There are a lot of awful things happening in the world right now. There are immediate threats and potential disasters looming over us. Stress and anxiety seem to be everywhere, for good reason. In the face of all that, deciding on what pocket square goes best with what shirt might seem quite pointless, not to mention indulgent. You may not believe it, but the struggles happening all around us actually weigh on my mind before I post a picture of my shoes on Instagram. I wonder to myself “does this matter?”
But it does, and here’s why.
I didn’t start this blog just to talk about ties and nice hats. I have always been driven by a desire to make the world around me better, to the best of my ability. And I don’t just mean that old chestnut about dressing well to make others feel respected and special. As I’ve dug deeper into the world of clothes I’ve discovered that what we wear has a profound impact not only on ourselves and those around us, but the world.
The garment industry is the second biggest polluter on the planet. In 2010, the clothing industry produced 150 billion garments, enough for everyone on Earth to get 20 new items. Where did most of that clothing end up? Landfills. If people in developed countries could make their clothes last for two years instead of one, for example, they would have a huge impact on climate change.
The ethics behind our clothing is more important than ever. And that’s why we need to start talking about clothes like we talk about food. We’ve been concerned about what we put in our bodies for a few decades: movements like nutrition facts on labels, the 100-Mile Diet and organic farming have all tried to introduce ethics and quality into the food industry. But what about what we put on our bodies?
Clothing isn’t owned, it’s consumed. And that has to change.
I don’t post pictures of my shoes on Instagram to encourage consumption. I do it to encourage people to seek out craftsmanship, quality and longevity. Buy less but buy better. Does conscious consumerism even work in a globalised world dominated by corporations? I don’t know, but I want to at least do something that’s not making things worse. Something that has the potential to make things a bit better.
Dear Pedro, As a longtime reader of your blog, I’ve often been struck by the grace and seriousness of your writing, but perhaps never more than today. The subject you raise is indeed important, and very few people in the clothing industry seem to be talking about these important ethical considerations. Perhaps you’ll be able to start a conversation to encourage us all to pay attention more carefully. I applaud your effort.
Great post, Pedro. While there is no doubt that an environmental day of reckoning is coming for the clothing industry, a bigger revolution needs to happen in the minds of consumers. The expectation that clothing should be cheap and expendable is now deeply ingrained. For the health of the planet, we need a new mantra, one that sees quality and durability as the foundation of style.
This is why I love vintage items. They cost less then new, they often are better made than modern clothes, and they recycle clothes and save them from landfill. And, if you choose carefully, they are more stylish and unique than something from the mall.
Well said, Pedro, on a topic of real social concern that has not yet bubbled up to the surface for many people. Your calm, passionate and eloquent presentation is only one of the things that makes you a thought leader in this cacaphonous city. Shared with my FB readers.
I appreciate the sentiment of this post and I hope that you follow it up with more guides and education for your readers. Ignoring the obvious problems with mass-produced fast fashion, your final paragraph also speaks to an issue that I think pervades “menswear enthusiasts” (online or otherwise), and that is the continual search for something new and/or better. You mentioned that you don’t want to encourage consumption but consumption is the byproduct of “shared” living. I don’t think it’s avoidable.
That said, this attitude pervades pretty much any realm of human interest and I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t acknowledge my own indulgences, be they clothes, music (record collection), or the aforementioned food and drink. Take any subject and I imagine there’s a website of enthusiasts seeking to further their own collection or experience. In most cases, this comes at a cost, environmental or otherwise.
I also understand that menswear websites by necessity need to “keep things interesting” by demonstrating all of the great styles, makers, pieces, and experiences that could be available to readers. This information is very beneficial.
Simon makes an important point above by referring to vintage clothes. These are clothes for which the environmental footprint has already been made. The difficulty lies in the facts that, most people want new things, and if people only bought old things, the existing purveyors of quality and craft would cease to exist. It’s a delicate balance.
All that’s to say, I would be very interested to read a perspective that focuses not only on “the basics”, but an entirely contained, sustainable wardrobe. How much does one individual truly need? As I suggested at the outset, I encourage you to pursue this line of thinking.
Thank you for the thoughtful comments and ideas, Mike. And I really like that approach of a sustainable wardrobe – I’ll get working on that. I also agree that consumption isn’t avoidable; over-consumption is really what I was getting at. And how we think about what we buy and own.
As always you’ve hit the nail on the head. I have a wedding in September, and was in the market for a suit. Because I’m a larger gent, everything was at least $500 starting for off the rack
I already own two suits, so I took them to my tailor Xavier (great recommendation by the way, he does amazing work).
These suits were purchased in 2010, and have seen their fair share of use. He looked at them, tweaked the jackets and reinforced the pants. Those suits plus a shirt cost $300 in tailoring, ensuring I save money and get a more modern silhouette. Long term thinking is lacking when it comes to wardrobes, be it cost or environmental impact.
10 Comments
G. Bruce Boyer
June 9, 2017 at 11:30 am
Pedro Mendes
June 14, 2017 at 6:58 pm
Stephen Temkin
June 10, 2017 at 3:26 pm
Simon
June 12, 2017 at 11:18 am
Martin Aller-Stead
June 12, 2017 at 9:47 pm
Pedro Mendes
June 14, 2017 at 6:59 pm
Mike
June 20, 2017 at 3:24 pm
Pedro Mendes
June 20, 2017 at 9:59 pm
Anthony S.
June 23, 2017 at 5:43 am
Pedro Mendes
June 23, 2017 at 9:26 am
Dear Pedro, As a longtime reader of your blog, I’ve often been struck by the grace and seriousness of your writing, but perhaps never more than today. The subject you raise is indeed important, and very few people in the clothing industry seem to be talking about these important ethical considerations. Perhaps you’ll be able to start a conversation to encourage us all to pay attention more carefully. I applaud your effort.
Thank you, Bruce, and yes, that’s exactly what I’m trying to do: I’m working on a project specifically to start that conversation.
Great post, Pedro. While there is no doubt that an environmental day of reckoning is coming for the clothing industry, a bigger revolution needs to happen in the minds of consumers. The expectation that clothing should be cheap and expendable is now deeply ingrained. For the health of the planet, we need a new mantra, one that sees quality and durability as the foundation of style.
Good post.
This is why I love vintage items. They cost less then new, they often are better made than modern clothes, and they recycle clothes and save them from landfill. And, if you choose carefully, they are more stylish and unique than something from the mall.
Well said, Pedro, on a topic of real social concern that has not yet bubbled up to the surface for many people. Your calm, passionate and eloquent presentation is only one of the things that makes you a thought leader in this cacaphonous city. Shared with my FB readers.
Many thanks for the support, Martin.
I appreciate the sentiment of this post and I hope that you follow it up with more guides and education for your readers. Ignoring the obvious problems with mass-produced fast fashion, your final paragraph also speaks to an issue that I think pervades “menswear enthusiasts” (online or otherwise), and that is the continual search for something new and/or better. You mentioned that you don’t want to encourage consumption but consumption is the byproduct of “shared” living. I don’t think it’s avoidable.
That said, this attitude pervades pretty much any realm of human interest and I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t acknowledge my own indulgences, be they clothes, music (record collection), or the aforementioned food and drink. Take any subject and I imagine there’s a website of enthusiasts seeking to further their own collection or experience. In most cases, this comes at a cost, environmental or otherwise.
I also understand that menswear websites by necessity need to “keep things interesting” by demonstrating all of the great styles, makers, pieces, and experiences that could be available to readers. This information is very beneficial.
Simon makes an important point above by referring to vintage clothes. These are clothes for which the environmental footprint has already been made. The difficulty lies in the facts that, most people want new things, and if people only bought old things, the existing purveyors of quality and craft would cease to exist. It’s a delicate balance.
All that’s to say, I would be very interested to read a perspective that focuses not only on “the basics”, but an entirely contained, sustainable wardrobe. How much does one individual truly need? As I suggested at the outset, I encourage you to pursue this line of thinking.
Thank you for the thoughtful comments and ideas, Mike. And I really like that approach of a sustainable wardrobe – I’ll get working on that. I also agree that consumption isn’t avoidable; over-consumption is really what I was getting at. And how we think about what we buy and own.
Pedro,
As always you’ve hit the nail on the head. I have a wedding in September, and was in the market for a suit. Because I’m a larger gent, everything was at least $500 starting for off the rack
I already own two suits, so I took them to my tailor Xavier (great recommendation by the way, he does amazing work).
These suits were purchased in 2010, and have seen their fair share of use. He looked at them, tweaked the jackets and reinforced the pants. Those suits plus a shirt cost $300 in tailoring, ensuring I save money and get a more modern silhouette. Long term thinking is lacking when it comes to wardrobes, be it cost or environmental impact.
Well said, Anthony, and thank you for sharing your experience.