WHAT IS THE WORTH OF FASHION INDUSTRY?

SOME OF THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

While exploring different dimensions of industry, specifically in the fashion domain, I realised that we already have a lot of boutiques coming up every single day; we have a lot of fashion brands and retail outlets selling fashionable clothes. There’s nothing new right!

Nobody wants to repeat their clothes; nobody wants to throw away their dresses as well.

We don’t change our furniture every day, or we don’t, let’s say change our phones every single day just because there’s a new phone launched in the market that is aesthetically beautiful. We don’t neglect the functionality and quality aspect of our electronic gadgets or our furniture or even our cars. However, we always feel that we don’t have anything to wear, even if our wardrobes are stocked up with piles of clothes and fashionable accessories. So what is it that our fashion industry selling to us? Are they selling us beauty? Are they selling us status that is associated with a brand’s identity; or are they just persuading us to loosen our pockets and spend more than we require? (Cash flow is good for an economy but at what cost?)

We need to ask this question to ourselves that, “do I need that another piece of dress for that party”, or “do I need another pair of shoes while I already have a bunch of them?”

 

We’ve been fed with this idea of sustainability. Like seriously! Have we forgotten that in the name of sustainability, we’re sold that same old material! Because it works like a loop, the more you buy new clothes, the more you’ll generate waste and the more these so-called sustainable brands will benefit from it; because they’ll have the raw materials to prepare those garments again in new styles and features, and different colours, etc. (Ironically, brands like H&M and Zara are adopting the concept of sustainability!)

 

So these questions arise: What value do these fashionable outfits provide you? Do they boost your confidence? Do they make you look more beautiful?

(Fashion has become more like ornamentation!)

My question to this shallow industry is: WHAT ARE YOU SELLING? WHAT VALUE ARE WE GETTING AT THE RECEIVING END? Of course, the apparel industry is the second most employment generator that provides employment to so many people after the agriculture business; BUT AT WHAT COST? Where do your clothes end up, even if they’re sustainable? They end up in the landfills! And yes, your sustainable clothes too are non-biodegradable. Sustainability is a misunderstood term, obviously because it is fed into our brains that it is the best alternative option. It does not just means that you need to make another piece of garment from your old clothes. Even if you’re buying less and investing more into quality, works. Wearing that same coloured t-shirt and a pair of jeans that are environment friendly also counts as a sustainable option. It doesn’t make you look poor, but it does make you look wise. Sustainability doesn’t necessarily start from the business’ side, but it starts with your own decision.

When we’re making a decision while we’re window shopping or just scrolling through e-commerce sites for those extra pair of shoes or for that another dress, just think about the impact that your small decision will have on the environment. Look for that quality in the garment that you look for when you buy a smart-phone or any other valuable thing. Make a record of your buying habits and keep a watch on your spending habits. Where do most of your spending go: on a valuable thing or activity (like books, a new course, investment, funds, savings, and charitable work, or even spending quality time with your friends or family members at a restaurant or on a trip) or on fashion whose value depreciates over time. What gives you good memories, a Gucci (any brand or designer label), or the time you spent with your loved ones?

There are a lot of questions that aren’t answered by our industry experts in this particular domain. The fashion industry is veiled behind a retarded psychology. Let’s be wise, and consider the flip side of it as well.

 

 

(A small note from the writer:

“Why not we encourage the brands that are selling apparel that protects us from the UV radiation, is anti-microbial, vegan, biodegradable, environment friendly, etc.? Why not we consider some of the key aspects of quality like: “do they need to be washed every single day”, “does its dye washes away in the water leaving harmful effluents with it”, “does its fibres (like that of polyester) are inhaled by us or by animals”, etc.

Particularly mentioning the handloom industry; we don’t pay as much for handloom products or something that is handmade by artisans as we pay for fashion brands while shopping from a mall or high street. Do you know why we call those workers as “artisans” and not just mere workers? Because they don’t just make products to adorn, but their work carries with them our tradition, the sense of pride, and the dedication and hard work of those workers who’ve been doing this work for generations.”)