-
Fashion in ‘The Plastic Age’
As citizens of the 21st century, we are all living in ‘The Plastic Age’. Plastic pollution is such an evident issue that it is now in the fossil record. With eight million tonnes of plastic being dumped into the sea every year, this is not an issue that can be ignored. Plastic pollution is killing and harming marine life and in turn, harming us as micro-plastics are in the air, ocean, and in the food chain. How does fashion fit into this? In order to keep up with new styles and trends, brands favor synthetic materials like polyester and nylon as they are readily available and affordable. There is an…
-
Fashion’s Affect on Our Fragile Oceans
The fashion industry is affecting our oceans: Currently, the way the fashion’s industries run affects our environment, especially our oceans. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to those of us who try to be environmentally aware, and particularly those of us that try to consume fashion ethically. Despite knowing that fashion affects our Earth, we might not know exactly how it happens. Microfibres are tiny fibres in our clothes, made of plastic. These shed when we wash them, and end up in our oceans. They exist in synthetic textiles, with the highest number being in polyester fabrics. The production of clothes uses non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels, creating pollution,…
-
The Red Carpet’s Effect on Fashion’s Ethics
The History of the Red Carpet The red carpet has ancient roots. It is first mentioned in the play Agamemnon, in 458 B.C. The hero’s wife lays out a red carpet for him to walk on upon his return, which he is unwilling to do, not feeling worthy as a mere mortal of walking the god’s walkway. Since then, the red carpet has been used by royalty, country leaders and assorted dignitaries. As time wore on, celebrities could be found making their way over this fabled fabric, becoming synonymous with fame, celebrity, and the highest social events. Then, in the late 20th century the red carpet started to become more…
-
Not All Heroes Wear Capes – Some Wear Thrifted
How thrifted clothing can counter the fashion industry’s growing problem I think it’s fair to say that the fashion industry has a problem with sustainability – and now is the time for a much-needed intervention. With environmental destruction and pollution being a part of our daily lives, there is a growing sense of collective responsibility to address this climate emergency. The damage as we know, has been a result of unsustainable practices, including the wide use of plastics, landfills, non-renewable energy, scarce resources, and more. This real threat to our environment, however, has been met with many encouraging interventions. Supermarkets have turned the tide on single-use plastic bags, eateries are…
-
Easy Steps to a Circular Fashion Economy
In the 21st century, fashion is an endless cycle of buy, wear, waste. In fact, the average consumer throws away 70 pounds (31.75kg) every single year, making the fashion industry the second most polluting in the world – but it doesn’t have to be that way. Whilst we all want to upgrade our wardrobes, there’s no need for the harmful pollution it creates in the process. Fast fashion is a modern-day phenomenon, enabling clothing companies to mass-produce, manufacture and market garments that follow the latest fashion trends and allow consumers to level-up their style for cheap. Though this may not sound terrible, the true cost must be considered – textile…
-
Eliminating Cultural Appropriation in the Fashion Industry
The word ‘culture’ defines the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and art. Culture is very personal to a lot of people as it identifies who they are and where they come from. Understandably, for those who have been discriminated for their culture throughout history, their cultural aspects are particularly important and hold a lot of significance within their lives. In the fashion industry, culture has influenced a lot of clothing pieces we see today. Culture encompasses how we see the world and naturally contribute to how we dress. Within certain cultures, clothing can be very symbolic and if this…
-
Fashion and Cultural Appropriation: The Do’s and Don’ts
The fashion industry is filled with problems. From the labour issues in the supply chain to the severe lack of sustainability that is damaging our planet. The toxic nature of this industry is bursting at the seams. But now there is a new hot topic taking centre stage – cultural appropriation. However, this lack of cultural sensitivity is nothing new. With the rise of the internet, conversations concerning what is acceptable and what is not are far more prominent these days. Yet, the fashion industry still can’t seem to get it right. What is cultural appropriation? There is no doubt that the fashion industry has an issue when it comes…
-
Social Conformity: A Subconscious Response to Fashion?
What makes something desirable or undesirable? How do we know what is “good” or “bad”? If we think about the way we perceive fashion, it is inevitable that we go by what is sold to us through marketing campaigns and advertisements. The media is responsible for creating this stigma, indicating what’s desirable, like Glamour Magazine’s ‘10 wardrobe essentials you should own‘ or undesirable, like Cosmopolitan’s ‘10 pieces of clothing you should never wear as an adult.’ Both consciously and subconsciously, we feed into what the media promote because we believe that by following their ideas, we will fit into society. These ideas constantly feed into our way of thinking about…
-
Seeing yourself for the first time
The good, the bad and the self love “and I said to my body. softly. ‘I want to be your friend.’ It took a long breath. and replied, ‘I have been waiting my whole life for this” For as long as I can remember there has been a timeline of my life where I have hated my body and not seen myself properly. In primary school I felt too tall I would tower over the boys in my class then in high school this was not longer a problem, great right? No, you develop new issues for yourself. Now I felt like the bigger one in the group, I had…
-
My Lockdown Transformation: Shopaholic to Conscious Consumer
My shopaholic realisation: Forty-three days ago, when all of this madness began, I, like most girls my age, was a self-confessed shopaholic. My daily hobbies consisted of scrolling through online shops for hours at a time and eagerly waiting for those glorious parcels to arrive at my door. So, as you can imagine, when news of lockdown broke out, I was delighted to have all the time in the world to be doing my favourite pastime completely guilt-free. Before long, I had overloading baskets sprawled across different sites ready for me to buy. “But what was I actually buying these clothes for?” I thought to myself. I had ‘going out…
