Swear to God this post isn't bought out, this is legit me. Although if any companies want to "sponsor" a post, I'm more than happy to discuss specifics ;)
Long story short, we're doing pretty poorly in terms of our ecological footprint in fashion. There's around 330 million people in the USA alone, and ideally each one of them should have a decent set of clothes. I dunno about you but that's gonna take a shit-ton amount of fabric. And in 2015, ya'll threw out more than 11 million tons of clothing.
It's not just you Yanks, though - in 2017, the average Australian bought 27 kgs of textiles, only to throw out 23 kgs. (Side note: that article is fucking hilarious, you can almost taste the millennial hate through the monitor).
The worst part is, this shit just ends up in landfills, most of which are out of our day-to-day, or to the ocean where it has massive environmental impact. In fact, there's so much junk in the sea, it's formed its own fucking island.
I get that a lot of us brokebois aren't exactly gonna have access to runway gear, and we have to make do with high-street derivatives to stay on-trend. Honestly I get you, I'm in the same damn boat lol. BUT, ya boy had to go cook up some HEAT to help you get your fits popping off without that green guilt on your backside. Let's talk shop.
The Fuck is up With Denim?
Denim jeans are a staple in everyone's wardrobe, you don't need anyone to tell you that. They were popularized by the Levi and Strauss Company in the late 19th century as a hard-wearing, durable "man's man" pair of trousers. Aaaand of course Americans back then were all about it (still), so they ate that shit up. Nowadays, entire aesthetics rely on jeans - Americana, workwear, greaser, punk, rocker, to name a few. That pair of selvedge indigo raws are killer pieces for your wardrobe - but they were developed in a time when people didn't realize their effects on the environment. They're killer for the environment, too.
The average pair of indigo jeans takes about 1,800 gallons of water just to grow the cotton to make them. That's just growing the cotton - including the dyeing and finishing processes, it takes nearly 10,000 gallons of water to get you that pair of skinny jeans from H&M. One pair.
I think that's pretty fucked up. I've not bought any new jeans since I read about them, and I'm urging you not to either. There's really only one way fast fashion companies will listen to the consumer, and it's through your wallet. I'm not saying to remove all denim in your life, but you can definitely lower your environmental footprint without sacrificing them sweet blue threads.
Levi's Water<Less
I dug into Levi's earlier for their shitty foresight, but realistically, if there's money to be made you know someone's gonna make a move for it, so fair play tbh.
Nowadays Levi's is genuinely a pretty good option. Their denim is durable, built to last, and they even advise you to donate your denims after you're done with them. I see Levi's in the thrifts pretty damn often, so people are definitely taking this to heart.
They're also doing some good with a new line of denim, called Water<Less. I'd be pretty much reading off the video, so you can go watch it in the link.
IMO, they're onto something here, using less water where they can, and making sure they're making green choices in every step of the production process. The end result: The same blue Levi's jeans you know and love, but with stronger threads, less water waste, completely recycleable, and a clean conscience for the environmentally minded buyer (you).
Thrift GANG
We're not done with Levi's here. Ethical jeans will definitely set you apart from your peers as the fashionably ethical well-dressed hot boy, but in the end you're still introducing new denim into the world. I'm not discrediting the above option; I think it's fuckin lit - but there's an even better way to save your dosh and still look banging: The TRENCHES, BOY.
A huge chunk of my wardrobe comes from the thrifts (I'll make a post about that soon), and it's definitely fair to say I go thrift shopping a LOT. There's always something I notice in the thrifts though - SO. MUCH. DENIM. Literally there's so many jeans at the thrifts, and so much of it is going to waste.
Thrift stores will get flooded with jeans, not be able to move enough of them, and they get discarded, sending all those production costs to the tip. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Closing Thoughts
Again, this shit is all my opinion. If you don't want to ditch your raws, then go ahead. I just know I am, and I'd encourage you to do the same.
I'm gonna try and turn this into a series of blog posts, so watch this space. I've got a lot more content to write about regarding ethical fashion, like fast fashion retailers, the thrifts in general, recycling programs, etc.
Stick around, I'll catch you up.