It always startled me to begin seeing spring and summer clothing ads from the “Fast Fashion” industry in February. I’ve gotten used to it, and I can see why people who are getting awfully tired of winter, not to mention COVID precautions, might really want to start imagining warmer, freer times and go clothes shopping.
The problem is that filling our closets with new clothes every year is very bad for the environment. In fact it has been reported that the Fashion industry is among the worst polluters in the world. And then there is the matter of injustice. The Fashion industry is notorious for keeping costs down by exploiting workers, both abroad and in the United States.
Efforts are being made to change this situation. On the high tech end, companies are working on new fabrics that can be completely recyclable so that they don’t end up in the landfill. High end stores like Nordstrom’s are adding vintage clothing to their websites. A variety of organizations and companies are running articles and contests to encourage people to shop less and get the most wear out of the clothes they have. The Guardian tells us how we can successfully go for a year without buying new clothes. Labor behind the Label challenges us to wear just six items of clothing (excluding underwear, of course) for the six weeks of the “Fashion Fast to Oppose Fast Fashion” 17 Feb – 30 March 2021. And the Rowena Company will give you a $100 gift certificate if you wear their “Swing Dress” every day for 100 days. (You only need to wear if for a few hours each day, but even that may be too much for the prize.) If these don’t appeal to you, you can find a lot more ideas for avoiding Fast Fashion on my earlier blog, Sustainable Clothing Shopping.
You might not want to wear that 100 day dress if you are into gardening, though winter is planning time, so it’s not too likely to get heavily soiled. Right now you might want to consider which gardening approach will give you the highest yields. Or, if you are short on space, read “How to Get the Most from a Small Garden.” Then you’ll be ready for when the earth warms, and you can ditch that dress for gardening clothes.
You can find this and all the Creation Care blogs for the church website I have written at a consolidating blog I have created: ststephenscreationcare.blogspot.com
Thanks for your commitment to caring for God’s creation! Elliott
