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Be a repeat offender!

It was World Environment Day this Tuesday and I marked the occasion by only wearing sustainable clothes. From Alexander McQueen to Zara, fashion labels these days are making a genuine attempt to be more environmentally responsible. The industry has often been a major offender when it comes to the environment - it is reported that nearly 85 per cent of the waste found in the ocean comes from either nylon or acrylic - fabrics more often than not used in the making of garments. The carbon footprint of a T-shirt - even if it's made of cotton - can be up to 20 times its own weight. Interestingly, a Greenpeace report found that 30 per cent of the clothes we buy are worn once. Recently, Nike, H&M and Burberry signed a Make Fashion Circular initiative that aims to reduce the fashion industry's contribution to global waste by recycling raw material and products. It is easy to blame the fast fashion brands, but it takes two hands to clap.
Is rushing to buy new clothes - even if they are environmentally friendly - the answer? Should we not first take stock of clothes we already have and then see if we're really wearing them enough? Do you have pieces in your wardrobe that you've worn just once? (I plead guilty to this fashion crime, by the way.)
A person who makes smart fashion choices will choose clothes that stand the test of time. There is nothing more special to me than my grandmother's beautiful chiffon sarees or my mother's classic handbags. They tell a story - one that's worth way more than their price tags. When these women bought their outfits and accessories, they thought about longevity, something we do not necessarily factor in all the time. So, I am now taking a new pledge to go shopping in my own wardrobe for a while.

Rita Moreno at the 1962 Oscars
One of the most memorable fashion moments of this year was at the Oscars when Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno appeared in the dress she had worn in 1962 when she won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in West Side Story. First, I was amazed that she still fitted into that dress. Second, the black and gold dress, with its full skirt made from a single piece of Obi fabric, looked age-appropriate on Rita back when she was in her 30s and now when she is in her 80s. Though I am not quite sure about the styling of her Oscars look: the hair band and accessories were perhaps a bit too much. Nonetheless, it worked. It spoke of the quality of the dress - it was made in Manila, not Milan or Paris. The gesture of revisiting the dress all over again was almost a lesson in recycling clothes smartly. It has inspired me to become a repeat offender. Perhaps it's time to realise that the best way to ensure that fashion becomes more responsible is to become more responsible yourself!
sujata@khaleejtimes.com