Last week for Fashion Revolution Week, I posted my Fashion ethics game so here are the numbers matched to the correct statements, the hidden costs of your £5.00 T-shirt or £10.00 pair of trousers!

The harsh reality is that to keep prices this low for us, costs are being kept low somewhere else in the supply chain. People are being paid appallingly low wages without any employment protection, working long hours in unsafe factories with no proper facilities. Waste chemicals used in dyeing textiles are being dumped into rivers rather than being properly processed and natural resources are being drained to keep up with the demand of the Western market.

And yet we all admit that we have clothes we don’t wear and we are still buying more. We ease our consciences by giving to charity but they are getting overwhelmed and landfill is growing by 350,000 tonnes every year!

So what do we do?

Just stop buying clothes. It’s simple, just stop.

Then you might like to have a look at my post entitled My Ethical Guide to Fast Fashion to find out how to love fashion, dress well but do it clearer conscience.

And remember, Fashion Revolution isn’t just for one week. You can join the revolution anytime, keep telling your favourite brands “I care about #whomademyclothes”.

Who really wants to think otherwise? 

None of us really want to buy clothes that support unfair practices and damage the environment, but the marketing and PR industries have made such a good job of muddying the waters and the fashion supply chains are so long and complex that within busy lives it’s hard to know how to take a more ethical and sustainable approach to fashion. It’s about changing the way you buy clothes but also about how you look after them and how you dispose of the ones you don’t want. It does depend on budget, accessibility and time but there are lots of different ways to do it. Since I started this blog, I’ve developed my ethical guide to fast fashion. This is  my own set of rules and the way I try to navigate the crazy fashion industry that I love and hate at the same time!

I joined #ethicalhour on twitter on Monday evening (you can join any Monday at 8pm) with some amazingly committed people taking different approaches to ethical fashion and sharing some thoughts. I picked up a few tips so I’ve updated my guide for Fashion Revolution week. 

You can check out earlier posts to find more detail on the different aspects of the guide;

In the Restyle section you’ll find a guide to restyling your own wardrobe, how empowering it can be to understand your body shape and what suits as well as a couple of restyles we did for friends. Invariably people think they have nothing to wear when we arrive but after an hour or two we leave them with at least 7 new outfits, all from their own wardrobe.

I’ve also posted some brand research using a couple of industry guides. Fashion Revolution have recently updated their Transparency Index, now 100 brands are featured. And finally, if you fancy a go at upcycling, there’s also some examples on my blog and Facebook page.

I will continue to post about all of these, I have a couple of wardrobe restyle posts to catch up on and need to have my Summer wardrobe sort. I’m also planning to do some research into more responsible ways to donate your clothes. I read during #ethicalhour that only 10% of clothes donated to Charity makes it into the shop for resale. This seems very low and concerns me, I’d like to find out if this is true and look into some other ways to pass on unwanted clothes. Last night I went to a local clothes swapping event. This type of giving is so much better because it goes to people who actually want it. There are also specific charities such as the ones supporting people back to work who take certain types of clothes.

Ideally, of course, it’s better to think more carefully before you buy, buy quality to last longer and have things repaired so that you don’t need to give so much away. If you have less to donate, you can think more specifically about where it goes.

On 24 April 2013, 5 factories collapsed at Rana Plaza in Bangladesh killing 1,134 people and injuring 2,500, who were all making clothes to be sold on the Western market. This disaster inspired Orsola de Castro and Carry Somers to form the organisation Fashion Revolution. FR campaigns for a fairer, cleaner, more transparent and more beautiful fashion industry. I met both of these ladies last year and they inspired me to set up the 1134 SewingClub.

We pledged to sew 1 hour for every garment worker killed in the disaster.

And today, on Fashion Revolution Day, I’m pleased to say we did it, we sewed 1,377 hours. 

Flora made and mended her childrens clothes and some beautiful gifts for friends, Pip and Meg patiently sewed quilts using scraps of fabric, Julia was inspired to start upcycling some favourite pieces of her Mum’s, Katy picked up the trends with her denim shirt and upcycled sparkly sweatshirt. Even Lesley (who has convinced herself she’s a non-sewer) managed a button or two and I’m still waiting to see the upcycled beanbag! And Nicky finally finished her bunting, taking a bit of time out to have a baby.

The serious point about all this is that through making something, we can gain an appreciation of the time and skill required. And once you have that appreciation fast, cheap fashion just doesn’t make sense. Try making a shirt; note how many hours it takes, buy sustainably and ethically produced cotton and calculate the cost of resources …. so just how can big brands sell them for less than £5.00???

The reality is that to keep prices this low for us, costs are being keep low somewhere else in the supply chain. Garment workers overseas are working in unsafe conditions without employment protection. Fashion Revolution have found that only 12% of brands were able to demonstrate action towards fair pay and 60% of garment workers are working without a contract in parts of China. That means no protection for illness or maternity, working hours or discrimination.

Some time ago, I heard about the Garment Worker Diaries. It is yearlong research project, led by Microfinance Opportunities in collaboration with Fashion Revolution. Researchers are gathering firsthand accounts of life as a garment worker from 540 women in Bangladesh, Cambodia and India. They are collecting data on the women’s earnings and outgoings, and how they manage their money as well as information about working conditions, health and welfare.

It’s humbling to read these accounts in the knowledge of how our fashion industry operates.

I think many people are unaware of the realities of fast fashion and the real power to change lies with the brands but awareness is growing. Fashion Revolution doesn’t ask us to turn away from fashion and walk around in sack cloth, they urge us to ask brands and policy makers about making the industry more transparent and fair. Last year 70,000 people asked brands #whomademyclothes by taking a selfie with the label showing and tagging the brand on social media. 1,000 brands in total responded, 372 of them mainstream like Fat Face, Boden and American Apparel.

So, if you feel inspired to join the Revolution, check out their website www.fashionrevolution.org. There’s a fanzine available which explores the money and power distribution across fashion supply chains … what does happen to your money when you buy clothes? And what can you do about it? … there are loads of ideas, below is a checklist with a few.

Its fashion revolution week next week. Monday is the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse where over 1,000 people were killed and 2,500 injured, whilst making clothes for the Western market. People continue to work in unsafe conditions without employment protection and practices in the fashion industry are draining natural resources and dumping harmful waste products into our environment.

At a couple of recent events, I invited people to play the fashion ethics game where I gave them some statements about the fashion industry and they had to match the numbers to the correct statements. It’s fair to say that they were shocked by the magnitude of the numbers, both large and small!

I thought I would post the game for Fashion Revolution Week, some food for thought, hoping to inspire people to make a few changes to the way they buy clothes, look after them and what to do when you no longer want them. The information comes from two websites Waste and Resources Action Programme, www.wrap.org and Fashion Revolution, www.fashionrevolution.org. So you can have a look for the answers yourself. I’ll also post the answers later on in the week. I’ll also be posting some ideas on how you might take a more ethical approach to your wardrobe.

Please share some thoughts via social media on Twitter @em_summerscales or Instagram emma_summerscales or comment here on the blog. You might event feel inspired to join a couple of live tweet sessions this week; Monday 8pm #ethicalhour and Wednesday 1-2pm #textilechat

On Monday, I went to a screening of the documentary film Embrace, featuring Taryn Brumfitt who, in 2013, following her own battle with her body image, posted a before and after photo of herself with a difference and caused a media storm. In the film, she explores the issue of how women feel about their bodies; the media and fashion industry; and meets various women with unique appearances. Her Body Image Movement has gathered pace and women all over the world are being inspired by her.

The film is thought provoking; the photo was a brave thing to do and raised the profile of the discussion. I can’t help thinking, however, that we’ve been having this conversation for a long time now and there are a few places I’d like the discussion to move on to.

I don’t believe that this is a womens’ issue, I don’t really understand why it has to be a gender issue at all. I bet there are as many men as there are women with body image issues; I’m tired of being positioned as the victim. The media promotes the same unrealistic body types for men as it does for women. And there are many people who would not categorise themselves as women or men, dealing with stereotypes promoted. There has been an opening of the gender closet in recent years and it has felt like a good shift in gender equality. But whilst we are still in our she-camp, talking about this, I can’t help feeling we’re missing something.

The film also focussed on women who felt too fat …. everyone interviewed wanted to be thinner, there was a big focus on the fashion industry’s promotion of thin women and interviews with a plus-sized model (don’t get me started on that particular label!). I accept that this is probably the largest group affected, but my tall, slim friend sat next to me felt marginalised by the overweight gang and the overuse of the word skinny. She constantly faces comments that she finds hurtful, whilst we assume she’s happy with her body because she is what the media tells us is the ideal body shape.

I think what Taryn has done is amazing, my point is that this is not an issue just for women or men or transgender, fat people or thin people, tall or short …. we are human and for some reason we have a propensity to want what we haven’t got. Advertisers tap into this in every way possible to sell us stuff. This is an issue about the culture in which we are immersed, a media image issue, a commercial world issue and it affects us all.

After the film, I had a de-brief with a couple of smart, strong minded friends. One said, she wanted her son to see the film. I’m not so sure? Rather than a film about victims, I want my children to see the next version which includes all genders feeling happy about their bodies. But I do want my sons to see it just as much as I want my daughter to.

So how do we do it? How do we teach our kids to value themselves when we find it so difficult ourselves? How do we stop falling victim to what the media tell us. I think we have a long way to go before we truly embrace our differences, understand what it is to walk in some one else’s shoes and stop making assumptions about others based on our own desires and insecurities.

I truly hope Taryn is the start of real change and her next film is the one I take my children to. A quote from Monday’s screening might be a start ….

“We get to be the new magazine. We get to define what it means to have a beautiful body” 

Despite a huge decline in magazine sales, there seems no real change in the media or by designers to want to change they way they advertise clothes. So perhaps we humans have to come together and do it for ourselves, show the next generation what beauty is by just being it, accepting our wonderful bodies they way the look and celebrating our different shapes.

Finding our happy place with our bodies is easier said than done but I’ve started.  A little while back, I took a long, hard look at mine in a post entitled “Body shape: Me”. I also explored the crazy fashion industry to try and put my ideals in some context and shift them to a more realistic, happy place in “Fashion: we are all different shapes.” Good luck, everyone.

There is an amazing organisation, I’ve talked about them before, founded by Carry Somers and Orsola de Castro called Fashion Revolution. In 2013 when the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed killing 1,134 and injuring 2,500 who were making clothes for the Western market, these two ladies decided enough was enough. They have campaigned since for a fairer, cleaner, more transparent and more beautiful fashion industry.

24th April is the anniversary of the disaster, declared Fashion Revolution Day and every year since professionals and consumers have asked, via social media, their favourite brands one vital question which most brands are still unable to answer.

This year they have gone a step further and declared Fashion Revolution Week 18-24th April, with their #haulternative campaign when each day will have a different focus. So I’m going to join them. As well as asking my own favourite brands the million dollar question I will post every day, talking about a different aspect of my approach to ethical fashion. There is huge debate about whether change will be brand led or consumer led but the reality as always is that unless we all join together, people will continue to be forced into unfair employment and poor working conditions. The environment will suffer as chemical waste is added and vital resources are taken away.

A few weeks ago, I posted my ethical guide to fast fashion. My Fashion Revolution posts will tell you how I follow this guide and hopefully, give you some pointers on how we can all play a small part for the greater good and our future generations.

1. Plan a capsule wardrobe for the season ahead.
2. Buy quality staples; jeans, leggings, shoes … think price per wear.
3. For trends shop second hand and upcycle.
4. Use brands I trust for new items.
5. Plan before hitting the shops, write a list and try to stick to it.

Hold on tight, fast fashion is set to get faster with a new trend called “see now, buy now”. The fashion calendar currently kicks off with designer brands showing their collections for the season ahead in New York, London, Milan and Paris. Buyers make their selections and place orders. Then the garments are produced, known as cut-make-trim …. so the fabric is cut then the garments are manufactured and finished ready for sale. Show to store takes about 4 months. However, some designer brands are shifting the cycle so that garments will be available as soon as they hit the catwalk. There are all sorts of implications for professionals within the industry but I’m not going to comment on those. I just want everyone to STOP and think what this actually means … this massive global industry is going to throw even more at us! And we’re going to be tempted to buy even more! The high streets are going to race faster and harder to copy the catwalks, the media is going to tell us about even faster changing trends, our wardrobes are going to burst at the seams whilst our bank accounts will get redder and redder … and we’ll still say we have nothing to wear! STOP!

The Japanese art of Wabi-Sabi .. find beauty in all things and value authenticity above all, everything today’s sleek mass-produced, tech-saturated culture isn’t. There was an article in the Guardian at the weekend about Lidl’s £5.99 jeans (I’ve shared it on Facebook and Twitter). Are we really saying that it makes sense that a pair of jeans we might wear dozens of times can be made for the price of two cups of coffee! Again STOP! This just doesn’t make any sense … #if it seems to good to be true, that’s because it is!

BUT, I love fashion and clothes, I read magazines and I pick up trends to update my wardrobe and my mood! £5.99 for a pair of jeans screams WRONG to me but it’s not always that obvious. Brands will say they are led by their customers but how many of us feel like leaders? When I’m in a store, confronted with bargain after bargain, rail after rail and that compulsion to buy … I feel more like a sheep! I make random, impulsive decisions and take home clothes I didn’t need and discover I don’t want! I guess the brands are right though, they’re in it for the profit and if we are buying then they will respond to that, regardless of how empowered we feel in making the decision to buy. We need to care more and take a step back, think about why that new outfit is a bargain and do we really need another little black dress?! A girl can never have too many little black dresses? Actually, she can, there are only so many days in the year, parties to go to or occasions to scrub up for. STOP! THINK!

So, this is my solution, my ethical guide to help me navigate this fashion industry that I love and hate at the same time!

1. Plan a capsule wardrobe for the season ahead.
2. Buy quality staples; jeans, leggings, shoes … think price per wear.
3. For trends shop second hand and upcycle.
4. Use brands I trust for new items.
5. Plan before hitting the shops, write a list and try to stick to it.

If it seems too good to be true … maybe it is?

Reducing what we buy is not just about decluttering, there are serious environmental and ethical reasons why we should address our shopping habits. On 24 April 2013 the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed; 1,134 died and 2,500 were injured from 5 garment factories making clothes for the Western market.

From this disaster professionals from the fashion industry formed the organisation Fashion Revolution, calling for big change and for us all to care more.

Here’s just a few shocking facts from their website www.fashionrevolution.org …… I’m asking myself,

IS THIS THE REAL COST OF OUR CLOTHES? 

• In Bangladesh garment workers earn ￡44 a month, 1/4 of the living wage. A minimum wage is only 60% of the cost of living in a slum.
• In Guangdong in China 60% of young women work with no contract and 90% have no social insurance, working 150 hours of overtime per month.
• In a survey of 91 brands only 12% (that’s only 10!) demonstrated any action towards paying wages to garment workers above the legal minimum.

• It takes 2,720 litres of water to make ONE t-shirt …..that’s how much we drink in 3 years!
• Cotton farming uses 22.5% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of it’s pesticides, some of which are know to be toxic, leaking into rivers and polluting ground water … over half of China’s rivers are polluted.
• Around 350,000 tons of used clothes go to landfill every year in the UK, where they slowly decompose releasing methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Only 20% of textiles produced worldwide are recycled each year.

We all hear of injustices reported in the media but is this the downside of globalisation, have we become so used to political scaremongering that we don’t properly absorb this information? If we could see it happening on our doorsteps would we feel more moved to act against it perhaps?

Last November, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in his War on Waste TV programme stood at the top of a huge pile of 7 tons of clothes, 10 thousand garments and asked people how long they thought it took Britain to throw away that amount of clothes … some answers were way off and nobody was close to the real truth which is 10 minutes!

I’ve had a feeling rumbling in my head for years now that something is just not right when bargains look too good to be true. Fashion Revolution and Hugh’s pile of clothes really moved me to try and find out the real truth, do something about how I shop and question where I see my place in the fashion industry. I don’t want to make sweeping statements or hasty judgements about fashion brands but I want to find an affordable way to clothe and feed my family with a clear conscience. And I want to work somewhere where people are more important than profits.

Fashion Revolution calls for brands to be more transparent in their campaign asking,

It’s a simple question and one which previous generations would probably have been able to answer quite easily. We wear clothes every day and yet do we think about where they were made and by who? How transparent are brands in showing us this information, I don’t yet know? Either way, I’m going to find out. I’ve joined the Fashion Revolution, you can too …. check out their website for lots of tips from how to understand clothes labels to getting involved and finding out more.