Every year, the fashion industry uses over 79 billion cubic metres of water – about as much as gushes over the top of Niagara Falls annually – and pumps out 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2, not far short of the transport emissions of the US.
For many, though, fashion is pure pleasure. We love shopping for it, wearing it, and posting pictures of it on Instagram. So what would we save and what would we lose if we defied the fashion gods and thought only about function? What would change in a fashion-free world?
1
The planet would look fabulous, dah-ling!
Ditching fashion would lift a huge burden off our planet. We’d save water (used in crop-growing and dyeing processes) and carbon dioxide emissions (from the industry’s energy use). And we’d also prevent pollution from the fertilisers and pesticides used in cotton farming, and hazardous chemicals used in dyes.
The sheer scale of our ‘fast fashion’ habit is mind-boggling. In Europe, we hang 6.4 million tonnes of new clothes in our wardrobes each year; US consumers now stuff in a new item every week.
“Wearing clothes is one of those fundamental needs that we all have as humans,” says Dr Mark Sumner, a fashion and sustainability researcher at the University of Leeds. “So from a population point of view, the fashion industry is huge.”
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Industry is only half the problem, though. Consumer behaviour, driven by advertising and social media, is also to blame. We can reduce our fashion footprints by donating old clothes and buying secondhand, but Sumner says that not enough of us do this – we’re too obsessed with ‘newness’.
Another fashion foible is washing clothes when they’re not dirty, which shortens their lifespan and releases more microfibres into waterways (as many as 700,000 fibres per wash), where they can harm marine life.
There’s no question that a planet without fashion would be a healthier planet – if we all went starkers, we’d be over a billion tonnes better off in terms of CO2 emissions alone. But, thinking practically, we’d probably still need to protect our modesty…
2
We’d all wear onesies… or eco-sweatpants
In the 1999 film The Matrix, the humans of circa 2199 wear scruffy, undyed, woolly jumpers – the fashion fallout of a war. Banning fashion today could result in a similar look. Government-issue coveralls might be a choice for today’s onesie-wearers, although if you can’t bear all the unzipping for toilet breaks, how about a pair of eco-sweatpants?
Organic cotton could be an environmentally-friendly fabric for our eco-pants. However, Sumner says we might need to rethink our definition of ‘organic’. While synthetic fertilisers and pesticides are banned by organic certifications, which emphasise alternatives like compost and natural pesticides, there are no limits for water consumption.
Meanwhile, growers in the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) – the world’s biggest cotton sustainability scheme – focus on key principles such as soil health, biodiversity and sustainable water use, but don’t ban the chemicals that some find unacceptable.
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“It’s swings and roundabouts with these different models in terms of what we think is right,” says Sumner. “But a huge amount of work has been done [on] trying to find ways to reduce some of the environmental harm of growing cotton.”
Sourcing sustainable cotton would provide employment for some of the hundreds of millions of people who currently work in the textile and garment-making industries. There’d also be jobs in the synthetic fibre sector: our eco-sweatpants would need polyester for sweat-resistance, and we could harvest this from old plastic bottles. Leave it undyed, with matching sweatshirt, and you have casualwear fit for dystopia.
What we wear says a great deal about us – our social standing, our music preferences, even our personality. But there’s a tension between individuality and wanting to belong, according to Dr Maria Mackinney-Valentin at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and author of Fashioning Identity. “Even though we are telling our own story, we are always doing it within socially acceptable contexts,” she says.
On the one hand, we want to stand out – difficult in a world with no fashion. But the devil can be in the detail. Prisoners and soldiers change the lacing on their shoes or turn up their collars as tiny expressions of individuality. Schoolkids flout uniform rules.
Particularly interesting is the case of North Korea, where jeans, miniskirts and colourful fabrics are restricted by the authoritarian government. Many people have just a couple of sets of clothes, and most avoid looking different.
According to a 2018 study, this is mainly to dodge the disapproval of their compatriots, with people imposing pressure on each other to dress the same. But the study also describes the experiences of 11 female defectors to South Korea. The women experienced a profound ‘culture shock’ around fashion and identity, especially about the amount of skin on show. They tried to ‘learn’ South Korean fashion so they wouldn’t stick out.
So do we really just want to fit in? Perhaps in a fashionless future, eco-uniforms would provide a sense of cohesion and wellbeing? Not for Sumner, who likens the scenario to an Orwellian-style “horror story”, where, as in the novel 1984, everyone walks around in overalls. “The main character talks about this idea that he doesn’t have any self-identity; doesn’t have any self-esteem,” says Sumner. “That’s where we’d end up if fashion didn’t exist.”
4
There’d still be class differences
Historically, fashion has never been a great class leveller. So if Meghan Markle, you and I were all slouching around in the same unbranded sweatpants, wouldn’t society be more equal?
In Elizabethan times, there were rules about what colours and fabrics you could wear, and how big your ruff could be, depending on your societal status. Earls, knights, barons and their eldest sons enjoyed velvets and gold fabrics, whereas the less wealthy were forbidden by law from ‘excesses of apparel’.
Today, like the Elizabethans, we covet luxury items as a display of our wealth and status over others. A 2017 study by researchers in Australia concluded that the brand-conscious fashion buys of women aged 19 to 34 are driven by a desire for status and uniqueness.
Meanwhile, a 2018 study identified an ‘Abercrombie & Fitch effect’, whereby men who were greeted by an athletic-looking male shop assistant bought items that were on average twice as expensive as those bought by women in the assistant’s presence, supposedly to gain dominance.
So what would happen if luxury brands didn’t exist, and our wardrobe was standard-issue? While it’s nice to think that we’d live in a more equal world, it’s likely that the upper echelons would still find a way to assert their status.
“I think it would be difficult to remove [fashion] completely, even if it was strictly regulated,” says Mackinney-Valentin. So maybe a post-fashion world would go eco-Elizabethan, with the rich and powerful reviving the ruff.
5
We’d unleash our digital selves
Could we perhaps forego the logos and luxury brands in real life, and get our fashion fix online instead? After all, digital fashion already exists: in the video game Fortnite, for example, users buy ‘skins’ which they pay for with real money. “You’re showing your individuality through these skins, which are outfits,” explains Mackinney-Valentin.
According to a 2016 study at the University of the Aegean in Greece, fashion in virtual worlds like World Of Warcraft and The Sims often performs the same function that it does in the physical one: it expresses an identity but also, potentially, helps communicate to other users what sort of group you might belong to.
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Some people make their avatar’s appearance similar to their real-life one, while others use customisation to achieve “a better version of themselves”. Freed from restrictions of flesh and fabric, characters can be as extravagant as the imagination allows, with clothing that pulsates with colour or animations.
Perhaps if we had nothing but beige sweatpants to share on Instagram, we’d all start using such avatars on our social media profiles, or even take them to virtual offices. You could log into a conference call from your sofa, wearing your eco-sweats, but show up onscreen in a gold power suit. “That makes sense,” says Mackinney-Valentin. “What a relief! You wouldn’t have to think of what to wear every morning.”
Ditching fashion would lift a huge burden off our planet. We'd save water (used in crop-growing and dyeing processes) and carbon dioxide emissions (from the industry's energy use). And we'd also prevent pollution from the fertilisers and pesticides used in cotton farming, and hazardous chemicals used in dyes.
They help create an idea of what we think about their personality. Wearing what makes you comfortable is a statement, and people will respect your individuality. This is an essential detail of why fashion is important.
Fashion allows you to modify everything around you as indicated by how you want to present yourself to the world and the way you feel. You can experiment as much as you want with various styles because that's what art is, the freedom to be whoever you want to be.
Such new fashion trends also affect the psychology of younger generations, and hence, if they do not get it, then it badly affects their minds and (likely) they become victims of psychological disorders such as eating disorders, mental illness, stress, etc.
These unsold garments are often burned, as it's cheaper and easier for the company than finding a way to reuse or recycle them. Apart from wasting resources, the fast fashion industry pollutes waterways with toxic dyes, and increases the number of microfibres in the ocean through the use of fossil fuel-based fabrics.
Concisely, fashion is not important to our lives as it does not save us from emergencies or improve our quality of life. It instead imprisons our will and perception of what is best for us and our bodies.
Although not all people care about style, it's paramount to many because it influences their looks and dictates how people address them. In other words, your style speaks for you. Style refers to your distinctive appearance, how you wear it, the appearance of your hair, and so on.
Answer: Fashion is important because it helps define human identity. It creates a sense of belonging to a certain group, either by what we wear or how we use fashion as an expression of our personality. Fashion also has the power to create social change and inspire other people in society.
fashion is the most general term and applies to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at any one time or place. the current fashion. style often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste.
Fashion trends are influenced by several factors, including cinema, celebrities, climate, creative explorations, innovations, designs, political, economic, social, and technological.
In the fashion world, “style” is usually shorthand for “personal style,” or the way an individual expresses themselves through aesthetic choices such as their clothing, accessories, hairstyle, and the way they put an outfit together.
Clothing can change people's perception of you and it can also change how you view yourself. When you look good, you feel good, you're glowing, you're more interested in your work and you're generally a better co-worker, friend, brother, sister, parent, lover.
Why do fashions change? The answer is probably as simple as the fact that people change. Over time, the new replaces the old. People are influenced by popular culture, including athletes, musicians, movie stars, social media, and royalty.
Clothes reflect who you are, how you feel at the moment and sometimes even what you want to achieve in life? Always remember whatever you wear should reflect the real you. Your dressing sense reflects your personality, character, mood, style and what actually you are as an individual.
Today, in fact, fashion accounts for up to 10% of global carbon dioxide output—more than international flights and shipping combined, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. It also accounts for a fifth of the 300 million tons of plastic produced globally each year.
The retailer does not replenish its stock—instead, it replaces items that sell out with new items. Accordingly, consumers know to purchase an item they like when they see it, no matter the price because it's not likely to be available for long.
Each wash and dry cycle, especially the latter, sheds microfilaments that move through our sewage systems and end up in waterways. It is estimated that half a million tons of these contaminants reach the ocean each year. That's the equivalent to the plastic pollution of more than 50 billion bottles.
So, do you need to follow fashion? Yes, if you don't want to look older and out of date. It doesn't mean that you have to blindly follow all the latest trends. You may prefer to look timeless, but following fashion will help you see the difference between modern, timeless, and outdated garments.
People who are fully mesmerized by the beauty and sense of fashion allow themselves to be creative. It is more than a personal style which forms art through fabrics and textures. Creating the most fine-looking outfits can be a mix-matching of items that you can even see in your closet for years.
Caption Options. The researchers found that a “sufficient” wardrobe consists of 74 garments and 20 outfits in total. As an example, they've suggested six outfits for work, three outfits for home wear, three outfits for sports, two outfits for festive occasions, plus four outdoor jackets and trousers or skirts.
Clothes shield us from dust and the sun's damaging rays. It also protects us from natural elements like heat, cold, dust, and pathogens, as well as natural disasters such as rain and snow.
Protection. First and most important reason for our clothing is it provides protection from heat cold, wind, and rain. We all know extreme weathers can affect our skin and body. Since our skin is open and uncovered these extreme weathers can easily affect our skin for eg.
Sustainability is still the biggest problem the fashion industry is now facing, despite the fact that it is the second most polluting industry on the planet. The creation of clothing consumes a great deal of natural resources and generates a tonne of harmful waste that is dumped directly into waterways.
Self-confidence: The fashion industry is competitive to the point of being cutthroat. Success isn't guaranteed, and you'll need to put in long nights and endure plenty of pitfalls on your way to the top. Being able to keep your confidence level high is the key to leaving your mark on the fashion world.
Everyone has a sense of style–even if you don't know it yet. I think that our clothing is a fun and easy way to stand out. All you have to do is be more experimental.
“When we wear clothes, the associations we place on them have the power to alter the way we feel and even impact the way we act,” Forbes-Bell says. “So, for example, if you associate a particular dress or color with joy, then you will embody that feeling of joy when you put it on.”
Clothes Can Make You Feel Powerful. High-quality, well-tailored clothing can help you feel more confident and powerful, allowing you to take on challenges at work and in your personal life. Research has shown that wearing formal clothing can change the way you view and approach situations.
A need is an essential of daily living, such as clothing, food and shelter. On the other hand, want is more nice-to-have things such as a shoe collection or a nice phone. Wants can make our lives more comfortable or better, but we could still survive without them.
"What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language." "Fashion should be a form of escapism, and not a form of imprisonment." "Fashion is like eating; You shouldn't stick to the same menu."
Social factor is one of the most significant factors that influence fashion frequently and expansively. Its area is pretty wide and includes many factors, such as place of living (urban area or rural area), educational and cultural background, status in society, gender, profession, and, of course, occasions.
To understand the competitive dynamics of the fashion retail industry, it is useful to conduct a Five Forces Analysis, which takes into account the five key forces that shape the industry: the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of buyers, the threat of substitute products, ...
Fashion keeps a society lively through different new styles and subsequent changes. Fashion promotes social changes from time to time and also respects traditions and customs in society. Fashion encourages to modify or amend all those customs that are rigid and have no relevancy anymore.
Fashion started when humans began wearing clothes. These clothes were typically made from plants, animal skins and bone. Before the mid-19th century the division between haute couture and ready-to-wear did not really exist.
Fashion trends now start and evolve through five key ways: from the runway, from street style, through celebrities, through fashion bloggers, and through the different fashion capitals of the world.
Why do fashions change? The answer is probably as simple as the fact that people change. Over time, the new replaces the old. People are influenced by popular culture, including athletes, musicians, movie stars, social media, and royalty.
Between 80 and 100 billion new clothing garments are produced globally every year. 87% of the materials and fibers used to make clothing will end up in either incinerators or landfills. Only 20% of discarded textiles are collected. Only 1% of clothes will get recycled into new garments.
The result: a steep decline in GDP, skyrocketing unemployment, serious government debt and surging poverty”. MacKinnon frames it as the 'consumer dilemma' – we must stop consuming at a rate that is harmful to our planet but if we do this the economy appears to crash.
It dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year. Even washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.
The fashion style for most teens is influenced by the individuals they surround themselves with. Most teens feel that they need to fit in. The majority replicate fashion around them to get feel worthy and valuable. Teens use fashion to maintain friendships and boost their self-regard.
$500 billion is Lost Each Year Because of Under-wearing and Failure to Recycle Clothes. The worst aspect of our reckless thrown-away culture is that the vast majority of clothes being tossed each year is not recycled. Globally, just 12% of the material used for clothing ends up being recycled.
Waste is prevalent in every part of the fashion industry, as a result of overproduction, over consumption and problematic end-of-life solutions. Every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truck load of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill.
Tyson had said, "That would be disastrous. We are all moving with the Earth at 800 miles an hour due East. If you stopped Earth and you weren't seatbelt buckled to the Earth, you would fall over and roll 800 miles an hour due East." "It would kill everyone on Earth.
The overconsumption of natural resources leads to environmental degradation and negative impacts on our society. We are quickly consuming our way toward a world where there will be few resources left for future generations.
The negative effects of consumerism include the depletion of natural resources and pollution of the Earth. The way the consumer society is working is not sustainable. We are currently overusing Earth's natural resources with more than 70 percent.
Waste occurs at every stage of the garment manufacturing process, harming wildlife, degrading land, and polluting soil and water. The fast fashion industry is a significant contributor to the climate crisis, responsible for as much as 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
People with higher incomes generate on average 76% more clothing waste than people with lower incomes. Once textiles are discarded, 66% of them are sent to landfills in the U.S. where they decompose — some quickly and others over hundreds of years.
Some big names such as Zara, Forever21, and H&M have been associated with fast fashion. They produce inexpensive models of trending garments quickly and thus enjoy high customer satisfaction levels. But, fast fashion is dying, and these companies that once made huge profits are now on the verge of closure.
Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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