CLOTHES WE WEAR // fashion lifestyle

FASHIONS IMPACT ON NATURE

I am sure most of us had no idea how or 
where a lot of our clothes comes from.

 From start to finish the process of producing the products we buy. 

It was for me a real eye opener reading about the effects that the process has on the environment.

The reason I found it very interesting is because for many years i was involved  on educating kids about the environment and nature.
They would learn about the environment,skills,
 tree planting and much more . 
It was truly was amazing how the kids had such interest and learned so much. 

But getting back on topic, the fashion industry in most cases has a very detrimental effect on the environment.

The CLOTHES WE WEAR

CASHMERE  the one piece of clothing that is greatly sought after for its softness and wearability. 

Something i didn't know was that the one place it comes from in Mongolia, has been overgrazed

by the goats that are the source for cashmere. The Mongolian steppes grasslands are degraded by 80  to 70 percent according to a study.  The area is also home to the snow leopards, marmots and fox which are in decline. Some of the problems are also climate change related, but because of increase of goats three-fold  there is significant decrease in the grasslands.

COTTONS  the natural material, a fabric that is used in denims, bedding, towels and clothing.

I like most people try to get things in a natural fibre, number 1 it is cooler to wear especially in the hot summers and also it is a natural . 

Cotton needs a lot of water to grow but amazing to read the amount of WATER used to grow cotton and produce 1 t-shirt.  IT can take 2,700 litres water to produce 1 t-shirt.   Not only that  so much fresh water is needed   there are water shortages or droughts. It also needs pesticides and chemicals that then wind up in the waterways and soil. 

VISCOSE RAYON where does it come from or how is it made?  Okay this i didn't know, it is made from TREES.  The tree pulp is bleached to produce viscose and rayon. Over 150 million trees are logged to produce the fibre that is then made into these materials.  This leads to deforestation of many forests around the world from Canada, Indonesia and the Amazon. 

 This is not a good thing, the over logging impacts the environment thus climate change . 

Trees being the natural carbon cleaners.

Wash Wear then toss??

We have all hear how plastics are not good for the environment. Plastic is found in many things

from bath products with micro beads, some of the clothes we wear.
Fleece is actually made  of from plastic, Polyester, nylon is the one material
most commonly used in clothing.
The problem with many of these textiles, when we wash them the tiny fibres
end up in the water system, these fibres are so so tiny and can not be filtered out of the water.
So it winds up in the rivers and other water  which of course effects the
animals fish. Biologist have found micro plastics in the stomachs of fish, crabs, turtles and others Over time these animals are unable to eat and die.

fFAST FASTER FASHION

The one word we all know FAST FASHION. The retailers that produces all the trends and 

fashions we all love to buy or get.  Over 100 billion items are produced each year- 

much of this ends up in the landfills. 

The quality of the  material  perhaps not the best and thus the result.

For myself i donate items or giveaway to friends. trying not to toss out.

WHAT CAN WE DO?
This is one thing i think is very important to fix. Of course we need clothing , but
just how much? I love clothes, but i limit my shopping and try to buy well made pieces
that last or the style will last. Nothing to trendy.
 Even vintage items that are in good condition- from purses,scarfs or jewelry, denims etc.

So perhaps the fashion industry needs to change its methods, we as consumers need
to change our buying habits. Buy less or sustainable things, recycle , restyle , reuse or donate.
Its important for all of us and the environment.