The sobering reality behind clothing manufacturing is that it’s one of the largest causes of pollution in the world. This should give any eco-conscious consumer pause, especially if, like me, you loooooove shopping for clothes. But so-called “fast fashion”—a.k.a. fashion made on the cheap—and denim jeans are the biggest culprits because of toxic chemicals involved in their production, including mercury, phthalates and lead. Your Cheap Mondays pollute the world’s waterways and oceans, killing sea life and poisoning the drinking waters of countries such as Bangladesh and Mexico.
This is slowly being brought to light via global nonprofits such as 1 Million Women (www.1millionwomen.com.au) and Fashion Heroes (www.fashionheroes.eco), whose founders have made the great documentary RiverBlue to discuss the fashion industry’s secret river pollution. High-end brands such as Adidas and H&M offer buyback programs to prevent old clothing from going into landfills and instead recycle them into new garments. Other companies such as Levi’s are developing less water-consuming processes to produce jeans.
Want to make a difference in saving the ocean, but don’t want to scale back on the shopping? These tips will help you along your journey toward sustainable fashion.
• Stick to buying clothing made from plant-based, natural fibers such as wool, cotton, bamboo or hemp—and make sure they’re organic, as it ensures no harmful chemicals or pesticides were involved.
• Wash your clothes in bulk. More clothes creates more friction in a wash cycle, and way fewer microfibers—loose threads shed from fabric—will go down the drain and into our oceans.
• Buy thrifted or upcycled clothing. There’s plenty of vintage and secondhand stores in OC to search for some gently pre-owned threads.
• Buy from eco-conscious brands such as Monkee Genes, Source Denim, Recycle Runway, Mini Mioche and Bluer. Check out Fashion Heroes’ online directory for more.
• Make your own clothes! We hear old OC Weeklys make great fashion garments . . . and statements!
Aimee Murillo is calendar editor and frequently covers film and previously contributed to the OCW’s long-running fashion column, Trendzilla. Don’t ask her what her favorite movie is unless you want to hear her lengthy defense of Showgirls.
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