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Showing posts from January, 2023

Fast fashion bursting at the seams

A plastic carrier bag stretched full, near the point of bursting, dumped at the door of a charity shop is a contemporary archaeological site. Considering how we interact with our possessions in this era produces this image in my mind. In the bag, there are clothes with only small repairs required to be wearable again, clothes with their tags still on, and clothes that the buyer missed the return window for. None of these are uncommon to find while charity or thrift shopping: once a treasure trove of unique clothing at good prices, now filled with the same over-produced clothing you can find anywhere else.  This speaks on our consumption habits in the West and our relationship with clothing. When you can buy entire outfits on websites like ASOS, Pretty Little Thing or Shein for less than £10, that clothing is looked after and valued in accordance with its price. Many would rather buy a new skirt than replace a broken zipper or button – many do not know how, either. And since you onl...