Fast Fashion and our role in it

Oct 08, 2018

Did you know that the fashion industry is a major source of the greenhouse gases that are overheating the planet?

It is also harmful to fish as the fiber fragments end up in the sea from the domestic laundry waste water. As these fibers end up in the rivers and oceans and fish ingest it.

Fashion industry thrives on selling more and more new clothes to us, often driving marketing campaigns that call to ditch your last year’s colors. It is actually designed to make you feel “off trend” after just one week with new lines coming out faster than you can get through wearing your new set of clothes for the first time!

A long, long time ago there were just two fashion seasons Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. In 2018 there are now more than 50 micro-seasons per year! As consumers, we are bombarded with campaigns offering us “conscious” or “organic collections” or claiming we are doing our bit for some humanitarian cause.

Fast fashion merchandise is typically priced lower than the competition, so the operating model of many brands is “low quality/high volume”.

Unfortunately, whilst the cost of apparel is constantly being driven down by big manufacturers, it also means that the people actually making these clothes are getting paid less and less.

Our relationship with what we buy and the value we see in our purchases has changed over the course of last 50 years. And this has a huge impact on our environment as well as our wallets.

So why should we care?

We mentioned a few compelling reasons already, but, in addition to making us spend more and more and thus send us further into debt as we tap our credit cards in checkouts, the amount of textiles ending up in landfills is staggering.

Impacts of fast fashion

30kg (68 lb) of textiles thrown away by an average American every year
6m tonnes of clothing sent landfills in the US every year
7kg of new clothes per person consumed in the UK
235m items of clothing sent to landfill in the UK
700,000 fibers released in a single domestic wash
2bn tonnes of carbon emissions produced by global fashion industry (2015)

In addition to this, most of our clothing today is made of synthetic petroleum-based fibers - it will take decades for these garments to decompose.

Needless to say, the fashion industry needs to change its ways but as with most environmentally important matters, big giants are the last ones to change their modus opperandi.

So what can you, as a consumer or a decision maker at a workplace do?

Buying the cheapest will often mean that you will need to replace it soon, as poor quality garments will simply fall apart with minimal wear and tear.

Instead, think about investing in clothes that are versatile like a great pair of pants that can be worn to work and when going out. Or a timeless black jacket or a coat that can be worn pretty much anywhere and will never go out of fashion.

Choose high quality apparel. As well as lasting longer, you will save money.

It’s cheaper to fix small holes! Don’t just throw it in garbage!

Don’t throw away your old clothes – donate them to charity. These will be re-used or sent to third world countries in real humanitarian programs.

When choosing uniforms for your team or looking for workwear that you will enjoy wearing yourself, here’s what to look for:

Choose blended fabrics such as polyester and wool mix for suiting – these are more comfortable to wear, they look and fit great and they last longer
Choose only suppliers that adhere to ethical manufacturing standards
Don’t go for the cheapest option first. Take your time to read the product descriptions. Aim for mid to higher range in prices, as with good suppliers you will get a product that lasts for years
Look for timeless, classic base pieces and use shirts and blouses as well as accessories to elevate or change the look. You don’t need to change your entire wardrobe! Mix & Match!
Order at least 2-3 bottoms (pants/skirts), 1-2 jackets and 3 tops so that you can always have a clean set to wear with: “one being worn, one in wash and one ready to wear” logic. This way all items are worn in rotation and will last longer.

Ackermann’s Apparel offers high quality, ethically manufactured and specifically business tailored fashion for work and uniforms that will last your team at least 2 years, possibly beyond.

We believe in providing our customers with apparel that is fairly manufactured, beautifully designed and offers a real return in investment whilst reducing harmful effects and wastefulness on our environment.

Our fabrics go through rigorous wearer and durability testing. Check the descriptions for Martindale test scores.

By choosing higher quality and longer lasting uniforms, you will not only save money over time, you will also be doing your part in being truly environmentally conscious.

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