By Chandana Biswas
The fast-fashion world has taken its control over us for a long period now. Fast fashion refers to clothes that are often cheaply made in mass quantities. Fast fashion tends to be a problem because the clothes are usually of low quality. That means they can break down quickly. Whether the threading comes undone, they tear, or they just wear out after a few washes, likely, you’re not going to get years of use out of a shirt from a fast-fashion brand. From a sustainability standpoint, the overproduction of low-quality clothing contributes to
everything from carbon emissions to excessive waste.
// womenfitness / waste
Coming to the rescue are the R’s of the Sustainable family, REDUCE & REUSE.
// Chandana Biswas / logo
I already have two variations of that jacket, do I really need to have a third one? Before you buy anything, try asking questions to yourself, such as can I afford this?
Do I need this?
Do I have something similar, can I borrow or buy it second hand?
Do I love it?
Is this of good quality?
Does it suit my needs at this moment?
Will I get a lot of use out of this item?
If the item was full price would I still buy it?
The first and foremost way to the path of reduction is not to buy new things, when you buy something new you are creating a demand for it, the process of making that particular product gives rises to a huge amount of waste. You can easily say no to things you don't need and appreciate all you already have. Research has shown that the average person buys 60 percent more items of clothing every year and keeps them for about half as long as 15 years ago, generating a huge amount of waste.
// blueclue / Getty Images / quality clothing
Secondly, avoid anything plastic, plastic wrapping, packaging, bottles, polythene bags, etc. The tiny particles of the plastics contains harmful chemicals that goes into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into groundwater or other surrounding water sources, and also the ecosystem. This can cause a range of potentially harmful effects on the species that drink the water, or are in the water. If you do go shopping, you can easily bring your own reusable bags and thus avoid plastic bags.
// indianyouth // regenwaste
Another way to reduce is to avoid single use items. Starting from a particular piece of clothing that you are buying just for one occasion isn't ideal. Here comes the concept of reusing. So you can buy one shirt and avoid buying more and more for every different occasions, thus reducing and the shirt you already have can be reused in every single of these occasions in different ways and style, which gives rises to the concept of a sustainable wardrobe. Research has shown that the average lifetime of a piece of clothing is
approximately 3 years. So just with a little bit of care your pieces will last way longer. If the average life of clothing was extended by just three months, it would reduce their carbon and water footprints, as well as waste generation, by five to 10 percent. The recycling of two million tons of clothing per year equates to taking one million cars from the streets.
// planetaid / sustainable wardrobe
Here at The Narration, we incorporate geometric panelling for our designs which means each and every piece is thoughtfully designed to minimize the number of waste fabrics, and reusing all the leftovers for all other different designs, thus reducing buying more and more fabric. We also have a styling series where we show how you can incorporate a sustainable wardrobe in your daily lifestyle, by just reducing the number of things you buy and just styling one piece in so many different ways until it wears and tears. We also make sure that we produce zero to very less waste and keeping in mind the environmental factor, our
packaging is 100% sustainable consisting of reusable fabric bags.
// The Narration / styling / sustainable packaging
Educating and spreading awareness about the importance of sustainability can help others to make better choices for their future and for the future of the following generations. Children and teens today are faced with a planet that is suffering from climate change, poor air quality, and pollution. The more you educate the children and teens now about the importance of sustainable fashion, sustainable food practices, and other eco-friendly ways of living, the cleaner and greener the future will be.
When you start to make reducing, reusing, and recycling your clothes a part of your own life, you can encourage positive changes and habits within your own family, too. The more people who get involved, the better the results when it comes to the health of our planet.
Hope you are safe!
Lots of love,
Chandana