I grew up mainly only shopping at thrift stores which is a great thing but the kicker was I would shop all the time. Pretty much every Friday-Sunday I would constantly getting more and more clothes to fill up my closet when in reality my favourite outfit was yoga pants, sweat shirt and sperrys. Then once I decided to study abroad in Australia I realised that I was definitely not paying for an extra suite case so I needed to get my closet down to items that will fit in a 1 suit case, 1 carry on and a book bag. That was all I was taking to Australia and if I was gone for a year then everything else needed to given away. Except for a winter coat that I left with my mother. I did this and decluttering my space felt wonderful. The amount of pressure that comes off of our chest when you start looking at what you have, what that single piece of clothing item means to you, and what is necessary you start to appreciate the little quantities of items over the big ones.
I did an internship in Sydney with Project Futures, an anti-human trafficking organisation where I hoped to learn more about sex trafficking but instead I learned a lot about fashion industry and what it has done to the developing world but also to the environment.
The Wardrobe Crisis by Clare Press is a book that did take me a while to get through but I realise now the way she sets up her researched-based novel is quite necessary. In this book, from beginning to end, she begins with the history of where clothing comes from and I mean from the very beginning of time and what it took to makes clothes. She slowly introduces what led to famous designers in Italy and how fashion made it's way to America to where we are now. With these multimillionaire dollar fashion companies that take part in what we call now Fast Fashion. Where these westernised businesses have decided to start designing a product that they want produced in developing countries because they can be made quickly and for much less than in their home countries. This is because of the corruption and neglect that happens in these sweat shops and horrible working conditions. It's sad and there is a movement today where companies are having to share where the products are coming from and how those employees are being treated physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. But there is still so much more that we are missing!
Clare also peaked my interest by providing stories of people that are finding a way to create their own fashion now. For example, there is a women I the book that creates her own eco-friendly clothing which sounds familiar right? If not, it should! Many many companies, especially in New Zealand, Australia, America, and Canada have started to also become aware of creating eco-friendly clothing and checking their sources of their products. But this women in this book has created clothes that when she wants to finally get rid of them she can actually put them in her garden, they are biodegradable! I thought this was the most mind blowing thing I've read. Biodegradable clothing? Meaning that it won't get stacked up in the oceans or in developing countries contributing to ruining their agriculture like in Haiti.
Another interesting factor that I learned about was how item like denim impact the agriculture of where clothing is made. For example, when you buy a fake leather bag think about what process that had to go through be that colour and texture; and read the tag of where it is from. India? China? Bangladesh? Thailand? All of those products will have some form of chemical compound in them that those employees are touching and breathing in every day and every factory has to have a water system that gets pumped out somewhere. Those chemicals are ending up in the water system and in tern ending up in the agriculture for farming, that same water is being used for drinking purposes and for cooking tasks.
Sustainability across the board is so incredibly important especially with the recent research on climate change. However, the impact on clothing on the environment and on individuals needs to be addressed. No, I cannot punish myself for buying clothes from the thrift store that have not been made keeping in mind individuals and the environment but I can be more cautious. If I decide to buy clothes from an actual store, bought as brand new, I try to be cautious of the company itself and look into traceability index to see if things were ethically made. If I buy from the thrift store, I ensure it's something that I am going to wear and I acknowledge the background of that clothing I accept that I am at least helping reduce the amount of clothes that end up in the oceans or unecessaryily in developing countries.
If you are interested in fashion, this is a great book to get started with. She does a great job breaking down the fashion industry and how it all began and how we can push for a better future in this capitalist world. If you have read the book let me know what you think. If you have a good book that I don't know about, let me know! This platform isn't only for me to share my knowledge but also to learn from my readers!
Xoxo,
Moonli
Press. C. (2016) Wardrobe Crisis Where We Went From Sunday best To Fast Fashion. Australia: Melbourne. Nero Books.