Fashion cycles are moving faster than ever, with what used to be four seasons a year, now it has increased to even as many as fifteen. Fast fashion merchandise is priced much lower thanks to the mass production. According to Elizabeth L. Cline, the author of “Over-Dressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion,” the fast-fashion concept was pioneered by Spain’s Zara, which delivers new lines twice a week in its stores. H&M and Forever 21 both get daily shipments of new styles. Add on e-commerce websites such as Taobao and boom, you have a mass market of retailers making cheap and fast fashion readily accessible to all parts of the world.
The marketing strategy of the fast-fashion industry is to encourage the short-term decision making by encouraging impulse buying in two ways. The products are priced high enough to maximize profit margins but low enough to encourage impulse purchases. And these retailers introduce and remove the items so quickly that customers are pushed to make the buying decision in fear that these would no longer be available in the market the next day.
Just a glimpse at my expanding wardrobe and I confess that I am one of the victims of consumerism. There are several pieces of clothing, which I have bought and never used. Some of which I had already donated away to charity but my collection of clothes just never seem to deplete. It was reported last year by the National Environment Agency that more than 156,00 tonnes of textile and leather waste was thrown away by Singaporeans in 2015 but only 8 percent of such waste was recycled.
Textile waste is very damaging to the environment but here are some ways you can reduce it, besides not shopping for more clothes. One method would be to recycle the clothes that you no longer wear. Unfortunately, I do not know of any organization that helps divert clothing from landfills and incinerators to recover for reuse or material recovery. Therefore, what I would suggest would be recycling them within your own household. For starters, this is one project you could try which involves using an old shirt or t-shirt to make a cushion cover.
Pinterest is one of my favorite websites to get inspiration on how to recycle old clothings. Besides cushion covers, if you are crafty enough, an old demin skirt or pants could be made into a new handbag.
Another method to breathe new life into your old clothes would be to refresh them. However, sewing skills could come in handy for this project. Some ideas on refreshing old clothes into new ones include tie-dying plain tops. Altering an oversized dress into a fitting one or making a smaller version for your daughter or niece. Add embellishments, lace or sequins to old denim shorts for a new look. The idea is to simply let your imagination run wild and creativity juices flow.
Organize a clothes swap party with your family and friends. A clothing swap is a party where you and each of your attendees bring an agreed upon amount of clothing and accessories to the event. All of the items are fair game, so you can trade, barter, and donate clothes to your friends while snagging some new stuff. Instead of going shopping for new clothes, you might just find your next new cute outfit at the clothes swap.
Last but not least, you can donate your clothes if you really have no idea what to do with them. One of my favorite organizations to donate would be SOSN Singapore. Something Old Something New (SOSN) is a thrift shop, which provides training and employment opportunities to persons recovering from psychiatric conditions. I like that they have several branches island wide so you can always find one near your neighborhood. There are also charity associations such as Angel Gowns Singapore, where donated wedding gowns are made into baby dresses for bereaved families who have lost their baby.
Let us all do our part to reduce and reuse textile waste and help our environment and communities.