Can Polyester Save the World? (New York Times)

[mensimageconsultant]

Raise your environmental consciousness by reading.

 

[Quirk]

"My mother had the same wardrobe her entire life," Ms. Neild said. "For my daughter, styles change every six months and you need to keep up."

That just shows how ******* stupid people can be. "You need to keep up?" With what? Whatever ridiculous new style some 24-year old FIT graduate vomits up in order to make money off your gullible ass? Jeezus. And she's teaching this ass-backwards mentality to her daughter.

 

[King Francis]

Originally Posted by The Old Gray Lady

It is hard to imagine how customers who rush after trends, or the stores that serve them, will respond to the report's suggestions: that people lease clothes and return them at the end of a month or a season, so the garments can be lent again to someone else "” like library books

*snort*

Rather an inane article all around, I think.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

It has some good points about the environmental impact and how to do one's part - even if one (probably wisely) avoids polyester. A website article that was already in the works will delve into that.

 

[Jovan]

Style doesn't change. Fashion does. The former is more important.

 

[King Francis]

Originally Posted by mensimageconsultant

It has some good points about the environmental impact and how to do one's part

I disagree. I think the concerns are mostly wrongheaded and the suggested ameliorative actions mostly inane.

For one thing, raising the price of clothing in order to afford "eco-conscious" controls may not hurt some people's pocketboots too much (depending on the increase), but what about lower-income families and individuals? And hell, I barely have time to do laundry now -- much less if I had to hang dry everything, which can leave clothes stiff and unpleasant at any rate.

 

[Gong Tao]

That article made me think that we are sort of a 'slow clothes' counterpart to the slow food movement.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Raising prices more than slightly does not count as one of those "good ideas."

 

[macuser3of5]

Originally Posted by Jovan

Style doesn't change. Fashion does. The former is more important.
Style changes, just a lot more slowly...

 

[babygreenspots]

Originally Posted by Jovan

Style doesn't change. Fashion does. The former is more important.

Yes, yes, yes...

Hearing this truism repeated and repeated like some tenet of an orthodox faith is making the rebellious side of me want to chase fashion. I used to hate the concept of fashion, but now, just to subvert, I tell people they look "fashionable" and mean it as praise. Juvenile, I know, but "style" becomes less fun when it is treated like scripture.

As for the article, I don't see why forum members should disagree, except for the mention of polyester.

"In many places, cheap, readily disposable clothes have displaced hand-me-downs as the mainstay of dressing."

"And so Marks & Spencer is thinking about whether its customers will be willing to change their buying habits, to pay more for less-fashionable but "sustainable" garments."

This call for sustainability is much in line with a call for higher quality, durability, and enduring styles.

People that can't afford should be encouraged to buy used.