How Can We Challenge the Culture of Consumerism and Quit Fast Fashion? With Aja Barber
💚Aja Barber is a writer and fashion consultant, holding those in power to account by campaigning for a sustainable, inclusive fashion industry that doesn’t exploit workers and our planet.
👉The fashion industry is one of the leading culprits of greenhouse gas emissions, generating tons of waste. Aja works tirelessly to find ways that we can all be more conscious about consumerism, while learning about all the ways systems of power affect our buying habits.
💥Today on The Wallet:
1️⃣We discuss the deep-rooted and complex relationship that we, as a culture, have with consumerism, why we feel the impulse to spend and why it’s so hard to stop consuming.
2️⃣How and where we spend our money has consequences, and when we consume fast fashion, we should consider who and what we are supporting. Aja shares how we can all approach our purchases as citizens, not consumers.
3️⃣Aja tells me about her own journey of moving away from overconsumption, what she asks herself before she makes a purchase, and shares her tips for saving money while avoiding cheap, disposable items.
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You can listen (42 min) and subscribe here:
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The problem with fast fashion, and why it’s so hard to stop consuming
“The thing about consumption is that it loops us in from a very young age, from the minute you’re born, the world is like, here kid, here’s a credit card! It’s time for us to pick these things apart because it’s not good for us. ”
Aja is fiercely outspoken and critical of the fashion industry, in part because she isn’t concerned about personal retribution or being excluded. It’s not all bad, of course, and Aja enjoys the beautiful sides of the industry — which is why she’s adamant about fighting for it to be rebuilt from the ground.
One of the biggest issues with the industry is fast fashion. The fast fashion industry runs on overproduction. It produces 150 billion garments a year, but on average only 25% of the clothing that is produced is actually sold. All this is happening while 50% of the planet lives on only $5.50 a day, and cannot afford to buy into a system of fast fashion.
All the big brands that are manufacturing in the Global South know what they are doing. They’re not going overseas to be altruistic and bring jobs to the local people, they’re going there to exploit people.
Nothing will change unless we stop consuming fast fashion. Often, people feel like they can’t afford more sustainable brands, but Aja is adamant that it’s possible. She admits to having bought into fast fashion when she was younger, but adding up the amount she spent on high street brands, she realised she could buy fewer clothes, but those of a higher quality.
Aja says that ‘nobody wants to be poor until it’s time to justify participating in a system that you know isn’t good for other people.’
The resources that are being used to maintain the fast fashion system, are resources that we should all have access to, and that’s not the reality. For example, without British colonialism, India might still have been a thriving fabric manufacturer.
One of the reasons we’re so addicted to consuming is because it’s ingrained into us from a young age — we aren’t taught money management skills at school, yet are encouraged to take out credit cards as soon as we turn 18. This is one of the ways in which our society is doing a disservice to young people.
Consumerism is a part of our culture. We’re conditioned to want to own more, and it requires a lot of self-awareness and reflection to be able to stop yourself from overconsuming.
2. It’s important to shift your priorities
When we spend our money, we have to make decisions. It often takes an honest conversation with yourself about what it is that really matters most to you, and consequently what you will prioritise to pay for in life.
It’s equally important to find joy in something that isn’t materialistic — there are so many hobbies you can explore out there that aren’t tied to mindlessly consuming.
It can be helpful to go over all your clothing and thoughtfully decrease — for example, giving away clothing that doesn’t fit you anymore to friends.
Moving home (and especially countries) really helped Aja focus on what she really needed — now, before she makes a new purchase, she asks herself: “but would I move this with me to another country?” — if the answer is no, it stays in the store!
Unfortunately, charity shops are not a solution either. They’ve become the dumping ground for poor quality clothes, and more than 30% of our unwanted clothing currently goes to landfills. In fact, Britain is the second-largest used clothing exporter behind the US. Kantamanto in Ghana receives 15 million items of clothing a week.
Try to circulate your clothes instead. For example, if your kids have outgrown something, give away the clothes to a friend with a new baby.
When you really want something new, always try eBay before you buy. Chances are you can find it used and for a much cheaper price.
3. be mindful of greenwashing
When you dig deep, the majority of big brands end up saying that they cannot guarantee that all their workers are paid. But if you have a business and you can’t guarantee that all your workers are paid, you don’t deserve to have a business.
People need to recognise that these brands are very good at giving you the impression that they’re trying when in reality, they’re either doing very little or nothing at all.
The truth is that the entire model of fast fashion is unsustainable: simply changing out your fabric and sourcing doesn’t change that. If brands want to make meaningful changes, they need to drastically scale back, make fewer but better items, and pay people a decent amount of money.
You’re never too small to speak up — if enough of us stay on top of a brand that does something bad, eventually they do have to talk about it.
RESOURCES:
You can follow and connect with Aja at:
Twitter: @AjaSaysHello
Instagram: @ajabarber
Book: Consumed: The need for collective change; colonialism, climate change & consumerism
We shared some resources in this episode, all the links are below:
Book: No Logo by Naomi Klein
*** Our podcast partners PensionBee are also offering you a £25 pension contribution (£20, plus £5 in tax relief) when you sign up. To claim the offer, follow this link: https://www.pensionbee.com/vestpod. Capital at risk. ***