I was browsing around on reddit and saw a post about the streetwear industry. One commenter stated they quit making streetwear because they couldn’t stop feeling guilty for advocating useless consumerism. They asked themselves the question “Does the world really need another t-shirt?” and their own answer “was, and is, No.”
This comment really got me thinking about my own position not as a consumer but a potential aspirational designer/maker.
I think this comment can be made about a lot of industries, namely many of the industries that provide consumer goods. Does the world really need more shoes or more sketch books or more bicycles or more dinner plates or more sofas? In richer countries most people already have so much that they could probably stop buying non-consumables (products excl. food, personal care products etc.) for years before they would actually need something new.
I can’t remember the last time I broke a plate or a bowl and I currently have more than the minimum I need. This means I could probably last at least five or ten years on what I currently own if not longer (my parents still have kitchen stuff they have had for decades that hasn’t worn or broken).
Of course clothing does wear down although in my view we should not treat garments as something to be used only a few times before getting rid of it (whether that’s throwing it in the garbage or donating: if you don’t plan on wearing the garment much, maybe you could choose to not buy it instead?). Most of us in richer countries have plenty large wardrobes so we could easily stop buying clothes for a year or two or maybe even five or ten for some people and still have enough good stuff to wear.
So yes, looking at the large wardrobes of many in rich countries, we don’t need ‘another t-shirt’. But let’s be realistic: most people who can afford it will still want to buy new garments regularly. Many people like the novelty of trends. Especially many younger people are still experimenting with their style and in that process they will buy garments they end up yeeting from their wardrobe after a couple wears. Many people will still want to buy a new outfit for a special occasion. And then there’s weight gain and weight loss which means new clothes if it’s more than 5-10 kg (depending on the type of garments you wear).
In my comment to the Reddit post I touched on that it’s important for people to work in a job that suits them. For some people the only job they feel they are going to be really happy with is in the fashion/garment industry. And that’s ok. I think it is possible to make consumer goods that are not absolutely essential to life but that are also not pushing consumerism.
If as a designer/manufacturer you create high-quality garments locally (in your own country/region) using materials grown and processed as local as possible, you pay workers a fair wage and price your garments so that consumers will value them more, I don’t think that’s bad.
As a designer/manufacturer you can push for positive change whilst also selling consumer goods:
- You could use your online presence to inform the public on the garment industry and show what you are doing to improve the industry.
- You could donate some of your profits to an environmental charity.
- You could accept used textiles that you will then recycle, reuse or upcycle in some way.
- You could fund research and publications on the garment industry and propose policy changes to make improvements.
I really do understand the commenter’s attitude but I feel it is somewhat defeatist. Having such an attitude might make it difficult to find a way to happily contribute to society in any way.
But of course fashion (as opposed to simply ‘clothes’) is a luxury. It is absolutely possible to choose a totally different career such as teaching or healthcare where you are fulfilling a need as opposed to a want/desire, or at least fulfill a desire that’s closer to the base of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
In the end, the choice as to what industry to make a career in depends on your own ethical views, what you want your place in the world to be, what your talents are, and what works for your personality and other ambitions in life.
