As consumers, we have the power of where to spend our money. However, often we feel left with only bad choices when it comes to buying responsibly produced fashion. I think it is our responsibility to tell the industry that we care. We want better, green and fair fashion. Starting a new conversation within society is the only way to make change happen. Start this new conversation with me, today!
Me, myself and my double consumer personality
Do you recognize this? When talking to people about environmental pollution and bad labour conditions in the fashion industry, everybody agrees that the status quo is bad and needs to change. According to the 2015 Cone Communications/Ebiquity Global CSR study 84% of the participating consumers said that they seek out responsible products whenever possible. But at the same time fast fashion companies are growing without a limit.
As consumers, we seem to have a double personality. We do have the best of intentions to contribute to a fairer and greener world, but in the end price or convenience often determine our choices. Who doesn’t know the feeling when you just fell in love with this new dress that seems to be made for you? Standing in front of that mirror and looking gorgeous our doubts vanish and we buy without asking any further questions.
We buy clothes to look and feel good, not to save the world
Social scientist used to think that if only people had enough information on how things are made, they would make more responsible choices. That is called the information deficit model. But if we are honest, we do know. And if we don’t, we know that all the information is just a few clicks away. The thing is, we are not using it when we make consumer choices. The decision whether to buy a T-shirt or new pair of jeans is not a rational choice weighing arguments on how it was made. It is about us and how the colour makes our eyes shine or how the style makes us look and feel attractive.
While we do evaluate all kinds of arguments including the environmental impact when buying more functional and expensive things like a new car or washing machine this is usually not the case when buying clothes. We don’t buy fashion to save the world, but to make ourselves feel good and to look beautiful. We express our personalities with the outfits we wear. It would be nice if we could also express our values by the way our clothes are made.
Be happy and proud to wear your favourite outfits!
Being a conscious consumer and wishing to make a difference can be frustrating sometimes. But there is an aspect that makes it very enriching. By making choices more consciously we learn more about ourselves. When you know your personal style, you don’t have to follow every new fashion trend created by the industry because you know what makes you shine. Wearing your favourite outfits makes you feel good and powerful. It can even make you feel proud when they are made under responsible conditions.
(1) http://www.conecomm.com/research-blog/2015-cone-communications-ebiquity-global-csr-study
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