“If we all made one small step in the right direction, it’s going to be that much better for our planet.”
The fashion industry is quickly becoming one of the biggest contributors to waste in most recent years. One of the newest trends in fashion is called fast fashion, which relates to the cheap production of clothing that’s sold at a low price. It brings clothes to consumers at a fast production and a cheap price tag, but not made to last. Mary Embry, a senior lecturer at the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture, and Design, says that most clothes made by fast fashion companies are only meant to last 5-6 washes.
Extended video with Eskenzaki School of Art, Architecture, and Design Senior Lecturer Mary Embry.
“Finding quality is stuff that’s a lot older,” says Embry. Clothing items today are made with materials like polyester and rayon: both are synthetic and made out of plastics. They aren’t built to last, and when you wash clothing, the plastics from clothes can pollute waterways. Clothes not from this century contain significantly less plastics and are made at a higher quality. Shopping second hand at thrift stores has risen in popularity due to its relatively cheap price and high quality clothing that’s already been made and worn.
Indana Cote, owner of Skullznbunnies, talking about some of the products featured in her store and where she found them.
Indana Cote runs a local vintage store in Bloomington called Skullznbunnies. She says she started thrifting based on need- as she was working full time as a ballet dancer. She then started having an overflow of clothing and would sell pieces she didn’t like anymore on the Internet. Her business turned into a full blown store in person while also maintaining a very strong online presence, with her online store and Instagram.
Both Professor Embry and Indana Cote both expressed that the most important thing as a consumer is to be educated. Knowing what your clothes are of and how they’re being made is very important when looking at how to help your environmental process. Professor Embry points out that even buying second hand can be potentially dangerous if the consumer doesn’t know the importance of their over consumption.
“New is fast and shallow,” Professor Embry expressed. She emphasized the most important thing to do as a consumer is to take the time to find pieces that represent who you are and how you want to present yourself to the world, as it will most likely be cheaper in the long run and help an individual really find who they are.
