By embracing the basic tenets of eco chic (buying less, buying secondhand, and buying only from designers who meet eco-ethical standards) you'll be doing your part to minimise the damage to our planet and its people. And by telling others about it, you'll be going even further towards addressing the issues created by our culture of consumerism.
Like any kind of social change, it's not going to happen overnight.... but if enough people get behind this cause and are passionate about promoting it, then the big manufacturing companies will eventually be forced to sit up and take notice. Every little change you make will count!
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