Fashion

On average, it takes 10,000 litres of water to produce 1 kilo of cotton, or 2,500 to 3,000 litres for a standard T-shirt (250 to 300 grams of cotton). That’s a lot of water consumption for such a small piece of fabric! 4% of the world’s drinking water is used to produce our clothes. The water used to prepare cotton is unhealthy and discharged into the environment, polluting rivers and the air.
“As reported in the 3rd Global Climate Action Report by Sector (Climate Chance, 2020), the production and use of clothing emit around 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Boom! This statement is a blow. “This is primarily due to the carbon intensity of synthetic fibres (around 60% of fibres produced – the vast majority of which are polyester), which is much higher than that of cotton: 11.9 compared with 4.7 kgCO2e/kg (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). In fact, their production is based on the transformation of 48 million tonnes of oil per year, and therefore accounts for almost half of the emissions calculated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation report (530 MtCO2e in 2015, or 44% of emissions)”. The many other manufacturing stages (production of raw materials, transformation of fibres into yarn, manufacture), distribution and the way we consume fashion (rate of purchase, use/maintenance of garments, end of life) are all other greenhouse gas emitting factors”. (https://www.fairact.org/informer/empreinte-environnementale/)
We should be favouring clothes made from hemp, a very hard-wearing material, bamboo, wool or linen, which require much less water and produce less carbon. Petroleum-based materials should also be avoided. It’s better to turn to second-hand materials.

Les pouvoirs du chanvre | ARTE Regards: https://youtu.be/iwQLL45aKok

Fast fashion | Les dessous de la mode à bas prix | ARTE: https://youtu.be/ZaOY7REnwPo

What’s more, free returns pollute enormously. Returns have tripled in ten years. People buy three times too much, so there are no consequences for polluting and wasting. Returns are destroyed so as not to compete with the new. Brands can afford to do this because they have a 90% mark-up. On average, out of 100 euros, it costs 8 euros and 2 euros to destroy the clothes. They throw them into the sea and the desert. No business can compete with free returns.

La huella kilométrica de la ropa usada: de España a Togo en un pantalón geolocalizado – El País: https://elpais.com/planeta-futuro/2023-11-23/la-huella-kilometrica-de-la-ropa-usada-de-madrid-a-togo-en-una-camiseta-geolocalizada.html

“Piensa primero, compra después”: Vestiaire Collective prohíbe vender Zara por considerarla moda rápida – El País: https://elpais.com/smoda/2023-11-21/piensa-primero-compra-despues-vestiaire-collective-prohibe-vender-zara-por-considerarla-moda-rapida.html

Clothes are produced in polluting conditions. What is unacceptable in Europe is unacceptable elsewhere. By relocating abroad, producers don’t have to worry about social and environmental criteria. They don’t treat wastewater, use pesticides, treat employees like near-slaves and use child labor.

SayNoToFastFashion: Starting this Black Friday, we are banning fast fashion brands: https://youtu.be/DMqjSL93M1g?si=gT4b9NzRxISXbMQk

World trade helps world peace. But we must stop polluting and mistreating human beings. Conditions must be imposed on imports.

We must oppose subscription systems that allow us to consume and waste at will.

Les enseignes de distribution misent sur l’abonnement pour se refaire une santé – Le Monde: https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2023/12/30/les-enseignes-de-distribution-misent-sur-l-abonnement-pour-se-refaire-une-sante_6208398_3234.html

Influencers are paid to promote fashion products. Shein is the leader in fast fashion and only invests in influencers. Exploitation, danger and low wages are the norm. Gaining people’s trust without specifying that they are paid to go one way or the other is dishonest.

Nowadays, there are disinfluencers who criticize products and mass consumption. As a result, they are accused by influencers and “experts” of conspiring, of being financed by competitors. In short, brands are scared while they have paid 30 billion in 2023 for social network influencers to promote their products.

Forget the influencers. Here come the ‘deinfluencers’ – CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/11/us/deinfluencing-tiktok-trend-explained-cec/index.html
Deinfluencers Are Sharing The Things That People Should Stop Buying, And I’m Absolutely Loving It – Buzzfeed: https://www.buzzfeed.com/karaperez/deinfluencing-tiktok-trend-2023

Zailando – [Parodie Bailando – Enrique Iglesias]: https://youtu.be/Vt4aNvpYIV8?si=TgUXQHkKpETc70hr

Keep your clothes and buy second-hand (equipped with a tape measure to find your way around the sizes). Buy second hand clothes on a shop or on line (try on clothes before you buy. Many inaccurate sizes and scams).

Drying clothes on hangers (on a rail and with a dehumidifier in the room) after shaking to remove wrinkles. This means less damage than with a tumble dryer, and less ironing (personally I don’t iron anymore).

Toujours plus ! L’économie des excès – Épisode 2/3 : Surconsommation : en découdre avec la fast fashion – France culture: https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/entendez-vous-l-eco/surconsommation-en-decoudre-avec-la-fast-fashion-5626096

Fast Fashion Ad – SNL Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live: https://youtu.be/MKTN2OiR2R8?si=HV4K3DgMeTsGGVLb