Fashion Revolution: Sustainable and Ethical Choices in the Era of Fast Fashion
When it comes to consumerism, nearly nothing represents wide scale materialism the way the fashion industry does. The fashion industry emits 10% of the world's carbon emissions, and 85% of all textiles go to landfills each year. In addition, people are buying more clothes and throwing them out at a faster rate: one study reports consumers buying 60% more clothes than they did in 2000, but wearing them for only half as long. The globalized production and consumption of clothes is a trademark of fast fashion, a method of design and manufacturing that focuses solely on cheap production, often using low-quality materials and outsourcing labor to countries overseas with lower minimum wages and more relaxed labor laws.
Consumers and nonprofits seeking to reform the fashion industry are calling for more accountability from fashion brands themselves, with many advocating for an alternative to fast fashion known as circular fashion — clothes that are produced with the intention of being used effectively for as long as possible and are able to return safely to the biosphere when no longer in use. The idea of sustainable fashion, however, requires just as much attention to fair labor as it does environmental conservation. One group, Fashion Revolution, focuses on calling attention to these two issues in the fashion industry by advocating for brands that don’t harm people or the planet.
This week is Fashion Revolution week — April 19th through 25th — an annual campaign which surrounds the anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza accident in Bangladesh, when a building that housed several large garment factories collapsed, killing over 1,100 people and injuring another 2,500. This year’s theme, titled “Rights, Relationships, and Revolution,” explores the relationship between the environmental and human impacts of fast fashion. Their mission states that “human rights and the rights of nature are interconnected and interdependent” and that “the human exploitation and ecosystem degradation we see all around us today are the product of centuries of colonialism and globalized exploitation.” With these two themes in mind, consumers can take this week to explore options for supporting more sustainable and ethical brands as well as shifting towards a more circular economy through shopping secondhand.
A convenient way to see some of the environmental and social ramifications of different labels is to check Good On You, an app and website that rates well-known fashion brands so consumers can know what type of practices their money is supporting before they buy. They also list the 35 most ethical and sustainable clothing brands, and you can search any brand to see its sustainability rating using metrics that take into account the impact on people, animals, and the planet. While background checking other designers, be sure to check out these Black-owned and Asian-owned sustainable brands to support BIPOC and AAPI communities.
Shopping secondhand or from sustainable brands is listed as one of the top 30 ways for individuals to be more environmentally friendly in 2021. With the greenwashing that often happens in so-called “sustainable” brands, often the best option for sustainable fashion is to buy secondhand from thrift or consignment stores. Luckily, when it comes to finding thrift stores and other options for sustainable shopping, the Bay Area is home to some of the best.
In a list of least to most expensive secondhand stores, Goodwill is definitely the most affordable and has become a nationwide institution for secondhand shopping since its establishment in 1902. A 501(c)3 nonprofit, Goodwill works to hire those with barriers to employment, providing job training and other community-based services to people who may lack necessary resources. In the Bay Area alone, there are over fifteen stores, and each store takes any and all donations they are given. Shopping at Goodwill requires patience and an eye for detail, as clothes are crammed onto racks according to their size and type. However hectic it may be, Goodwill remains one of the best places to shop for affordable, thrifted clothing while supporting employment opportunities for all.
Out of the Closet has stores in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco, with twenty other locations nationwide. They separate their clothes by size and clothing type, similar to Goodwill, but tend to operate on a smaller and much more organized scale that makes the shopping experience more streamlined. Supporting Out of the Closet is beneficial for more than just the environment; 96 cents of every dollar they make go directly to helping people living with HIV or AIDS, and their website also provides information on locations for free HIV testing. Prices are decently low, making it an affordable option for those looking for secondhand clothes.
Anyone who has tried to sell at a Buffalo Exchange before knows they can be picky when it comes to what type of clothing is accepted, but this makes for a more curated shopping experience that provides customers with cute, trendy options. Prices typically are about mid-range for a secondhand shop: more expensive than Goodwill, but less expensive than more upscale consignment. Although their Berkeley store has closed, they have two locations in San Francisco — one on Haight Street and one in the Mission District.
2nd Street USA is relatively new to the Bay Area thrifting scene, as their Telegraph location opened in late December of 2020. They carry a lot of recognizable brands and have an impressive luxury consignment section. Rather than organizing by size or clothing type in the way that Goodwill and Buffalo do, 2nd Street organizes their clothes by style — categories include sportswear, skater, and vintage, to name a few. In addition to visiting them in Berkeley, you can shop online and browse what is currently being carried.
Originally founded in Berkeley, Wasteland has expanded to two stores in L.A. and one store in the Haight district of San Francisco. They pride themselves on their “vibe and culture,” which does make them a more selective secondhand store as those making donations are not guaranteed every piece will be accepted. The employees select designer labels, modern labels, and vintage that are on-trend and unique according to the season. It tends to be the most pricey, but it’s a great option for those seeking a more curated secondhand experience shopping from the trendiest labels.
Indigo Vintage is a female-owned and operated vintage store, with an emphasis on promoting women, queer communties, and POC in a male-dominated industry. While not a secondhand store, part of their mission includes connecting shoppers to “sustainable and thoughtfully curated goods” and “providing a progressive platform for small businesses,” making them a good option for those looking to shop more sustainably. In their cooperative, they showcase different local vintage vendors each month, providing an easy and accessible way for small business owners to reach a larger audience. Prices are typically much higher than they would be at a consignment store, but the high costs are reasonable considering the small-scale vendors they work with. Indigo has stores in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz.
While shopping secondhand is significantly better for the environment, like any other form of consumption, it comes with nuanced social consequences that consumers should consider. The rise of thrifting culture, especially among younger generations, has led to criticisms of secondhand shopping contributing to gentrification as prices rise with increasing demand. Capitalizing on thrifting for the aesthetic makes sustainability a trend and decreases accessibility for low-income folks, who have been shopping at secondhand stores for far longer than thrifting has been “in.” However, not all individuals have the financial capability to support ethical or sustainable brands, whose prices tend to be much higher than fast fashion brands. Those with the resources to support truly ethical and sustainable brands should do so, but thrifting is still an excellent option for sustainable shopping. More affluent consumers just need to be mindful of how their thrifting habits might limit the choices of others who rely on it more.
Sustainable fashion is not just important during Fashion Revolution Week. It’s time for fashion brands to adjust their production methods to ensure environmental sustainability and human rights are at the center of their practices.
