I just got through "Overdressed: The shockingly high cost of Cheap fashion" by Elizabeth L. Cline, and I must say it was a provoking piece of writing. I urge everyone to read it.
As a fashion professional and someone looking to delve into the world of design and retail in this industry, I look to literature like this as a means of guidance and education. The jist of it all is that because clothing and fashion at large have become so accessible and so inexpensive, we do not give it the appropriate appreciation and consideration. When you can go online and order a dress for US$17.95 that looks just like the one you saw on Kim K the night before, what really is there to hold you back from entering those credit card digits? The author talks about owning massive piles of clothing that she does not even like! Some things are never worn and are sent to charity bins. When out shopping, (an event as casual as a midday snack) the only criterion for her to make a purchase is whether or not it's below twenty bucks. She won't even bother try it on, cuz if it doesn't fit, well, it was just twenty dollars.
Many of us shop this way too. We're looking to beat down even the lowest price. We flock to the trendy shops and buy up all the polyester/spandex blends our hearts can bear. We now have disposable clothing; wear it once and then if it does not dry rot at the back of a stuffed closet, it shreds in the dryer and is thrown away without much more than a "oh well. I got my money's worth". We purchase outfits for one night! Clothes have lost their value. We need to get back to a place where we were so excited to get something new, and where we would take immaculate care of our garments. We need to be conscious of fabrics, where they come from and what they mean. You care about human rights, and you are an environmental cheerleader? Then consider the damage you are doing by demanding this low cost of fashion. Think of the children in sweat-shops, and the mothers who are stretching pennies to feed their families. Sewing should be a more respected profession! It requires great skill and talent! Think about the tonnes of wasted polyester (essentially plastic) that is dumped and heaped up when clothing is discarded in ridiculous volumes. Hey, bulk is cheaper after all.
Let us truly invest in our clothing. Our costumes are what first give people impressions of us. I'm not saying to go and buy Prada and live in debt. Spend the same amount of money on clothes that you would for the year, but on clothes of better quality. It would definitely mean that you have less clothing, but they will last you. Invest in tailoring and mending. Learn to sew and repair loose buttons or shorten dragging hemlines. Learn about the designers and seamstresses within your own country. Talk with them, support them. It costs more, but something custom made will make you look and feel far better than a Forever 21 one-size-fits-all stretchy mini. Let's make clothes special again.
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