Clothes that are built to destroy today’s throwaway culture

June 23rd, 2010 | by admin |

Without wanting to preach, it’s pretty obvious to anyone who cares to look, that the throwaway culture of the western world is out of control and having serious economical and ecological impacts.

From plastic bags replacing leaves on trees and piles of barely worn clothes (some brand new with tags), to rotting food mountains and clothes that cost under £5, whatever manifestation of this throwaway culture you’ve noticed, it’s the ugly and unpleasant side effect of hedonistic credit card use and borrowed money.

On a more positive note, there are plenty of responsible and caring companies out there who are taking steps to reverse this. This takes the form of large corporations using less packaging, huge recycling campaigns and the area this article will focus on – ethical fashion. It’s official, ethical is cool and this doesn’t just mean talking about it, it means wearing it too and with pride.

Ethical fashion is not just about knowing where your clothes have come from, who has made them and whether they’ve been paid enough to do so, it’s also about using sustainable materials that have minimal impact on the environment and making sure that they’re built to last as it were. Ethical clothes can be made partially or completely from recycled materials of some kind, whether this is customising old clothes to bring them up to date, sourcing recycled material or sourcing materials from communities that will directly benefit in a big way.

And you shouldn’t have to compromise on style when you buy Fair trade clothes, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be just as fashionable or practical as non Fair trade, in fact you shouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

If you’re shopping online, you’ll find it hard not to stumble across a fair trade, ethical or green angle on clothing or shoes but the same can’t yet be said for shopping on the high street. While some big brands are undoubtedly dabbling and making a start behind the scenes, if they’re not boasting about it, there’s obviously a lot more that needs to be done. There are however, some shops that shout their fair trade clothing credentials from the roof tops and these are the shops that fashion magazines and the like should be endorsing and sticking on the front cover.

Until this happens, search out those conscientious souls who have brought you great quality men’s clothing, outdoor clothing and organic clothing from an ethical beginning. You’ll get the same level of ‘fashion’ but you’ll also benefit from outdoor clothing that is built to destroy our throwaway culture and so you’ll be saving money too – what have you got to lose? Make sure you look into womens fairtrade clothing.


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