Glass Jotter Revolts
Ethical and Environmental Fashion Tips
Seeing as yesterday was Earth Day I thought I would write a blog post and share some interesting fashion tips. Many people have no idea that the fashion industry is “the second largest polluter in the world…second only to oil” (Sweeny, 2015)
With fast fashion rapidly increasing, the clothing industry is creating huge ethical and environmental consequences. While fashion appears to be glamorous in magazines and on the catwalk, there is a side to fashion that the Western world is sheltered from. Some of you may have heard about the Rana Plaza incident in Bangladesh where a clothing factory collapsed causing the death of 1,135 people. This tragedy highlighted the poor working conditions of factory workers in this industry. While fashion is about expression and looking good, when we buy clothes, we have a responsibility as humans to respond to the ethical and environmental implications that our clothes can have. We need to ask ourselves: where are our clothes coming from? Are the people who made our clothes receiving fair wages and working in good conditions? Do I really need to buy all of these clothes? We have a duty to our planet and to our fellow beings to promote ethical and environmental fashion, so here’s a few tips on how you can make a difference.
- Educate Yourself
In order to truly make a difference to the fashion industry I recommend that we all educate ourselves. If you have not seen ‘The True Cost‘ documentary, WATCH IT!!
Here is what it is about:
“This is a story about clothing. It’s about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry is having on our world. The price of clothing has been decreasing for decades, while the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically. The True Cost is a groundbreaking documentary film that pulls back the curtain on the untold story and asks us to consider, who really pays the price for our clothing? Filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums, and featuring interviews with the world’s leading influencers including Stella McCartney, Livia Firth and Vandana Shiva, The True Cost is an unprecedented project that invites us on an eye opening journey around the world and into the lives of the many people and places behind our clothes” (truecostmovie.com).
The great thing about this movie is that it is available to watch on Netflix or else you can download it off their website. It’s so gripping and will make you think twice about the clothes you put on your body. Click here to check it out.
Another way of educating yourself is to read about it. There are endless amounts of articles on the topic. All you have to do is google but if you want an informative overview read ‘How To Be A Fashion Revolutionary’ booklet. More resources are available here.
2. Attend Events
Next week is fashion Revolution week. There are a number of events being held around Ireland to promote ethical and environmental fashion, which I strongly advise you to attend. If you would like to find out more about these events check out:
http://fashionrevolution.org/country/ireland/
These events promote vintage and ethical fashion through several popup shops around the country, provide discussions and some fun DIY up-cycling workshops for those who wish to revamp their wardrobes. If you are not from Ireland check out the fashion revolution website to see what your country is doing to raise awareness.
3. Take Part in the Challenges
The fashion revolution movement is encouraging people from all around the world to take part in fun awareness raising activities. These include the #lovedclotheslast (fashion love story) challenge and the #haulternative challenge. The first challenge encourages people to “rather than buying new, fall back in love with the clothes you already own” and the second challenge encourages people to refresh their wardrobe with some fun DIYs, swapping clothing, or buying vintage or second hand etc.
4. Buy Vintage/Ethical or Second hand
If you follow me on Instagram you know that I am vintage obsessed! I love buying vintage pieces because they’re so unique but also because they are better for the environment.
I recently came across an Instagram post by hazelsnutsaboutvintage who are a vintage store in Kilarney, that said:
“If one million women bought their next item of clothing secondhand instead of new, we would save 6 million kg of carbon pollution from entering the atmosphere.”
This really resonated with me. We all have the power to make a difference, so take the leap! If you aren’t following them on Instragram check them out. They are very consistent with their posts showcasing their fabulous stock which can be bought in store, at their pop up shops or online.
Cherish your clothes. They are an expression of who you are and what you believe in so make sure you have something to say. I hope you enjoyed these tips and that you will take them on board. If you use any of these tips be sure to tag me using #glassjotterrevolts