Random Fashion Thoughts (Part 3: Style farmer strikes back) - our general discussion thread

[cyc wid it]

@dieworkwear High Priest of Harvest Season

 

[FrankCowperwood]

He’s our pumpkin spice.

 

[DubbyThaFerrgamoCZAR]

 

[LonerMatt]

"It's too late for ethical fashion"

It's too late for ethical fashion

A sustainability expert explains that progress in the industry is cancelled out by the rate at which the fashion economy is speeding up.

i-d.vice.com

Thoughts?

I actually am debating starting an art business involving clothing but articles like this give me a lot of pause - perhaps carving out a small niche is fine, but equally, relying on unhealthy and unsustainable markets, demand and spontaneous buying.

Similarly I'm buying less and less and hope to keep that up.

 

[smittycl]

So I'm nosing around raglan sleeve coats and noticed this one at Cordings:

Description says it's made of high twist cloth. Looking that up, it seems to be a feature of lightweight wool cloth (for example fresco, it seems?). Anyone have thoughts on whether it's also reasonable for a winter weight coat?

Grenfell has a nice one this season.

 

[gdl203]

"It's too late for ethical fashion"

It's too late for ethical fashion

A sustainability expert explains that progress in the industry is cancelled out by the rate at which the fashion economy is speeding up.

i-d.vice.com

Thoughts?

I actually am debating starting an art business involving clothing but articles like this give me a lot of pause - perhaps carving out a small niche is fine, but equally, relying on unhealthy and unsustainable markets, demand and spontaneous buying.

Similarly I'm buying less and less and hope to keep that up.

Buy from smaller brands/makers that focus on making things right, paying people and staying in business (not just profit for public shareholders)

Buy second hand - not for everyone and maybe easier said than done given how difficult it can be to gauge condition and fit.

Recycle/sell/donate - for a second hand market to flourish, we need good merchandise on the supply side. Instead of not buying anything, buy what you really like and sell what you no longer wear. So you don't accumulate and you contribute to a healthy secondary market

 

[cb200]

Ethical actions taken at the consumer level are tiny drops in the bucket of action in the face of am apparel industry that operates in a global system of exploitation of people and the environment. Apparel isn't unique here. Shopping for a better world seems like a fantasy.

 

[bamgrinus]

Ethical actions taken at the consumer level are tiny drops in the bucket of action in the face of am apparel industry that operates in a global system of exploitation of people and the environment. Apparel isn't unique here. Shopping for a better world seems like a fantasy.

While that may be broadly true, I don't think it means that small, incremental change is without value. Things have to start somewhere to eventually reach a tipping point.

 

[g transistor]

PATAGONIA IS THE ONLY RELEVANT FASHION HOUSE STILL OPERATING

 

[g transistor]

Ethical actions taken at the consumer level are tiny drops in the bucket of action in the face of am apparel industry that operates in a global system of exploitation of people and the environment. Apparel isn't unique here. Shopping for a better world seems like a fantasy.

Hm are you saying that There Is No Ethical Consumption Under Capitalism?

 

[DubbyThaFerrgamoCZAR]

Heres some of the show. Last post the vid got taken down

 

[dieworkwear]

"It's too late for ethical fashion"

It's too late for ethical fashion

A sustainability expert explains that progress in the industry is cancelled out by the rate at which the fashion economy is speeding up.

i-d.vice.com

Thoughts?

I actually am debating starting an art business involving clothing but articles like this give me a lot of pause - perhaps carving out a small niche is fine, but equally, relying on unhealthy and unsustainable markets, demand and spontaneous buying.

Similarly I'm buying less and less and hope to keep that up.

A little bit of me thinks that a lot of this consumer-side stuff is small beans and the majority of this problem is about industry and government. If people want to affect change, they need to vote for politicians who will do something. And get involved in political organizations, such as advocacy ones.

Years ago, I interviewed someone who works at a popular eco-friendly clothing brand. They did their graduate studies on sustainability and work on the sustainability side of that company. Anyway, we were talking about this microfiber problem in oceans, where non-natural fibers come out in the wash and end up in waterways. The fibers, of course, don't decompose. They get eaten by fish and then end up in our food.

So we ran through what consumers can do -- buy these little wash bags that help catch fibers (although, fibers then just end up in landfills), buy vintage, buy natural, wash less, buy less, etc.

But according to him, this is all small beans. The real issue is how to get cities to install big filtering systems. And get washing machine manufacturers to change their production to help catch these fibers. Consumers aren't going to do enough to make a difference in this situation (you're not going to get everyone to buy those wash bags and make sure they use them every time they wash a fleece jacket).

I recently looked into cotton totes and read some government reports. On the issue of the sustainability of cotton totes vs. plastic bags -- even if you went down the "right path," however you define that, it will make a very small difference in the larger sustainability problem. I get the impression that a lot of this is on large industry and government regulation. (Although, never hurts to be environmentally conscious where you can).

 

[gdl203]

Consumer sentiment shapes regulations and government policies. So it does matter. We're seeing some of this in how various parties and politicians are slowly shifting their views on gun control based on a shifting public sentiment. Let's be real, we don't vote for politicians because they propose banning plastic bags or some specific policy like that. However, when public opinion shifts, representatives take notice and shift policies (to keep their jobs).

 

[cb200]

Consumer sentiment shapes regulations and government policies.

I missed that episode of Schoolhouse rock.

 

[g transistor]

I missed that episode of Schoolhouse rock.

It was in the Turns Out, There Really Can Be Ethical Consumption Under Capitalism episode