Some sewing materials used by HNI Collective. (Photo from Itohan Asemota)
As the season changes and the holiday season approaches, there’s one thing we’re always expected to do: shop till we drop.
From flashy sales that big box stores tell you that you can’t resist to the trendy Christmas clothing and items that will likely end up in a thrift store or landfill after December, it’s easy to feel how hyperconsumerism overshadows the holidays.
Hyperconsumerism Defined
The Fashion Sustainability Directory defines Hyperconsumerism as “a state where individuals excessively consume goods and services, often beyond their needs and financial means. It’s fueled by a culture that equates consumption with happiness and success. This phenomenon is deeply intertwined with advertising, marketing, and the availability of cheap goods, leading to a cycle of wanting, buying, and discarding.
At its core, hyperconsumerism is driven by several factors:
- Social pressure to keep up with trends and display status.
- The constant bombardment of advertising messages that create desires.
- The availability of easy credit and financing options.
- The planned obsolescence of products, designed to be replaced quickly.
This behavior has significant consequences, both for individuals and the planet.”
But what if we take this time to slow down and think about the purchases we make so that they reflect our values? Conscious consumerism is a practice that encourages doing exactly that and can be applied to clothing, gifts, and beyond.
For a guide to how the clothes we wear affect us, the world, and how we can make a positive change with our wardrobe, these are some recommended media to watch & read:
Books
Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism (Aja Barber)
Journalist and stylist Aja Barber explains the uncomfortable truth of how oppressive systems, including slavery and wealth inequality, have bled into the fashion industry and what we as citizens can do about it.
Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion (Elizabeth L. Cline)
This book explores the rise of fast fashion as we know it today and how it affects the environment, human rights, and consumer behavior.
To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick–and How We Can Fight Back (Alden Wicker)
Written by journalist Alden Wicker, this book discusses how toxic chemicals are commonly found in the clothes we wear & what we can do about them.
Loved Clothes Last: How the Joy of Rewearing and Repairing Your Clothes Can Be a Revolutionary Act (Orsola de Castro)
This book describes how to mend, rewear, and breathe new life into your wardrobe to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle.
Films/Documentaries
The lies that sell fast fashion (Vox)
8 minutes
This mini documentary explains how e-commerce (online shopping) has warped society’s perception of how much clothing should cost and how quickly we should receive it.
MADE IN BANGLADESH – Inside the fast fashion factories where children work (Project Happiness)
23 minutes
Bangladesh is one of America’s largest importers of clothing and one of the largest clothing producers in the world. This documentary showcases the unforgettable reality of child labor within the fashion industry and how we can support some of the children involved.
Ghana: fast fashion’s dumping ground (Unreported World)
24 minutes
This documentary from Unreported World explores the Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana, an area where millions of unwanted clothes from donation bins throughout the United States and Europe are sent. This highlights the practice of waste colonialism and makes you think about what happens to our clothes after we donate them.
The Hidden Cost of Staying Trendy | Earth Focus (PBS SoCal)
24 minutes
This documentary describes the process of how fast fashion clothing is produced and introduces ways that the industry can work more responsibly and sustainably through circular fashion.
The Ugly Truth Of Fast Fashion | Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (Netflix)
29 minutes
This segment describes what fast fashion is, how we participate, and common greenwashing (marketing used to make clothing sound sustainable, but technically isn’t) tactics that clothing brands use through a comedic edge.
UNSTITCHED: How the Fashion Industry is Destroying the Planet (Our Collective Impact)
42 minutes
Fast fashion is currently the standard practice within the industry despite its labor and climate issues. This documentary highlights designers and changemakers who are actively combating this practice and discussing how they’re working to improve the fashion industry.
What You Can Do IRL
For those who take any interest in participating in conscious consumerism outside of a digital screen and into the real world, here are some recommended ways to use your voice with your dollar – locally.
Shopping and supporting locally
Whether you’re buying gifts for your loved ones or essential items for yourself, shopping from stores that are family-owned, small businesses, and/or locally owned is an easy and impactful way to practice conscious consumerism. Small businesses can recirculate more money back into the local economy than big box stores, so you’ll get the things you want while supporting your neighbors instead of corporations.
The Shop Small Business Saturday Germantown market is happening at Market Square Park (5400 Germantown Avenue) from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 29. Local shops and boutiques such as Perfectly Flawless will be open all throughout the holiday season.
Take a sewing class
A perfect way to gain an appreciation for the clothes you wear and love is to learn to fix them yourself! Ruby Gertz is the founder of Slow Fashion Academy and provides sewing and patternmaking resources for beginners & professionals in her Germantown studio. Her upcoming classes are Intro to Sewing 101 and Alterations Lab on Sunday, December 7.
Get your favorite clothing items repaired and/or altered
If you or your loved ones have clothes that you love but need a refresh, consider getting them repaired or altered. I’m the founder of HNI Collective, a size-inclusive & sustainable fashion service agency that provides services such as clothing repair and alterations, based in Germantown. You can request an appointment here and purchase gift cards, perfect as a gift to someone else or future you.
Pardon your local thrift store
Shopping secondhand for goods is great for you, the environment, and your local community. Bargain Thrift Center and Whosoever Gospel Mission are both great thrift shops to add to your store itinerary.
Itohan Asemota is a Germantown-based creative and founder of HNI Collective, a fashion service agency that bridges the gap to make sustainable fashion accessible to all bodies through providing clothing repair, customization, and production services.
You can follow her upcoming events with @hnicollective on Instagram or visit her website hnicollective.univer.se.