Fashion Done Your Own

fashion done your own way

By Molly Dutton

This week fashion is getting serious. I love that with this article I can have fun and express my wild opinions on the industry, but sometimes it’s important to be serious, and this month I intend to do just that.

As previously mentioned in last month’s article, I have spent a lot of time investigating the problem of ‘Fast Fashion’ within the fashion industry, as it has been a source of controversy for some time now; seemingly going ignored by the mass of fashion buyers. This concerns me greatly because, as someone who is interested in the environmental state of our world, this is a large aspect of the industry that is causing long lasting harm to a world that we are trying so desperately to protect.

The problem to me is clear and always has been; as a young person attempting to breakthrough into the fashion industry, I obviously wish to adhere to the trends inspired by the ‘ high fashion brands’. However I am on a limited budget and simply cannot afford to purchase expensive items to try and fit into the expectations of the ‘fashionably elite’. Due to this, I have previously been drawn to

online brands that are providing the trends at a MUCH lower price which complies with my budget. So, I found brands that offer stylish clothes, pictured on social influencers at a low price; there couldn’t be any flaws surely?

Wrong. These online brands, especially the notable ones aimed at a teenage target market with a restrained budget, are disgracefully linked to the use of chemical solutions and the deterioration of our environment.

Before I touch on those disturbing factors of certain brands, I’d first like to inform you on what fast fashion is; it is the process of inexpensive clothes being produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. In other words, large brands (usually online) are producing the same product on mass to make sure that they keep up with the trends that are current at the time of production. This may seem like a practical approach to ensure that their target market can keep up with trends at a reasonable price, however the serious cut of costs hugely increases the company’s carbon footprint.

When looking into the effects of the fashion industry, I made the startling discovery that the industry accounts for 10% of global carbon commissions, and maintains its position as the second largest industrial polluter. Even more worryingly, the largest industrial polluter is oil which just shows the significance of the environmental damage caused by the fashion industry. The main problem is that these items bought on fast fashion websites are only worn on average about five times after purchase. From experience (and after my research I am not in any way proud to admit this) I know that young people will buy an inexpensive outfit online for an event, get it delivered, and then only wear it to that one event, continuing a constant cycle every time they need a last minute look for a party or social event. As someone who has contributed to that process, I feel that it is mostly due to the fact that the prices are so accessible to a younger audience who don’t have the funds to be constantly buying items from the more expensive high-street retailers.

Sadly, the issues do not only lie within the cheap manufacturing process; they lie within the clothes themselves. Due to the vibrant, printed nature of many of the clothing items, toxic chemicals are used as a cheaper alternative to the more professional clothing dyes available. This has caused the textiles industry to be the second largest contributor to the pollution of clean water globally which is simply mind blowing when you think of all the marine life that can be affected. But it doesn’t stop there when it comes to the negative impact the industry has on the ocean. Polyester is one of the most used fabrics in the fashion manufacturing process, but it is a hidden evil, as when it is washed in a washing machine, it sheds microfibres that are adding significantly to the levels of plastic in our oceans. As they are microfibres, they pass easily through sewage plants into our waterways and impact the aquatic life that live in our oceans.

Now that I’ve covered the deeply serious and scientific aspect of fast fashion, I feel it is important to view this research as a positive movement towards change. The decision to participate in the fast fashion market lies within our hands, as we are the individuals causing these retailers to flourish and become progressively more influential over a mass market. The way to overcome this dire situation is to make subtle and constant changes to the way in which we purchase clothes; choosing to buy less frequently but buy more wearable products that can be used to make different looks.

I feel the best way to go about this is to analyse your wardrobe and make a list of the basic items you could buy to wear with the items you already have. I recently did this exercise and purchased a nude coloured tank top, an oversized black t-shirt and a charcoal hoodie that I pictured featuring in up to five different outfits with items I already own such as mom jeans and cycle shorts (I know that one seems strange but it will all be explained next month). If you already own basics, try instead buying one statement piece that you can wear with anything to take the look from ‘daytime’ to ‘night-time’.

The key thing I am trying to highlight is that re-using what you own is a hugely influential choice to help save the environment. I can guarantee that most of us own the clothes we need to make outfits, but we just don’t use them. Save the turtles and wear those clothes hiding in the depths of your wardrobe.