Old Fashion For A New World

Humanity needs more and more resources to survive, and not only for food. The clothing industry consumes more than a quarter of the resources humans use on an annual basis. Fast fashion is a substantial source of air pollution. Microfibers and dyes also pollute our water, and valuable drinking water is used to create disposable clothing. In fact, the water required to create one pair of jeans would be enough to sustain one person for thirty-one years. That means just three pairs of jeans just used up enough water to sustain someone for a lifetime! But our world still has hope-- Earth will be saved by artists.

Humans are creators. Our best ideas make our lives easier, and people are happier when inspired. When I was younger, I lived in an intentional community established by artists in the pursuit of their own happiness. As a group, we led an incredibly sustainable lifestyle, when the majority of people had some marketable skill needed by their neighbors. We lived in houses made of earth, or recycled materials, and some of the larger structures even ran off solar power. It was in this place that I learned about living sustainably, and it stuck. Only recently did I realize that sustainable living could be a passion as well as a preferred lifestyle. I incorporate many concepts of sustainability into my own artwork, both as a statement and for economic reasons. I use recycled, discarded fabrics to make my clothing. I use junk mail and old machine parts to make jewelry. Materials come cheap, and the end result is more than worthwhile when I enjoy both the process and the end product.

Even if you are not an artist, you can still enjoy sustainable fashion. Anyone can buy secondhand clothing (I do this, and limit myself to only a handful of new articles of clothing per year), and by doing this you extend the garment's lifespan and reduces its carbon and water footprint. Secondhand clothing is also an excellent jumping-off point for beginning sewing projects, since the bones of the piece are already in place. Upcycling old clothes is one of my favorite activities to do myself, but this is also an easily adaptable skill that I have taught children and adults alike. Making my own clothing brings me joy like nothing else, so why not share it with others? Sustainable fashion teaches people to be creative, and to be self-sufficient. To make and design your own clothing allows for a new level of self-expression, an art that transcends any specific culture or stereotype.

My favorite creative liberty to take in Slow Fashion is take textiles from around the world and combine them using traditional sewing methods. I always wear my jeans secondhand, usually heavily adorned with sturdy Japanese boro stitching, or patched with African mud cloth. Sometimes I wear yarn hats, if you look closely at the crochet the yarn is made from handspun wool or silk. The yarn I usually buy artisan, or I spin it myself from raw materials. Or I might wear a silk shirt made from layers of Indian saree silk, because I believe they have some of the most vibrant, beautiful patterns on Earth. When I use textiles and techniques from other countries, I do it as a statement: There is nothing more universal than art. With the rise of technology and modern transport, Earth is smaller than it has ever been. Humans have never been more mixed, and we all share similar problems and the same joys. Sustainable fashion isn't just a passion project of mine, or a goal shared by major corporations, sustainable fashion is an art and a solution. Creating clothing takes patience, but it is a gratifying and useful skill. I enjoy it to no end, and I believe every person at some point should try making an article of clothing for themselves.

The most common obstacle I've seen when people want to create clothing and can't, is that they do not know how to sew yet. Lately, I've been meeting more and more people that tell me they do not know how to sew, and it is astounding to me. If you cannot sew, you are not alone in the world, and while I firmly believe you should try learning at some point, it is not a necessary skill to alter clothing. All you really need is a pair of good-quality scissors. Maybe you've got a T-shirt that's too loose, too tight, too worn out. There is no sewing required, all that's needed are some slashes down the back or sides of the shirt to adjust the fit. To tighten seams, tie the strings together. To loosen them, cut slashes as thick or thin as you need. For durability (and also looks), you can braid together cut T-shirt slashes by twisting them. You can do this with the shirt sitting in front of you, or while it is worn by another person. if another person is modelling it, the more you do to the shirt, the more the garment will shrink to the shape of the body it is on.

There is no shortage of ways to participate in Sustainable Fashion, it is for anyone and everyone. It is a movement of growing importance, and of growing interest for anyone of a creative mindset. I will continue immersing myself in sustainable fashion, because if allows more freedom of expression than any store-bought fashion ever could. Because of slow fashion, I have full confidence that I can be self-sufficient as well as do something purposeful that makes me and others around me happy.