Unsustainably Ours

As I was putting on my coat to head out, I noticed a label on one of Smallsteps' coats, which is pictured below. And yes, she has plural "coats" because this is Finland where they say, "there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing". But, because of the amount of clothes required and the budget we are on, we end up shopping at places like H&M, which is relatively cheap for the quality, but also getting far more expensive than it was, not so long ago.

H&M is fast fashion.

Perhaps one of the original fast fashion companies.

I am not a fan of fast fashion, however, some of the quality of the clothes, especially in the kids clothes, is good enough that it can be handed down - though it might require choosing the pieces and materials carefully. However, one of the problems I find today is that it doesn't matter much which brands I buy, or how much I pay, very few of them last. While there are plenty of things wrong with fast fashion, from environmental issues to labour conditions, the more expensive brands seem to be unable to make anything much better, despite price tags several times higher, or more.

A lot of the clothes Smallsteps gets is from friends and family with older children, so as they grow out of it, we get it. We do the same for others. I grew up with three older brothers, so I know what it is like to get hand-me-downs. Worse though, they are a fair bit older than me, so not only are they used, they were from styles that were not yet back in fashion - but had been out of fashion for so long, it was getting close.

But they were in good condition.

And this is the problem with appealing to "environmental consideration" to the buyer, because the corporations are looking to maximize their profits regardless of the environment by making things highly disposable, not built to last. Clothes would last, cars would last, consumer electronics would last - and everything was reparable. Now, it is cheaper to throw it away than get it repaired, if you can find a repairer that is. And very little can be repaired at home, without expert knowledge, specialized equipment and a lot of practice. Which is fine, until you factor in how many other tasks are on the list these days.

Essentially, while the push to be more environmentally sustainable might be a worthy cause, it can't be left up to the consumers, especially when there is a cost of living crisis, because it unattainable. People have needs, when prices are increasing and incomes are not, they become more price sensitive. And, then those who can afford are not getting their money's worth anyway, and the good are no more sustainable than the cheaper ones - so they are just bankrolling the luxury brands to improve their marketing campaigns and further maximize their profits.

If things aren't built to last either by quality or style anyway, why pay more for it? The environment? Sure, but if that isn't legislated and it is up to the consumer, it isn't going to happen. All it does is move the burden of guilt to the consumer, even though the incentive for the corporations is still to drive profits by reducing the cost of manufacturing by lowering quality and the salaries paid. It sets up a race to the bottom for quality, and puts less money in the pockets of consumers to spend also - setting up a cyclical system that is definitely not geared toward environmental sustainability.

Perhaps if the goal was to reduce consumption, clothing would be priced based on sizes. Why should an extra small shirt cost the same as an extra large? Perhaps there should be an income tax rebate for people who keep their cars longer, or get their TV repaired, rather than buying a new one. Maybe there should be incentives for consumers that do right, rather than incentives for corporations that do wrong.

Fast fashion is not just a reflection of consumerism, it is one of the economy as a whole. It isn't set up for sustainability, it is set up for profit. Just like I think that the economy should incentivize wellbeing, where the most profits come from improving humanity - that would include activities that reduce harm to the environments in which we live, or perhaps even, do some good.

Too expensive to do good?

No. The economy doesn't care about the prices. We do, and the corporations do. Consumers are looking to save as much as we can, and corporations are looking to make as much as they can.

It is unsustainable.

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]