“Puff sleeves vs a cinched waist” ran the subject line of an email I received recently, with a photo of an eye-piercingly bright pink dress. For a moment, I enjoyed the distraction – it was about as far from lockdown attire as you could get – but it was fleeting. If anything, these past few weeks have made us all think about what we really value and, for most of us, new dresses are not on that list.
Clothes are regarded as "nearly disposable" goods, according to an EU report last year, which found that some fashion companies now produce up to 24 collections a year, compared with five in 2011 and two in 2000.
"Fast fashion" wreaks havoc on the environment: the industry is responsible for 8-10 per cent of all global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping, according to the UN. It is also the second-biggest consumer of water worldwide. The average consumer, meanwhile, buys 60 per cent more pieces of clothing than 15 years ago.
Consumption patterns
When I started writing this column, the first step I decided to take was to observe my own patterns of consumption so that I could then introduce changes. Now, I’m finding I’m returning to that same kind of close observing at home, from food waste to driving and plastics use, and noticing how some previously essential items – like mascara – are now gathering dust.
One side effect of this crisis is that it has made us all reflect on our way of life – from work to travel and consumerism to healthcare. We have to think carefully about what we’re purchasing, now that our trips to the shops have been curtailed. And while we can continue to buy clothes online, for example, there hardly seems much point. Even if I had bought that pink dress, by the time I’d get to wear it – other than around the house, of course – those puff sleeves would most likely be outdated and very “last season”. Not that I’d mind too much, but it points to the whole ridiculousness and wastefulness of the industry and our short-term buying obsession.
Many of the dresses and shirts in my cupboard are looking a bit forlorn now – and, like us all, I’m looking forward to a return to normality. I’m also hoping we won’t all go back to the habits we had before, instead taking stock of some of the positive adjustments we’re making in our lives now, and think about how we can maintain them, long after this crisis.
