Post #16 Final Speech: Kelly Landry

A majority of people have heard of the Nike worker abuse and unfair wages or of H&M’s sweatshops scandals. Morals are an often overlooked aspect of apparel. However, it would be extremely hypocritical of me to stand up here and ridicule you about the ethicality and sustainability of what you are wearing. So, this speech is as much for me as it hopefully will be for you. In recent years, the idea of sustainability has become coveted and somewhat romanticized by thrifting “VSCO Girls” and Americano-sipping hipsters alike. But what is “sustainability”? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “sustainable” as a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. This concept should play a key role in the clothing industry because it affects humans, the planet, and animals. However, compelling counter arguments consist of cost, culture and complacency. What steps would we need to take in order to promote sustainability?

Transparency is an important aspect of accountability. Brands like Urban Outfitters and Adidas tend to withhold details regarding ethical initiatives and data to back up their claims of such actions. Included in this is the trend of animals too often being treated unethically for the sake of cheap clothing. A common method of obtaining wool is the excuse of necessary mulesing, the removal of wool-bearing skin off of a living sheep. Additionally, human lives are greatly affected by the clothing industry. Wages of living are left unmet by brands like H&M, workers not making enough to sustain themselves. Chemicals commonly used in clothes include petroleum, heavy metals, flame retardants, ammonia, and formaldehyde, which have been linked to negative physiological symptoms and the development of cancers and respiratory diseases. The clothing industry also affects the planet. Instead of recycling or donating unwanted clothes, consumers throw away shoes and clothing an average of 70 pounds per person, annually. Up to 95% of the textiles that are thrown away could be recycled. A cause of this is the short life cycles and poor quality of the clothing. Additionally, sustainable brands such as Patagonia and Reformation, some of the most recognized in the category, are relatively expensive for the average person- coats and jackets mostly costing over $100-thus, most people are unlikely to accumulate a wardrobe full of “sustainable” clothes because they can’t afford to spend that much on a single piece of clothing.

Not to burst the bubbles of any aforementioned “VSCO Girls” but truly “cco-friendly” clothing is a myth. All clothing industry actions taken to make products have a detractive consequence. Textiles expert Lexie Sachs, who has a Bachelor of Science in Fiber Science, says “[...] while there’s no such thing as “eco-friendly clothing” — i.e. all garments have at least some negative impact on the environment — there are brands working diligently to help make a difference.” According to “Social Experiments in Sustainable Consumption: an Evidence-Based Approach with Potential for Engaging Low-Income Communities” culture and the rise of consumerism demonstrate that people aren’t willing to make drastic changes to their consumption and lifestyles nor are they willing to spend extra for the sake of sustainability. Why buy a $130 jacket when you could get essentially the same thing for $20?

Possible solutions and alternatives to this issue include the implementation of mindful materials such as recycled polyester, wool, and cotton as used by Patagonia. As of now, about 69% of materials used by Patagonia are made completely from recycled materials and their goal is to, by 2025, use solely recycled materials. If this practice became the standard in the clothing industry, the prices of this quality of textiles would decrease. With higher quality clothing, waste production would be significantly decreased because there would be less resources ending up in landfills, benefitting not only the planet but animals too. Still, even higher quality clothing becomes old or damaged. A way to combat this is repairing or reusing materials instead of just throwing them away. Through this, materials can be used for longer. Though labor abuse is practically inevitable, encouraging changes is the best way to help. Certifications such as the Fair Trade Certification protect workers from abusive conditions and unfair wages. Creating a strong demand for these types of policies and practices will change the way companies actually carry out their claims of ethicality. Another way of integrating sustainability into your everyday life is intentionality. To truly know where your clothes come from takes work and time. While conscious consumption is critical to sustainability, many people are simply not willing to look into such details whether out of laziness, apathy, or passivity. However, there are sources that do this research for consumers and categorize their findings. An example of this is “Good On You” an app and website dedicated to “Making ethical fashion more accessible through a global fashion guide profiling how ethical (or not) brands are.” They rank brands based on human ethics such as policies and practices includng child labor, forced labor, worker safety, freedom of association which is the right to join a labor union and payment of a living wage, additionally environmental impacts are measured such as resource use and disposal including that of chemicals, water, energy and carbon as well as animal impacts including ethical treatment and prevention of abuse. The analysis of brand transparency and certifications of Fair Trade are also included in ranking.

The biggest barrier to long-lasting sustainability efforts is consumer culture. Trends will not make a true impact. And I am not here to say buying products you want is a terrible transaction, I am also guilty of feeding the demand for “fast fashion” but starting to make more conscious efforts is the best way to spark initiative. Sudden, drastic lifestyle changes will not last. With one clothing item at a time donating, recycling, buying second hand or from Fair Trade brands, we can start to change our culture.