Fashion, love it or hate it, determines what we buy and how often we buy. Clothes are a way of expressing ourselves and boosting our confidence. What we don’t see is the process of how these are made, who makes them, the impact of this process on those people or the environment. We also don’t see that the fashion industry is draining our planet from water, creating a lot of waste and polluting our air, water and land with toxic chemicals.
In order to leave better stories and a healthy planet to the next generation we have to say no to fast fashion!
WHAT IS FAST FASHION
Fast fashion is a term used to describe the speed at which clothing designs move from the catwalks to stores in order to meet the latest trends. Fast fashion allows mainstream consumers to purchase trendy clothing at affordable prices. It has become a highly profitable business model where clothes are mass-produced at a low cost making it affordable to a wider consumer base.
WHAT ARE WE DOING WRONG
We consume the planet on which we live. We are destroying our planet by throwing away clothes that are perfectly wearable. With the prices of clothes becoming cheaper, we are readily prepared to throw away our clothes because it is not having a huge impact on our purse. We do this without considering the impact of our actions on our planet.
As trends in the fashion industry are constantly changing, brands produce clothes to keep up with the latest trends. However, trends change quickly and with that comes waste. This is leaving a huge mark on our planet.
Clothing produced by fast fashion brands are oftentimes made from cheap materials, like polyester and acrylic, and not built to last. These materials shed when the clothes are washed and end up in our oceans, then in the food and drinks we consume.
KEY FACTS
- The fashion industry is the second most polluting in the world.
- The average number of ‘wears’ per garment a person owns is just 4. The Guardian Newspaper recently quoted that “One in three young women, the biggest segment of consumers, consider garments worn once or twice to be old”.
- Extending the life of a garment by 3 months can reduce its carbon footprint by 5-10%.
- Half a million tonnes – equivalent to 50 billion plastic bottles – of plastic microfibers from washing garments ends up in the ocean every year on average, which in turn enters the food chain.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO
We need to strive to remain conscious about this issue and avoid the fast fashion culture as much as possible. If we continue the way we are, the planet we live on will become a piece of land that can no longer serve us. We have to come to understand that our planet does not have unlimited resources and there is only one Earth!
What we can do as individuals is to become conscious consumers and only buy clothes and products we will wear and make full use of; support businesses that source products sustainably, that value ethical trading and consider the planet in running their business. We are proud to say that we are one of those businesses.
Peshtemall prioritises environmental awareness in every field from production of our products to the moment it reaches you. Our products are made by small family artisans in Anatolia using 100% cotton or cotton and linen mix. The families who make our products have inherited their weaving skills and techniques from family members centuries prior to them, they use locally grown resources and we attach great importance to ethical trading. Do check out our beautiful collections, all in individually handpicked for you; Hammam Towels, Scarves, Throws & Blankets and Dresses. [add links] Last but not least, we always use plastic free packaging in packing your orders. You can read our blogs on What is so special about Turkish peshtemal towels and peshtemal vs traditional terry towels to find out more about our products.
Thank you for visiting our website. Before we end this blog we would like to leave you with a quote:
"Sooner or later, we will have to recognise that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans" - Evo Morales