(Warning: Lots of reading and a scantily clad woman below)
I've been feeling a lot of guilt these past few days. I received a lovely email from the people at rant clothing in Melbourne in response to my
previous post and comment on not ordering clothing to be shipped overseas from a label who is based on the principle of keeping everything local and green. Which got me thinking: I'm a complete hypocrite. Roughly 95%, if not more, of my clothing is ordered online, and thus has to subsequently be shipped via an unknown number of planes, trains, or automobiles to arrive at my doorstep. Really, the only green thing about the process is my dear mailman, who is practically like a distant relative to me. My recent battle of my conscience against my wallet had to do with ordering a piece which I could've bought at a local shop just down the street, or have it shipped to me direct for $50 less. Is me saving $50 really worth the environmental impact of having it flown here just for me? Sure, the one in the store had to be shipped in too, but at least it was shipped with a few more items. But, at the same time, how much environmental impact does one small shipped package really have (and how much in comparison to a larger package shipped to a store)?
I've been talking myself in circles in my head all morning. Especially because I still think that buying from indie labels, especially those who work in a green manner, is much more environmentally friendly (and not to mention, more ethical) than buying mass produced clothing. Not only is less used and wasted in the process of making the clothing, but you're much less likely to consume clothing for one season and throw it away when you paid more to have something made to your measurements. Hence why I can't get rid of any of my custom made clothing, even when I don't wear it anymore. So what am I saying? I don't know. In reality, I should probably just stop buying clothing for a good long while and make due with the gorgeous wardrobe that I have. And I should try to support Canadian labels a little bit more when I do feel the need to spend money, to at least cut down on international shipping effects. Which isn't really too hard, as my list of favorite designers/labels has been enjoying a more decent Canadian representation lately (complexgeometries, Mandula, mono, David Chou, and Norwegian Wood). However, I don't really think I'm strong enough to do that, as there's a large portion of my favorite designers who do not live in my country, and I don't feel like I can contently live without another new creation from them. Hmm. Perhaps I convince my favorite designers to draft up reconstructive .pdf patterns so that I can turn their old pieces into new ones,
à la Marge Simpson and her Chanel suit. Or perhaps I should scrap clothing altogether and go the route of
Digna Kosse's minimal dress (or at least create similar pieces from the scraps of my current wardrobe when I've finally worn it to shreds). I might have to quit my job though.
10 comments:
I like your thinking/internal discussion. Not that I am defending mass-produced clothing, but factories want to waste as little as possible as well (ie $$$) and have computer programs to figure out the highest yield when cutting out patterns (I'm sure you know that already) so the least amount of the fabric possible is wasted. But like I said, depending on the company, it's not for environmental purposes, just to save money. I don't believe there is "right" answer though, besides not buying anything, ever. I struggle with the exact same thing you discuss here, along with wearing/using fur. I think the important thing is that you are having this discussion with yourself, and whoever is reading. A lot of consumers could care less. I have a friend who thought a $25 sweater from a mass mall discount retailer was "expensive".... I didn't have the patience to discuss this with her at the time ;)
Yeah I'm thinking more along the lines of electricity and such needed to run large clothing production facilities, which may be located somewhere like China, meaning that the clothes would then have to be flown back to the city/country where the label is based and whatnot. And then there's the recent scandal of big stores like H&M throwing out clothing that hasn't sold. Or, even if the clothing doesn't get thrown out, it has t be repackaged and reshipped to a discount facility. Not to mention cheap clothing falling apart faster and getting disposed of by the consumer.
Definitely- there are endless reasons not to buy "fast" mass produced clothing. That's not even taking into account the decision to buy natural materials vs synthetic, or which out of all the "sustainable" fabrics (hemp, organic cotton, soy, bamboo, etc) is MOST environmentally friendly. OR the debate that factories in developing third world countries by providing jobs vs low paying factory jobs exploiting them. Endless discussions.
I recently was talking to a friend who is vegan and she was complaining that all the canvas shoes she buys get wrecked so quickly. So is buying 10 pairs of canvas shoes better than 1 pair of vintage leather shoes? I don't know- it's a personal choice. It boggles my mind. Sometimes I think the world would be a better place if the Industrial Revolution never happened
Yeah, we as humans have royally screwed things up. Re: the shoe thing - a friend of mine thinks that vegan shoes are ridiculous when his Dr. Martens have lasted him 10 years. A good argument for sure, especially as my Converse shoes (not vegan, but at least no leather) only last about 5 months. And I've justified in the past buying a pair of leather shoes because they were 2 seasons old and on the last pair rack (so then I'm not part of the demand, right?). But leather makes me cringe, and so I have to silently thank the faceless cow I'm wearing practically every time I put my old leather shoes on. There really is no right answer anymore. Unless you live in a self-sufficient, wind-powered nudist colony.
Haha- even nudists feel the cold though.
Warning: here's a big rant:
When we buy clothing from a designer, particular indie designers who have chosen to be eco-minded, I think we have to depend on that designer to have thought the process of creating, from idea to sale to shipping, through for us, even to the point of selling online vs wholesaling in stores or having their own B&M store. Perhaps that it is a naive way of thinking, but there are too many variables involved for us to know and consider all of them. What about the food industry? Do we buy organic produce in order to be eco-minded only to forget that it was probably shipped in from South America and the laborers paid minimum wage or less? I think each individual industry has the same issues. Until everyone is united and focused on the environment, there will always be parts of the process that fall through the cracks. And have you ever known anything on which everyone was entirely in agreement? I know I sound negative, but I live in the USA and here we take our comfort too seriously to give a **** about anything else. I live in a country that has no viable budget, no meaningful spending limits, and deals with things only after they happen and only if they affect a large part of the population, thus guaranteeing that it will cost ten times more than if we had prevented it to start with. It's sad when the only thing that gets our attention regarding the environment is an Oscar given to an ex-vp, and even then, he is the one who gets the attention. Rant over. Well, no. I'm going right now to check out Rant. Missed that post during my megaclean.
Woops, wasn't through after all. Forgot to say that your nudist colony needs to be established in a new country that is based on eco-minded policies. Then I remembered all the books I read in school: Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, etc., and I realized that no matter how high our ideals, we eventually turn on one another. Power and greed. They seem to always win in the end. And we never learn the lesson until it's too late.
I'm not usually so negative, but your self-evaluation really brought it out of me. I think I need to go take a nap. After I look at the Rant stuff.
:)
Thanks Linda for your rants. And I know, there's too many variables involved for me to make the best decision. Last night at work I wanted to delete this post, because I don't want it to come across that I think I/we shouldn't support indie designers who only sell online and have to ship to you. I have two recent purchases though that need some tweaking by the designers, and it just seemed like a waste to ship them back, and then have them shipped back to me, just so they were perfect. That's too much packaging and plane/truck use for two little items of clothing. I was also just thinking that perhaps I should try to stick to designers/sellers at least on my continent, to cut down on the air/road miles it takes for my purchases to reach me. Like I said though, I probably can't do that. I love my indie designers too much. I should just ask for them to ship everything in as little packaging as possible, to at least cut down on the environmental impact that way.
If we all gave more thought to what, why and how we purchase stuff, it would have to make a difference. Thinking things through like you've done is a great start, and then follow up with what we decide is the best way to move forward. You've inspired me!
Well that makes one of us! I know it's good to at least be thinking about the issue, but I don't feel like I've done any good unless I do something. And I have no idea what to do as someone obsessed with beautiful handmade things. For one, I should probably put in an order for pick-up only with Patricia and Lauren for my NY trip so it's just one flight and one suitcase for us all.
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