You’re shopping to find the perfect outfit. A ridiculously sparkly dress catches your eye. Even though it would work better as a disco ball than something to actually wear, for $12.99 it’s an absolute bargain. Wait. Before you pull out your wallet, consider this. Will you wear this glitter bomb ever again? A month from now, the gold glitter will be at the bottom of the ocean, perhaps lining the stomach of an unfortunate fish. And your dress? Its limp skeleton will be hidden deep within your closet, a fragment of its former glory.
As Yves Saint Laurent put it, “Fashion fades but style is eternal.” This is certainly true in the 21st century. The hottest thing might be unfashionable the next day. All this choice at your fingertips! But is it a blessing or a curse?
Don’t forget the hidden cost of this supposedly “cheap” frock. Rivers in China run deep magenta from the excess dye from garment factories. There is a joke that you can tell the 'it' shade of the season by looking at the colour of the rivers. Isn’t this a big price to pay for that dress you’ll only wear once?
The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter after oil, polluting the environment more than shipping and aviation combined. The volume of water needed to make a pair of jeans is 3500 litres, the amount I would drink in four and a half years. Every poorly-made skirt, micro-plastic releasing shirt and cheap pair of earrings will add up. Fast fashion is on track to destroying the planet.
I’ve tried to do my part by shopping sustainably, not buying unnecessary clothes and experimenting with crafty solutions like upcycling. Sometimes picking between style and sustainability is hard. Growing up in Asia, there are cultural stigmas associating thrifting and vintage shopping with being “dirty” or “poor”, making it harder for people to change their ways.
It’s not too late to make a difference. Designers are inventing innovative plant-based fabrics that require less water to make. Stella McCartney’s designs use a faux-leather called Mylo, which is made from mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. Spanish brand Piñatex also makes a fake leather derived from discarded pineapple leaves. These seemingly far-fetched solutions are a step in the right direction.
If wearing fungi isn’t appealing, there are other ways to make a change. We can do our part by raising awareness of this global crisis. By taking action, we can change the future. So put that sequined dress back on the rack. You’ll save the earth, and also save yourself the humiliation of wearing that tacky dress in public. A win-win situation, and you’ll thank yourself in the future!