Ethics Simple, Durable Clothes
Americans will likely adjust consumption habits as our quick-use, quick-discard model for clothing use becomes impractical and ebbs. The world now discards or burns enough clothing every two days to fill a large sports stadium. In addition to filling garbage dumps, environmental costs include the energy and resources put into manufacture. It’s. not something to be proud of, but Americans do contribute more than their share to the global trash pile; sometimes many of us treat clothes like disposable facial tissue. There will be environmental pressures to restore more frugal habits, such as in the 1930’s when Americans bought durable clothes and expected to use them for years, but that ethic ended with the storms of prosperity and economic plenty after World War II. More post-War Americans began seeing new clothes in the latest fashions as expressions of individual beauty, uniqueness, sexual attractiveness and economic success. There are fewer old-style people who purchase clothes with durability in mind and use them until worn out.
to be continued
