Down to Earth: Fashion forward

Down to Earth is a monthly environmental column that explores what it means to live sustainably.

When Ohio State fashion and retail studies professor Tasha Lewis’ class visited the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill in October, students were met with an interesting sight. In a sea of food waste and household garbage, someone dumped a prom dress. 

“Textiles are about 4% of what’s in [the Franklin County] landfill,” Lewis said. “Most of what they get is food waste. So, I didn’t feel as bad, but one of the things about textiles is they should never even be there because they can be recycled and reused.”

According to the Geneva Environment Network, nearly 85% of all textiles go to landfills yearly. As fast fashion companies — organizations that make inexpensive, mass-produced clothing — grow, so does the fashion industry’s environmental impact. 

Molly Hoskin, president of Students for Sustainable Fashion and a fourth-year in environment, economy, development, and sustainability, said fast fashion relies on quickly changing trends.

“People are constantly cycling through trend after trend and are purchasing clothes that are unethically made, harm the environment and water, and are made with [low-quality] materials,” Hoskin said in an email. “Unsustainable fashion is easily expendable and thrown away. Specific brands include Zara, [SHEIN], Forever 21, H&M, Old Navy, Cider and Brandy Melville.”

Lewis, who researches sustainability within apparel supply chains, said consumer behavior — what people choose to buy and how they treat those garments — is not the only deciding factor in determining how sustainable a piece of clothing is.

“When we make fabrics, we use a lot of energy,” Lewis said. “We have to dye them with colors. We used water, chemicals, energy to make the fabrics. And when we do that, we’re using what are called virgin resources. So, we’re growing new cotton, making new polyester.”

Garments start with fibers, which can be synthetic, natural or a mix, Lewis said. These fibers become yarns that are used to make textiles or fabrics, which are cut or sewn into clothing pieces.

“We can look at the fabric or the textile as a major inflection point about how sustainable this garment could be,” Lewis said. “Consumers don’t usually have a lot of choice when it comes to that.”

What consumers do have control over is what they choose to buy, if they choose to buy anything at all, Hoskin said.

“The best [sustainable fashion] practice would be creating your own clothes! Though as a college student that might be a little unfeasible,” Hoskin said. “The next best practice I would recommend is learning how to upcycle your clothing. Learning how to hand sew is an amazing tool that can be used for sewing buttons, holes and hemming clothes. If sewing is not your thing, then look into companies that are sustainable, and purchase clothes that will last a long time.”

Lewis said when she chooses to purchase new pieces, she asks herself two questions: What else does this go with? What is it made out of?

“My first thing is, ‘My utility is going to be pretty high, so I’m going to wear this,’” Lewis said. “Then, I like to look at the material that it’s made out of. Is this something that’s recycled material or is it something that will biodegrade? Usually, it will biodegrade if it’s made out of a natural fiber like cotton, wool.”

On the flip side, when someone no longer has use for a piece — like a prom dress — there are multiple routes to sustainably dispose of it, Lewis said.

“We can use it for something else, even if you can’t wear it anymore,” Lewis said. “And so with that, I tell people, ‘Make sure you donate it to a charity, a clothing bin, or give it to somebody or try to repurpose it yourself.’”

Lewis said it’s important to remember that there is nothing inherently wrong with buying and enjoying clothing.

“[Fashion is] a huge global industry,” Lewis said. “I just want people to be more responsible, more informed. But I still understand that we need to buy fashion as a society and it’s part of, culturally, who we are. So, I never condemn anybody for buying fashion.”

Sustainable behaviors can coexist with a love of fashion and trends, Lewis said.

“Appreciate fashion for what it is: a part of who we are as humans,” Lewis said. “And it’s a part of what we enjoy. So, I never want to make it feel so negative. But I want us to be more conscious, aware and really thinking about what we’re buying, how things are operating and asking the questions of companies and really showing up with what we buy.”