The Ugly Truth of Fashion

By Leah Clifton

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Take a look through your wardrobe, how many items of clothing do you have stashed away that you’ve only worn once? Or maybe not even worn at all – recent statistics from the United Nations Environment Programme suggest probably a lot.

Due to the rise of fast fashion retailers such as Primark and H&M it’s easier than ever to partake in the damaging cycle of throwaway fashion, without even realising the impact it is having on the environment. This ‘throwaway fashion’ mentality is continuing to grow, with many brands producing thousands of new items per week to meet their consumer’s needs and expectations of new and up to date fashion.

It’s become increasingly easy to buy clothing for cheap, especially with online stores such as Pretty Little Thing who have a whole section dedicated to clothing £5 and under - clothes so cheap it’s easy to justify them as single use purchases. I’ll admit it, I’m guilty of purchasing from these stores and specifically buying an outfit with the intentions of wearing it once, just to keep my bank balance happy.

However, our growing hunger for fast and cheap fashion is quite literally trashing our planet with an estimated £31 billion worth of unworn clothing sitting in our wardrobes and a shocking 235 million items of clothing sent to landfill each year. These numbers are set to increase and could soon account for a quarter of the worlds carbon budget if we don’t stop it soon enough.

Following the recent changes to laws regarding plastic straws and packaging there is now a huge demand for the same changes to be made within the fashion and textiles industry which, second to oil, is the largest polluter in the world. Whilst it may seem great that designs picked straight from the runway can be in our wardrobes within days, environmental corners are being cut resulting in serious levels of pollution and textile waste. Whether its sourcing materials and resources, the use of dyes and chemicals or the manufacturing and distribution of a garment the effects are equally as shocking.

In todays society, where you can order an item of clothing at midnight and receive it by 11AM the next day, it’s hard to believe that one of the biggest industries in the world can also be one of the most damaging. A single pair of jeans uses over 20,000 litres of water and 1kg of cotton to produce with polyester often being the largest fabric of choice, as it’s cheap and extremely easy to resource however, when washed it sheds plastic microfibres increasing the amount of plastic in our oceans and causing serious threat to sea life. Then add to that the amount of dyes and bleach used for the colouring, which are full of toxic chemicals and pesticides that are contributing to the increasing level of water pollution globally. But it doesn’t stop there, after production they are distributed to stores all over the world, releasing even more toxins into the atmosphere, with the risk of being purchased to be worn once or sent to landfill if they become damaged or don’t sell – which is often the case as factories bulk produce these items, leading to mass textile waste.

Like many of us you may be questioning how you can help stop contributing to this and luckily for you, I have all the answers (well, most of them). It’s not about stopping purchasing clothes all together but rather being more knowledgeable and environmentally aware of the process that our clothes are produced.

Sustainable fashion, essentially clothing created in a way that won’t have long term effects on the environment, is certainly on the top of the fashion agenda and is the way forward if we want to lower the amount of pollution and waste caused by the production of clothing. A quick Google search will leave you with a list of hundreds of brands who are sustainable – and some of them may even surprise you.

High street fashion chain Zara have recently announced that all of its collections will be made from 100% sustainable and recycled fabrics by 2025, with the aim to produce zero landfill waste and have energy used in stores and factories 100% renewable in the coming years after. However much sooner than that in 2020 Zara pledge to use no harmful dyes that can release chemicals and to stop the use of resources from endangered forests. The company has been incorporating recycled and organic fabrics into their collections since 2015 and won’t stop until they’re 100% sustainable. “Sustainability is a work in progress,” Said executive chairman of Zara, Pablo Isla in an interview with Grazia magazine last year. “We believe in giving the customer what they want, but at the same time remaining aware of the environmental effects.”

By the end of this year Zara will have invested over £3.5 million in textile recycling technology through their partnership with the Global Fashion Fund. But if you’re not interested in shopping in Zara they are also introducing a new scheme where you will be able to drop off unwanted garments, to any store across the world, to make sure they get recycled and reused rather than collecting dust in your wardrobe, or contributing to the increasing landfill crisis. It’s free, so why not? Although its great that more and more fashion brands are becoming sustainable, it can come at an extra cost. Cheap prices = cheap materials and cheap manufacturing, we know that, and that’s essentially why sustainable clothing costs more.

Unlike luxury or designer clothing where prices are high because of the brand name attached to it, sustainable clothing pieces are priced higher because they simply cost more to manufacture. From ethically and environmentally sourced materials to the cost of ethical labour and distribution, the cost of creating these garments can soon add up. In some sustainable fashion stores you can pay up to 3x more for an item of clothing and although the long term benefits are worth it, sometimes it isn’t realistically possible to purchase everything sustainably. So if you’re not one for saving up to splurge on an item but still want to remain environmentally aware, I have an alternative for you.

Over the years brands selling only recycled and reworked clothing have become increasingly popular, so much so there’s thousands of them up and down the country. The idea is simple, you take something old and transform it into something new - similar to charity shops, except more fashionable. Although charity shops are a great way to avoid buying fast fashion, especially if you’re good with a sewing machine and can easily remake your own clothing – if you have the time to search around you can find some serious hidden gems. Significantly cheaper than high street stores, reworked clothing cuts down excessive water usage and releases less chemicals and carbon emissions as well as saving tonnes of items from being sent to landfill. What’s not to love? I’ve come to one of my favourite reworked clothing stores, Blue Rinse, to find out exactly how they’re helping to put an end to throwaway fashion.

Located in Leeds, with a second store in Manchester, Blue Rinse offer vintage and thrift reworked clothing over a huge five floors. Founded in Yorkshire in 1997 they have continued to rework, recycle and remake more clothing each year to stop garments going to landfill. Each floor is aesthetically scattered with recycled decorations and bursting at the seams with clothing, making it clear to see why they are one of the largest vintage and reworked clothing wholesalers in the UK. You can also find items stocked in various Urban Outfitters and on their eBay shop, so it’s easy to access wherever you are.

Upon entering the store I’m met by a friendly face, shop assistant Alex, who I begin to chat with about the success of the store and its plans for the future. “People are definitely becoming more conscious about where and how their clothes are made,” she says. “Our aim is ultimately to stop clothes going to landfill by reworking them into something new, but still keeping the cost lower than sustainable clothing brands as I know they can get quite expensive.” Statistics would certainly suggest that the store is doing just that, with over 1000 items of clothing being reworked and sold each year. Whether you’re after a brand new outfit, accessories or shoes, Blue Rinse will surely have what you’re looking for with five floors full of sustainable garments being restocked every two weeks. “We’ve been incredibly successful for over 20 years and the goal is to continue, hopefully we can open up more stores throughout the UK and share our message with more people.”

With that a swarm of fashion savvy teenagers, bundled with reworked and vintage goods, needed assistance at the tills, cutting my chat with Alex short and leaving me to explore the store. It truly is beautiful, with styles and sizes to cater for everyone, you have to visit if you’re in the Leeds/Manchester area – or check out their online eBay store.

It’s 2020 so why not think more sustainably when purchasing clothes and start to question how and where they were made. If we all start to make small changes it can make a huge difference in the future. Buying clothes and feeling good about it? Sounds like a deal to me.