The two most harmful industries on this globe to date are 1. the oil industry and 2. the fashion industry. If you doubt this fact, just check out this short video by Vice News:
Just like in the oil industry, large fashion companies are competing to keep profits high by cutting production costs wherever possible. Of course, these methods that come with the fast fashion industry lead to extremely harmful effects to our environment.
Fast fashion is a term used by fashion retailers to describe the designs that move from catwalk to high street quickly, to capture current fashion trends. Most of us have fallen into the honey trap of fast fashion.
At first we were delighted to find in our local Zara store a dress very similar to the one from the Gucci autumn/winter collection. But sooner or later we realize that the Gucci imitation dress was made almost entirely out of fabric known as polyethylene terephthalate – a fancy term for polyester.
Polyester is durable; however it doesn’t allow your skin to breathe, stains are a nightmare to remove, and the production is extraordinarily damaging to our environment. The same goes for Viscose and Nylon.
Fabrics made of plastic are one issue. The other problem is the textile dye that makes garments look appealing with vibrant colors and print. The toxic chemicals of textile dyeing, particularly Azo dyes, pollute clean water and have been tested as cancerous in numerous studies.
Sustainability Matters
If you are reading this, you are likely a woman or man of style. You take fashion seriously. You invest time and money in your appearance. Giving up your style, for the sake of our environment, is a lot to ask.
Sustainable fashion allows us to stay stylish while reducing harmful effects on our environment. Choose fabrics made of organic products, such as organic cotton. Admittedly, the sustainable fashion industry is slow to trend. If you cannot find any garments that match your fashion sense, then merely shop vintage.
Embrace Vintage Fashion!
Check out our favorite online vintage shops, handpicked for your fashion and lifestyle:
Vestiaire Collective
HEWI London
High Society
You must visit these vintage stores If you happen to be in
Vienna, Austria:
Das Neue Schwarz
Berlin, Germany:
PickNWeight
London, UK:
The Vintage Showroom, (FOR MEN!)
Atika
Eindhoven, Netherlands:
Yetunde & the Vintage Alternatives
Johannesburg:
Wizards Vintage
