Lily Fang is no ordinary fashion influencer. She also asked her nearly 25,000 followers to not only shop for eco-friendly brands, which can be more expensive than other clothing items. In fact, buying from fast fashion companies is acceptable in some cases, she said.
“Claims of 100 percent sustainability are reckless, undesirable and ignorant,” she said. “From thrift stores to second-hand apps to sustainable brands, there are many options for fast fashion, but finding these options often takes more time, money and effort.”
Fans love the trendy but expensive “minimalist wardrobe” (handmade sundresses, cashmere knits, $90 T-shirts) and other high-fashion items that are eco-friendly but out of reach for most people. He is an influential speaker.
A 2020 survey found that 67 percent of consumers value the use of sustainable materials when purchasing clothing, while another report found that less than a third of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable clothing products.
In recent years, high-income influencers have been pushing ethical and missionary fashion. This has alienated many social media users, with Deaf brand representatives complaining that it has turned the movement into a solitary lifestyle. Conversely, some influencers have come to resist and shame people who shop insecurely, using the phrase “ethical fashion means girls” coined by influencer Mariel Elizabeth. While these hostile exchanges create a kind of moral high ground, critics argue that they do nothing for the ethical fashion movement.
Gaia Rattazzi, a social media expert from Leeds, UK and owner of the Instagram account Ethical Fashion, admits she used to criticize people who buy from fast-fashion brands. But with about 52,000 subscribers currently viewing her content, she acknowledges that not all 52,000 subscribers have equal access to sustainable fashion. “It shouldn’t be like that.
Another way
As a solution to the problem of hostility, influencers like Fang promote the idea of “imperfect” ethical fashion, a reference to the broader imperfect environmental movement. The term was coined by actress Sarah Gilbert in 2013. In her book The Imperfect Ecologist, she points out that the thousands of people living imperfect and sustainable lifestyles outnumber the hundreds of people living 100% sustainable lives.
In the context of fashion, this means that every ethical fashion influencer who makes a video of 20 items from an eco-friendly brand does more damage than someone who buys a t-shirt from a fast fashion brand. That means that person can be held responsible. . Take care of this shirt to make it last longer.
“The Imperfect Sustainable Life represents the vast majority of us who are trying to make such changes in our daily lives,” says Melissa Gamble, associate professor of fashion at Columbia University.
Fang’s blog, Imperfectly Perfect, shows how her followers make a difference as fashion consumers, from fixing torn clothes to turning old clothes into rags for use around the house. I write about what I can do. In doing so, Huang, who works full-time at an education-related startup, hopes to “reimagine what it means to be an influencer by primarily providing educational content.”
The term “ethical fashion leader” is itself a contradiction in terms, as true ethical fashion is achieved by reducing consumption, and the specific role of influencers is to stimulate consumption. Ratazi, who likes to call himself a tutor, has not forgotten either.
Instead of using her platform to promote sustainable brands, Ratazzi prefers to spread the message that the most sustainable clothes are the clothes you already own.
Usually consumed
Social media users decry the “Mean Girl” ethos as classism, while some say the biggest enemy is over-consumption in general.
Last year, a popular YouTuber who goes by the nickname “Broy Deschanel” posted a video titled “Why Nobody Wins the Fast Fashion Controversy,” which garnered nearly 380,000 views and became a hot topic. Rice farming.
But those who consume more than they need are not the real victims of stratification. In fact, adopting a tiered approach to protecting purchasing habits minimizes the struggles of those who can’t really afford necessities. Deschanel (real name Maya, who declined to give her real name) said in an interview that the growing fashion controversy has led to a broader debate about poverty.
However, people living in poverty are usually not morally opposed to stratification. Instead, there are middle-class consumers who buy clothes in bulk from fast-fashion websites, she says, perpetuating a trend cycle that leads to overconsumption that is “almost impossible” to reverse. “There’s a lot of spirituality involved. This consumption is related to our sense of confidence and self-esteem.”
Because of such habits, telling everyone to stop buying from fast fashion brands may not be the simple solution that many want. Proponents of “imperfect” ethical fashion argue that as long as you handle overconsumption, you’ll be fine. “If you buy one or two items from a fast-fashion brand every year, you’re out of trouble,” says Razji. “Buy only what you need and use it wisely.”
Controversial laws like the New York Fashion Ordinance, which requires companies to conduct mandatory social and environmental reviews, could dramatically change the fashion industry, but much of the blame now lies with consumers.
Huang said allowing customers to be imperfect rather than striving for perfection is what they need to act ethically. “If you want a movement to be successful, you need more people to participate, so it’s always better to approach it in an ethical fashion from an academic perspective rather than blaming those who don’t,” she said.
