Ethically Fashionable
Fashion in today's world is intriguing, ever-changing, and beautiful as a means of self-expression. It is an art form that can be used to outwardly express personality, beliefs, and confidence, among various other things. The use of fashion as a means of expression is universal, but differs largely depending on where it is found in the world, what culture an individual belongs to, what his or her interests are, etc. However beautiful fashion may be, it can be equally as ugly when we consider the amount of consumerism, materialism, and waste it produces, and the amount of resources it requires.
How can we enjoy fashion while feeling confident that we are doing so in a way that is ethically responsible and mindful of the environment, of animals, of those creating what we wear, and of the impact that it has on the values that we hold as a society? It seems like this is a lot to take into account, especially when most people are also trying to take personal finances into account, their own desires to look and feel beautiful, be on trend, etc. I have felt the contradiction many times between my love for fashion, and my ethics and desire to put less focus on material items.
First, I want to point out that like many things in life, fashion is cyclical. Fashion is constantly repeating itself, and remaking itself in surprisingly novel ways. Lets take high waisted jeans or fur coats into account for a moment. High waisted jeans reached their peak in the 1970s and 80s, but the trend faded in the 1990s. Recently, in the past four or five years, high waisted jeans have made a comeback. Alongside high waisted jeans, fur coats have made their way back into style. The ethical dilemma with fur coats is obvious, however with high waisted jeans the dilemma is more about an increase in consumerism and the overuse of resources.
Let's look at a quote from clothing brand Shrimps founder, Hannah Weiland.
“The faux fur made the business, in a way. I just knew I had to make it happen. I couldn’t wait! I was like, ‘I’ve finally found a good-quality faux fur.’ I hadn’t seen any good faux fur coats out there for a while, and it had such a bad reputation in the ’90s." - Hannah Weiland for Vogue Magazine
As the founder of Shrimps, Weiland's life revolves around fashion. She lives it, breathes it, and believes in its ability to make the world a better place by allowing women to feel beautiful and expressive. She recognizes the bad reputation that fur has had in the past, but embraces the reintroduction of fur in the present. To bridge her dissonance and to contribute to the fashion world ethically, Weiland has come to a solution: faux fur.
And what about the comeback of high waisted jeans? How about thrifting. Eliminate resource waste and limit consumerism by buying second-hand as much as you possibly can.
While the issues I've outlined are not by any means an exhaustive list of the problems surrounding the fashion world, they are a few of the bigger ones that concern us. And while these solutions are also not going to solve all of the problems surrounding fashion, they help us to understand a couple of realistic ways that we can truly make an impact, while still enjoying such an amazing art form.
As much as you can, please: buy secondhand, buy faux fur and leather, support clothing companies that are manufactured in the US and that do not exploit humans, do not buy products tested on animals, and always remember that fashion is the most beautiful when it is consumed ethically.
