Our Bee&Sons’ motto “Buy Better. Love Longer. Recycle.” Is at the heart of everything we do.
The other day I discovered Vivienne Westwood’s. was ‘Buy Less. Choose Well. Make it Last.” which means much the same thing only she said it ages ago. Bow down to superior wisdom.
I wish I could explain why our motto is important without sounding like one of those hideously dull information films we used to see at school, or without going all SHOCK HORROR using words like and frightening people into submission.
The trouble is, the fashion industry is very SHOCK HORROR and the stats coming out of reliable sources make miserable reading.
So without boring you to tears, adopting a clipped British accent or relying on emotive language…
Buy Better…
Most of us can’t afford to buy high fashion. We rely on stores like Zara and H&M to produce on trend garments that fit our price bracket. Most fast fashion (over 60%) is created using polyester, a manufactured synthetic fibre usually derived from Petroleum. Anything made using fossil fuels is not a good idea – I don’t think anyone would disagree on that. The other problem with polyester is that it sheds microplastics during production, wearing and washing – and then end up in our oceans where they are ingested. Microplastics have been found in fish. In Feb of this year, The Guardian reported on a Toxicological study, where concentrations of micro plastics were found in every human placenta that was tested. We don’t yet know what impact humans ingesting microplastics will be. But I guess we are going to find out soon enough.
Until someone comes up with a plan on how we scoop up microplastic (there are plans underway) – I would suggest limiting our consumption of synthetic fibres – which also includes recycled polyester, by the way, which sheds even more microplastics. And by not consuming as much – maybe the likes of Zara and H&M will get the message.
Love Longer…
Fast fashion brands don’t want your clothes to last a long time. They want you to keep coming back for more and more. So not only are they garments not made with longevity in mind – they are also quick fashion fixes – designed to be worn once or twice then dumped for something else shinier and new. If you click through to https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/with-61-8m-zara-items-on-sale-at-vinted-is-circular-fashion-in-trouble/2024062476262# you’ll see that there are 61.8million Zara garments for sale on Vinted, the second-hand site hugely popular with Gen Z. Great that these clothes are getting a second life but 61.8million – seriously? Sounds like there’s too much stuff being made and too much stuff being bought. If you’ve got a teenager nearby, give them a nudge and tell them to avoid fast fashion. Full stop.
Buying better, from brands that build to last means you can love your garments for longer. They won’t be cheaper, for sure, because if you are a small brand you don’t get the economies of scale. But you won’t be contributing to the resales on Vinted or the vast mountains of discarded clothing outside Alto Hospicio, Atacama, where tons of non-biodegradable synthetics are dumped each year, and will remain there for generations. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/chile-fashion-pollution
Recycle
Using 100% natural fibres gives brands like me the chance to recycle. Anything natural can be chopped up and respun including jeans. The cashmere yarn I use at Bee&Sons is made from pre- and post-consumer waste and is the best in the world. Unfortunately only the Italians have the capacity, skill and infrastructure to do it. So until we find the expertise and investment here – recycle your fibres through the Salvation Army – which will either sell them on to new owners or, if they’ve had it, will pack them off the Italy where they’ll become fresh new yarn.
