There is a cost to your beautiful, fashionable wardrobe beyond the purchase cost. I don't say this to make you feel guilty, only to help make you a more educated consumer. Fashionopolis covers the history of fashion, fast fashion, and its massive impact on the world. The author argues that the impact is significantly negative upon both human rights and the environment. One choice fact is that the average American throws out 80 pounds of clothes every year; she calls this fashion bulimia (possibly my favorite new term!). I witnessed an act of fashion bulimia as my daughter threw out ~10 sweatshirts she no longer wanted or needed, the very definition of waste! The tide indeed seems to be changing. I call attention to H&M's mea culpa, asking consumers to consider the true impact of purchasing one of their hoodies. I am also encouraged by brands like Kardo by my friend Rikki Dar in India who makes slow fashion, where each worker earns a living wage, and his/her handiwork is identified on each label. I know these are complex issues of comparative labor advantage, etc. but I think we all would benefit from shifting the demand curve down and holding brands to a higher standard of production. I would like to thank my new friend Jeff T. for this recommendation and his important work on improving supply chain standards.
