4/18/2017 1 Comment toxic trendsSustainable clothing and the avoidance of overproduction in clothing manufacturing is a rational ethical choice that helps the environment stay protected for future generations. Natural fibers and a higher quality production is one alternative to stay away from developing toxics from being released into the atmosphere, however, it is difficult to monitor why companies hardly choose a different approach to clothing production. In fact, most popular retailers have imposed a fast fashion trend, where clothing production occurs instantaneously to maximize on profit and the clothing remains cheaper than expected. Companies use the sustainable claims in their marketing strategies to influence consumer purchases, and there remains in question if the ethical choices from these brands are genuine or true at all.
Clothing manufacturing is evolving in opportunities to develop natural fibers and better techniques of production. Companies understand the evolution of consumer choices and how important eco-friendly fashion is for consumers which helps them decide what to produce. These brands “informed by the experiential & collaborative marketing approaches are mute on issues of sustainability since they compete on emotional dimensions enacted as constant identity improvement through novel clothing.” The more clothing they can sell as part of the marketing strategies the companies can remain profitable by introducing new garments every season. The discussion of sustainability issues within the clothing industry opens up more questions on how ethically produced garments are created, as well as the issues on how often clothes are produced. With awareness of the issue, more people would probably take the chances to purchase less and decrease sales. Companies are not afraid to use and market eco-friendly fashion, but they are afraid to raise awareness about consumerism and be part of the consequences. The ethical compromise to implement sustainability are labels for the consumer, however the companies still remain with a responsibility to its share holders to keep promoting certain profits. Reducing production costs is still more beneficial for the company and for consumers who want to purchase cheaper garments. The garment industry has been critized for various ethical dilemmas that question the integrity of brands. Influential figures such as Vivienne Westwood understand the importance of providing sustainability options for the fashion industry and she even advocates to consume less. The part that makes Westwood successful in the ethical fashion business is the form she embraces the transparent clothing production and making the consumer knowledgeable. “These consumers are knowledgeable about the way the clothes are made and alive to the historical lineage of their making and use” making them part of the process. This makes people more invested in their purchases and willing to care for the planet. It has become more significant for people to know the origin and production of their clothing since people want to be responsible for their contributions to the environment. The “study shows how the active involvement of consumers in not only important for commercial viability, but also…wearing clothes has ethical resonance” and people can be responsible for the clothing production. Westwood active stance on over production and natural fibers is still a developing brand, and just as much of the efforts to change, her brand is still part of the waste. Westwood is a luxury brand that is advocating for less consumerism to fight the issues regarding climate change and waste, however “ethics urges consumers” to be active in questioning “the value and meaning of what is being consumed.” The disclosure of information between brands and consumers can open up choices of purchase and changes within shopping habits to minimize clothing waste in the environment. The survival of global retail chains relies on fast fashion, which makes it much more difficult to create a structure to change the production process. Some industry names such as H&M, ZARA, and Gap are some of the highly recognized brands involved with mass production, as well as being loved among consumers for their affordable pricing and versatile designs. We are in “the era of fast fashion wherein the life of a garment can be measured in mere weeks” and people have a “disposable mentality” towards everything. Retailers cannot stay away from fast fashion because if they respond to trends, but are not quick enough “they are left with a supply of unwanted product requiring reduction at selling price” and moving on to producing the following trends. The phenomenon of fast fashion has implemented quick response strategies beneficial for companies and consumers that value clothing to have a finite life, however the business benefits from quick responses disregard the environmental factors affected by mass production. Some traits of fast fashion include the purchasing of cheap materials, mass usage of toxic chemicals to manipulate fabrics, and heavy machinery to cut, sew, and ship products. The faster the trends change, the more pressure is being held by retailers to reproduce, restock, and take away what is not selling. Despite the facts of massive retailing, H&M is one of the brands that has developed a 30-year plan to commit to sustainability within the fashion industry. This case has raised many questions and uncertainty on how this production is being developed. In online publications and on the H&M website there are findings of how the brand claims to be sustainable and the commitment they serve to becoming an ethical brand. The studies found on an academic journal demonstrate how the H&M brand uses its digital marketing to promote these claims and how effective they are as perceived by the consumers. There is no clear strategic plan where H&M discusses how it is improving its facilities or interacting with its suppliers for better fabrics, there is just a communication of “the issue of sustainability on their websites” that “investigates if they are being effective in influencing consumer awareness and perceptions as being more sustainable.” The claims of being a sustainable brand are not necessarily credible by consumers but they still play a part of how and where people decide to purchase, and overall it brings the attention to H&M as part of their marketing opportunity. Reaching out to consumers and letting them know about their responsibility to the environment is a great way to open the conversation, however it does not indicate a clear initiative for H&M to be a part of this change. It is not only up to consumers to be informed and make responsible choices, but it is retailers obligation to its consumers to provide the options of purchase as well as a more transparent production and supply chain structure. Most often referred to as the “second dirtiest industry” in the world, garment production can be blamed for various environmental issues and global concerns about the future of the planet. Among one of the demanding synthetic fabrics is polyester. This fabric along with other synthetic fabrics is created through “energy-intensive process requiring large amount of crude oil and releasing emissions including volatile organic compounds and gases. which can cause respiratory disease.” Another popular fabrics is cotton, which although it is not entirely man-made fabric, cotton crops “accounts for a quarter of all pesticides used in the United States” and allows for “subsidized low prices and high production of cotton.” Industrialization and rapid growth within fabrics remains a competitive approach for the Unites States in fabric production and cheap manufacturing. The cotton industry remains dominant in the United States instead of investing in new opportunities to expand the market or different options that will limit the waste of treating cotton fabrics. It has been cheap for manufacturer to produce and outsource clothing outside the United States but the environmental effects from over production have impacted the global spectrum. The expenses from releasing toxic gases into the air and creating health and environmental issues for future generations leave in questioning how cheap production is and the real payment consumers are making by choosing fast fashion. There is a careless attitude some retailers take on approach regarding the importance of over production. The issues go beyond disposing a few cotton t-shirts into a landfill. The significant issue is the masses of trash being collected every season, and every season actually meaning every few weeks. The wasteful mindset of disposable materials and cheap quality is also a reflection of the lack of originality in design. The reason fast fashion has become so effective is due to the rapid changes of what is considered stylish by a few days, and how every person wants to be a part of that original movement, faster than everyone else. The fast fashion pieces are easy to produce, and easier to throw away, and each brand will make profit of even the disposed materials because the prices are so cheap, someone will purchase them for when the trend comes back a second time. If fashion is really a cycle and trends come and go, it would be a much better option for consumers to develop recycling or upcycling methods to improve the life of their garments. Instead of purchasing the same shirt five different times, maybe it is easier to create one’s own alterations until the fabric is completely worn out. Clothing is a luxury market, and there is not a physiological need to fulfill a closet with multiple garments and throw them away every month. I am not disregarding the idea of the importance of clothing for some consumers and the psychological value for others, but there is more damage in the environment every time another shirt is being made. Influential brands and fashion icons have a position on sustainability and are active on addressing their opinions. While they do a great job in educating the consumers on dangers and various positions on the environment, these brands use most of the information to their advantage without ever performing acts of sustainability. There is a lack of connection between the marketing campaigns advocating for sustainability, and the contrast of seeing the same clothes every month for cheaper prices. From the consumer perspective, it is easy to blame the companies that refuse to alter the over production, yet we still pressure for faster new clothing and adopt the disposability of trends instead of making small changes in our wardrobes. It is a responsibility from consumers and leading brands to create that change and influence markets to minimize production. The environment, health, and business benefits are at stake for future generations if there is no commitment to establish rules for a more sustainable garment industry, and better fabric production for the fashion industry. Works Cited Claudio, Luz. “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry.” Environmental Health Perspectives 115.9 (2007): A449–A454. Print. Dach, Lilian and Katrin Allmendinger. "Sustainability in Corporate Communications and Its Influence on Consumer Awareness and Perceptions: A Study of H&M and Primark." Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 130, no. 4th International Conference on Marketing and Retailing 2013, INCOMaR 2013, 15 May 2014, pp. 409-418. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.048. JEACLE, Ingrid. Governing and Calculating Everyday Dress. Foucault Studies, [S.l.], p. 82-98, apr. 2012. ISSN 18325203. Available at: <https://rauli.cbs.dk/index.php/foucault-studies/article/view/3508>. Date accessed: 3 apr. 2017. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.22439/fs.v0i13.3508. Vivienne Westwood and the Ethics of Consuming Fashion Jean S. Clarke, Robin Holt Journal of Management Inquiry Vol 25, Issue 2, pp. 199 - 213 First published date: July-01-2015 10.1177/1056492615592969
1 Comment
Vanessa Beckett
6/15/2017 10:09:20 am
I really enjoyed reading this post, Leslie! My freshman year of college I was really into minimalism and I focused a lot on Fashion. I wrote a paper on conscious consumerism and I learned a lot about the amount of waste the Fashion Industry produces, so reading this post really hit home for me.
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