The phrase “fashion fashion” was coined by the New York Times in reference to Zara boasting that it took them “15 days between a new idea and getting it into the stores”. The average persons today buys 60% more items of clothing than they did 15 years ago but keep each item for only half as log as they used to.
New lines and trends come out faster than people can even buy them, this is fast fashion aswell as it being mass produced and cheap it is unethical and unsustainable. Traditionally, we are used to dressing to the four seasons, however the fashion industry has grown so much that according to some beliefs there are 52 micro seasons. New lines come out every week, with the sole goal to make consumers buy as many products as possible as quickly as possible.
But fast fashion comes at a huge environmental price.
After the oil industry, the fashion industry is the worlds second largest polluter, producing 10% of global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping. The impact of fashion on freshwater supplies is staggering, a single pair of jeans requires 2000 gallons of water.
One of the issues with cheap polyester fabrics is that each time they are washed small microfibre plastics are released into waterways, which then enter the food chain and into human water supplies.
The forest campaign group Canopy say that 150 million trees are logged and turned into fabric each year, on top of this huge number the production of some textiles production wastes 70% of the tree.
So, you’ve made the decision to buy less and buy better, now what?
At OSO, our polyester is recycled, made from fishing nets and plastic bottles. Our cotton is ethically and sustainably sourced and all of our products are made in factories that are audited and certified fair wear. Factory workers are all paid a fair wage and have ISO9001 certification. Our products are designed to last, not just for this season but for years to come.
Our packaging is made from biodegradable or recyclable materials or even re-useable. The cheapest delivery method is biodegradable or compostable “polybags” once you receive your delivery you can simply pop you bag in your food waste bin where it will disintergrate within 12 weeks and then fully biodegrade within 6 months. Whilst this solution is good it is not ideal for all products and still requires energy in the manufacturing process. Another solution is to use reusable packaging, RePack provides tough , waterproof, recycled and reusable packaging, which is the complete opposite to single use packaging. According to Repack some of their packaging has been reused at least 50 times. The only problem with Repack is that it costs £4 per use, this is why we have provided this option as a delivery service at checkout, giving the customer the choice.