Reasons to reject fast fashion

The industrialised global clothing industry plays a significant role in the 21st century climate crisis.

Cotton production is the second most polluting industry on earth after fossil fuels. The sheer scale of demand has led to huge monocultures in cotton farming, using large quantities of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation.

Polyester is a plastic derived from oil. The extraordinary growth in the use of plastics since the second world war has been driven by the oil industry. Like other plastics, polyester doesn’t biodegrade, it simply breaks down into ever smaller particles of plastic.

The shedding of micro-plastics while laundering polyester is a contributor to the plastic soup developing in the oceans. Micro-plastics are now entering the food chain and can be found accumulating in the human body.

Most discarded polyester clothing goes to landfill or is incinerated, releasing carbon into the air, which fuels the rise in global temperatures.

Furthermore, the thinking around the consumption of clothes has changed in the last few decades. The process of making garments has been taken out of the everyday and local skillset and monopolised by industry, frequently exporting huge social costs to communities in developing countries.

Clothing is seen as disposable, with textile production and garment manufacturing increasing exponentially. Fast fashion clothing is designed to have a short lifespan, fuelling consumer demand. Clothes are discarded and replaced when, in terms of sustainability, it would be preferable to design longevity into the garment from the outset, and to encourage and enable mending, recycling and biodegradability. 

At article green

Our production process is based on the guidance of sustainable fashion and circular economy educators.

We use natural textiles, grown using environmentally sustainable methods.

The colours are achieved using OKEO-tex certified, non-toxic dyes.

Packaging is plastic-free.

I work with a small team of tailors and dressmakers who make your garment once you have placed your order, avoiding the waste that goes with over-production.

When completely worn out, our clothes can be recycled or composted, leaving a minimal environmental footprint after what we hope will be years of wear.