Be a Conscious Consumer
With the growing fashion industry, competition to produce inexpensive clothing has increased worldwide.
There is no limit to the number of clothing brands in Pakistan as well. Every season, all these brands come up with new collections to grab their customers’ attention; spring, summer, fall, winter and sometimes luxury collections. These collections have multiple clothing items with ranging sizes.
Have you ever wondered where the leftover stock goes, once the season ends?
I also never thought about it, until recently when I noticed the number of dresses we buy each year. Our wardrobes are filled with clothes that we rarely wear and we still buy new ones because of festivals, weddings and other events.
After realizing the issue I searched about it. I found out that it is actually a global problem. Different countries are trying to combat this through promoting more sustainable options but it has been a challenging process. I found papers and articles that outlined the effects of fast fashion on the environment. They all present solutions that require brands and customers to be more conscious about this problem.
In Pakistan, most brands put up 50% sales frequently on their clothing items but they’re unable to sell their complete stock. The leftover stock ends up in landfills, rivers and sea. The garments are mostly made of synthetic fibers, which make them non-biodegradable. So this model of fast fashion industry is contributing to serious environmental pollution in Pakistan as well.
Fast fashion is a term that describes the business model of most clothing brands. They produce low quality, inexpensive clothes that take less time to reach customers. This is all done, to cash the newest trend in the fashion industry. Fast fashion clothing is affordable for the customers but it has adverse effects on the environment.
Fast fashion has been linked to the excessive carbon emissions, water wastage and depletion of non reusable resources. Additionally, brands have been using synthetic fiber such as polyester, acrylic and nylon to manufacture their garments. These fibers are not biodegradable and they become the cause of microplastics found in the ocean. It is most harmful to marine life. According to the Insider report
Washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean each year; the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.
Making clothes from plastic is also very energy consuming. We all love to wear floral and beautifully colored clothes. But we never pay heed to the fact that how much textile dyeing is contributing to environmental pollution. Fast fashion is utilizing a lot of resources while polluting the environment. This pollution will leave its effects for multiple future generations.
Annie Radner Linden, in her paper titled An Analysis of the Fast Fashion Industry, suggests that the power to change the fashion industry lies in consumers hands.
Once fast fashion consumers change what they want or what they prefer the fast fashion industry will have to transform.
If we want to save our environment then we have to collectively solve this problem of fast fashion.
Clothing brands in Pakistan are contributing to the fast fashion industry. Which leads to the production of greenhouse gases, carbon emissions, microplastics and depletion of natural resources. There’s a dire need for a sustainable clothing brand in the country.
But is it possible to be sustainable in this day and age?
Maybe it is possible. But it requires us to change our lifestyle. We’ve become so accustomed to buying ready to wear clothes that any change can feel like a burden. If we care about our planet and its environment, then we need to make these changes. We need to be more sustainable.
I’ve been thinking about this problem for some time now. I think we need to make people more aware of the shopping choices they make regarding their clothing items. They need to be more conscious about their garments. They need to pay more attention to the fiber of the garment and where it comes from. They should be aware of the impact of fast fashion on the environment and they should be willing to do something about it.
Fast fashion is the production of cheaply made clothing articles to maximize profit on the expense of the environment. It has been the cause of depleting natural resources, greenhouse gasses, carbon emissions and microplastics in the ocean. In the face of increasing pollution caused by the ready to wear fast fashion industry, it is necessary that we make sustainable choices.
I think the solution to this problem is to adapt sustainable clothing items. Made to order, is an alternative to fast fashion. It has a much slower process of production, and distribution. It produces fewer collections with limited edition clothing articles. The natural fibers such as cotton, wool and silk are used to produce high quality clothes that can last longer and can be recycled as well. The ability to customize the size of clothing articles according to the customer desires, also makes it more inclusive towards diversity. Additionally, providing discounts for the customers who will exchange and recycle their clothes, will promote sustainability in the clothing industry.
There is a need for a clothing brand that operates on the model of “Made to Order.” A customized clothing brand — A brand for those who care about their environment and prefer quality over quantity — A brand for those who want inclusivity and want to bring sustainable change in the society.
To identify the reception of the intended audience, I created an online survey “Consumer Preference Survey.” https://forms.gle/BVSoWLcNBfeXrvrU6 and conducted telephonic interviews with women who frequently buy ready to wear clothing.
I inquired the participants about their preferences regarding buying clothes from brands. The results showed that some of the respondents buy ready to wear clothes due to the time constraints. They try to be eco friendly but don’t put any effort in finding the right fabric. They focus on quality over quantity but can’t resist the temptation to buy less expensive dress. Most of the respondents were unaware of the effects of fast fashion on the environment. But they do believe that it is possible to combat climate change through adapting different lifestyles. They all possessed clothing articles that cluttered their wardrobes. They also find it difficult to recycle their old clothes.
In light of these results, a brand that provides custom clothing to its customers will face the biggest challenge. And the challenge is TIME. People are hesitant to buy from a brand that delivers their clothes in 15 to 20 days (or more). Instant gratification has made everyone impatient. They want the adrenaline rush of buying and trying new clothes.
So we not only need a brand that will create sustainable products but we also need a brand that will advocate sustainability and its principles to spread awareness.
I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. Let me know in the comments what do think about fast fashion? Can you think of any solution to combat this issue?