Have you ever stopped to consider what your clothes are made of? Do you check the material when you try out a new piece of clothing? Do you know how the fabrics are made?
It is a fact that clothes made today are of worse quality than a hundred years ago, before mass production in distant sweat shops. Also more chemicals are used that harm the environment and the garment workers’ health even when they don’t irritate the users’ skin. You only have to look at your grandparents’ wardrobes to find clothes that are made in a completely different fashion. Fabrics were woven in a different way before mid-20th century and many of your grandparents clothes were probably made without synthetic fibres that have been invented throughout the past century.
Generally clothes made in the UK are of higher quality. Most manufacturers attempt to cut costs wherever they can but in the UK, clothes simply cannot be produced so cheaply. Therefore the quality is why people choose to buy them. Nowadays there are several brands that make ethical and organic clothes and it is becoming more and popular. A growing number of people resent the cheaply and badly made clothes that are treated with chemicals in sweat shops. There are standards for “organic” textiles, recycled fashion as well as vintage and second hand shops.
Luckily for us, our grandparents’ old-fashioned pieces will be fashionable again one day; as Coco Chanel said, fashion fades but style remains. It is not difficult to understand why vintage is a big thing these days. People search for the well-made clothes of the old days, from a time when possessions were valued in a different way than today. Fashion repeats itself in cycles. Many young people are interested in more ethical and sustainable clothes. Any new piece that you buy should last with you for at least a year. If it doesn’t, it wasn’t worth your money no matter how little it cost. It is a shame that these clothes are difficult to find in any multinational clothing chains. But online you will find various brands that fight against the trend of “use once and throw away.” It is all about respecting more your clothes, their maker and the planet.
See www.stylewithheart.com for a guide to eco-friendly and ethical fashion brands.
Nora Luoma
