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From the star-studded Met-Gala to glossy print, fashion had always been seen as an exclusive, artistic metropolis where perhaps the only negative connotation was the Miranda Priestlys of the world and their downbeat interns. It was captivating and addictive because it was so unattainable. Even I found myself hypnotised by Vogue as a teenager, flicking through pages splashed with Ready to Wear and pupil-inflating editorial spreads. But on 24 April, 2013 the illusion somewhat shattered around us.
The Rana Plaza in Bangladesh - which housed several garment factories - collapsed, killing 1,134 people with a further 2,600 left injured, some with life-altering injuries. Just one day before, structural problems had been flagged within the building, but factory owners still forced their staff to work - with deadly consequences. The fallout was catastrophic, with it remaining the deadliest accident of the garment industry in history. And the sheer scale of the horror was highlighted in national headlines across the globe, pressing our faces up to the glass, confronted with the dark side of an industry so often held on a pedestal.
In the wake of the disaster - which was branded a ‘mass industrial homicide’ by workers’ union IndustriAL - calls for change grew as people demanded big-name brands to have greater transparency over their production chain and wages. And soon enough, the ethical and sustainable fashion movement snowballed. In fact, research has shown that 62 percent of Gen-Z consumers now prefer to buy from sustainable brands. But how far have we actually come over the last decade?
Five years ago, the UK Environmental Audit Committee published its landmark inquiry into the environmental and social cost of fast fashion, urging the government to ‘end the era of throwaway fashion ’in favour of greater transparency, sustainability, fair wages and working conditions. It became one of the most read Select Committee reports of all time, but the ever-lingering presence of quick-hit microtrends chewed up from our fyp and spat out onto ‘new in’ pages raises serious doubt over how much change the inquiry has really incited.
After all, despite offering incentives to major retailers taking active steps to reduce waste as well as presenting a staggering 18 different measures to help improve the fashion landscape, each one of the measures was rejected by the government, while several industry leaders have declined to give evidence in person.
Basically, the UK is seriously lagging behind and needs to get up off its a*se.
The good news is that MPs revisted the inquiry again on 1 May, with the likes of H&M and Boohoo present at the session. Throughout the day, fashion giants were expected to be quizzed on the progress the industry has made in its sustainability efforts, what steps have been taken to reduce fashion waste, and even the impact of reselling platforms such as Vinted and Depop on the industry and whether or not they contribute to the overconsumption of fashion.
There’s no doubt that in the half a decade since the damning report was first published, we’ve been confronted with the ugly side of the fashion world more than ever, spurring on a fashion reckoning of sorts. Fast fashion got faster and the cracks have certainly started to show. The introduction of the Fashion Transparency Index (which assigns a percentage scores of brands based on their public disclosure of human rights) has no doubt hurried things along too, but the average score still sits at a measly 26 percent.
What does this mean? Well, while brands have cottoned on to the increase in those wanting to make more sustainable choices for their wardrobe - they’re serving it back to us in a gift-wrapped, jargon-filled empty promise. Like a Santa sack that ends up filled with coal instead of the Barbie dreamhouse you’ve been praying for.
Speaking to Cosmopolitan, sustainable fashion expert Lauren Bravo hit the nail on the head as she declared: “I hate to be too doomy, but honestly I think the biggest change we've seen is in brands trying to appear more sustainable, rather than actually being it.”
Of course, it’s important at both a brand and government level change is implemented - and quickly - but there are things we can inject into our own wardrobe curation while we urge the big wigs to pull their socks up. So in the spirit of avoiding being too doom and gloom, here are some things we can all try and implement more of when it comes to dressing ourselves:
Repair/repurpose existing clothing instead of tossing it out
It can be tempting to bin those trousers because they got a pull in them or a stitch ripped, but if you have a way of repairing them (whether that’s yourself or paying for the service), it stops the urge to go out and buy something new to replace them.
Shopping your own wardrobe to restyle older pieces that have'tt seen the light of day is another way to resist that temptation to scroll endlessly through ASOS’ new in page for inspo. Because next thing you know you’ve impulsively copped 10 things that you don’t even really like that much.
Shop second-hand
Whether it’s bargains in the local charity shop or a curated vintage splurge on Depop, shopping second hand is one of the best things you can do for your wardrobe.
You end up finding unique pieces no one else has which are better quality and if you know where to look, you can get them at a bargain too. In fact, according to a new study from vintage designer platform Vestiaire Collective, you get more bang for your buck in the long-run by ditching fast fashion for pre-loved pieces. On average, the company found it’s 33 percent cheaper to invest in vintage than exclusively buying fast fashion based on price per wear.
Shop small, independent labels
Obviously there are financial and size inclusivity constraints with this one. Plenty of indie brands don’t stock clothes higher than a large and the overall cost of the garment tends to be higher due to the fact it's been made ethically. However, for those that can shop from sustainable labels, investing in basics that have a longer life cycle and have been produced ethically is a great way to elevate your wardrobe and increase the life cycle of your clothes.
Research into brands’ sustainability claims before buying
If they can’t back up what they’re saying, it’s best to leave it on the hanger.
Organise clothing swaps with friends
The perfect excuse to crack out some bubbly and picky bits with the girls and shop your wardrobes - bringing the charity shop to you.
Reducing overall consumption
Many fashion fanatics may not want to admit it (myself included, it’s a work in progress), but we actually don’t need to go shopping as much as we believe.
Tune out of trends to make more thoughtful and infrequent purchases in line with your personal style to reduce consumption overall.
Dopamine dressing
Choosing things that spark joy as opposed to mindlessly getting in on a fad - it’s great for the mind and the wardrobe.
Read up
Stay in the know about all things ethical fashion and sustainability whether that be through the news, books or sustainable fashion creators.
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