Sustainability in Fashion

In the 21st century, competition in economic consumption has increased as people strive to spend more on purchasing clothes, shoes, jewelry and other valuables of specific brands in order to stand out against other citizens in the country. Advancement in technology has increased consumerism ideology as people share pictures having the best fashions from recognized brands. Examples of sustainable fashion products are organic linen clothing manufactured by Eileen Fisher brands. The brand is known for its high ethical and sustainable fashion clothing (Bauman, 1992). The brands also advocate for social and environmental justice by doing business in a different way in terms of overseeing their supply chain to ensure fair working wages. Basically, the materials used provide the same components of cotton and therefore consumers continue to purchase them when Eileen Fisher brands run out of fashions made of organic cotton.

In the highly developed capitalist economy, people are being judged by what they consume and their characters are defined with the images they portray in their outward look. Eileen Fisher and Hermes brands have incorporated this strategy by developing clothes of different styles and shapes in order to fit into the competitive fashion industry. It has developed different sweaters and t-shirts having V-shaped necks, boat necks, and round necks. Shoes of different shapes and sizes such as boots, doll shoes, sandals and rubbers of the same brand have been developed so that they can complement the clothes worn by consumers who are loyal to the brand. The brand is registered with various multilateral trade companies in order to increase the efficiency of exporting the products to different countries without experiencing any barriers or problems with the host countries.

The brand's ability to trade freely with many countries has increased consumerism ideology about the brand and it has also contributed to profit maximization of the company. Eileen Fisher brands help in promoting sustainability in the fashion industry by encouraging its consumers to swap their clothes with the others. They have provided links on their online blogs such as clothes swap where their clients can be able to give away their unwanted clothes in exchange for other clothes from those who also don’t need their clothes (Gibson & Stanes, 2011). This method ensures that the environment is protected since few clothes end up in the landfills. An example is the Burberry brand which burns over 20 million pounds of fashionable products after recycling of only 15% of the total clothes to be recycled yearly.

Marx (1846), argues that capitalism is a theoretical blow that affects fashion industries and it is not easy to recover from it. Capitalism is a method that enables a few individuals to prosper while living the majority to remain in poverty. The main aim of many fashion companies is to minimize cost, maximize sales and maximize profits in a short span of time. However, Eileen Fisher brand aims at making profits but at the same time observing the needs of its consumers. Politicians have joined hands in campaigning against environmental degradation and water pollution. Politicians have raised alarm against the increasing rate of water pollution caused by organic cotton manufacturing companies. Micheletti (2003) argues that politicians show that there are some connections between environmental issues, human rights, and sustainable development and what consumers purchase.

Politicians have taken a step ahead in addressing such issues to the public and educating consumers on how to reuse their unwanted clothes and ways to dispose of them properly. Similarly, organic cotton production firms have been funded by the government to purchase advanced equipment that will help in reducing water pollution by minimizing waste released from production. Gibson & Stanes, (2011). ‘Is Green the New Black? Exploring Ethical Fashion Consumption in Lewis T. ’ (ed) Ethical Consumption Reader, London: Routledge, p. Juliet Schor, ‘In Defense of Consumer Critique: Revisiting the Consumption Debates of the Twentieth Century’, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 611 (2007), 16-30. ) Khan, N. garnethill. com/womens-fashion/eileen-fisher-clothing/#unbxd-product-index=33 Figure 2: Eileen Fisher Milton shoes Source: https://www. garnethill.

com/womens-fashion/eileen-fisher-clothing/#unbxd-product-index=33 ENDS TODAY: 40% Off Flannel Bedding & Pj’s | 25% OFF the rest + FREE SHIPPING on everything Figure 3: Eileen Fisher-Discounts given to consumers Source: https://www. garnethill. 1007/s10603-015-9305-5 Austgulen argues that the fashion industry is among the leading industry in environmental pollution although it is greatly affected by various environmental hazards during its production process. The bad news is that all the burdens on protecting the environment are transferred to the consumers who also take part in purchasing the fashion products. This article outlines how consumers living in Western Europe countries have taken part in reducing environmental pollution. The article also outlines how political consumption differs or is similar to a citizen’s consumption. The author presents the article in a logical manner by presenting the problem, analyzing the problem and concluding the findings with some discussions.

Clothing should be directly linked to how people see food and inquire about the nature of the food. The author gives evidence on how Low-priced fashion became a worldwide phenomenon and supply chains grew at an uncontrollable rate. This resulted in a lack of investment in safety and workplace standards. This article helped me to understand the meaning of Ethical Fashion and dhow factories manipulated consumers by selling lightweight clothes at very high costs.   Fletcher, Kate. The author argues that the fashion industry has contributed to instability in the fashion industry. However, implementation of “slow culture” in the fashion world might impact positively on its future stability. The author provides evidence of how two billion people that live on just two dollars a day while social mobility has become stagnant and natural environments are degrading.