COP 26 - Blog 4: Fashion - Jenny Matthews
I have always loved fashion and fabrics and I like shopping! There’s something about the tactile feel of cloth and all the different designs and colours on the fabric. Somehow I cannot imagine a world without the creative input that fashion brings.
But, and there’s a big BUT coming:
What about the exploitation of workers in the fashion industry, the high pollution levels and the depletion of natural resources that all go into the production of fast fashion. Then there’s the shocking waste, approx 85% of textiles end up in landfill each year or are sent to developing countries for them to deal with. I could go on...
None of this sits right with me, and the more I read the more overwhelmed I’m feeling. I now feel guilty about shopping!!!
So how could I help with this huge problem? Buy less of course.
Then my creative brain kicked in I could:
Remake the clothes that are now too small in my wardrobe. This is called refashioning, so creative!
Check out the charity shops in York, some are great for evening dresses and so cheap!
Invest in new eco fabrics garments being sold on the high street, but do your research first, a lot of them are not as good for the environment as they seem!
Mend old clothes - this might sound boring but you could spice it up with some hand embroidery and there’s plenty of videos to help on YouTube. You could make a feature of it for example: if there are holes in your jumper, embroider a bee or flower over them.
Top tip.
Embroidery and sewing have a very calming effect, it’s good for your mental health and will give you a lovely sense of achievement when you finish your project. God is speaking to us and letting us know that we can change through simple ways by giving us tools to keep calm and letting us feel more in control to take on the bigger picture. We have a very long way to go but I feel I’ve started small, why not join me? Together we can somehow help with the bigger problems.
A prayer: Wisdom to care for the Earth.
Lord, grant us the wisdom to care for the earth and till it.
Help us to act now for the good of future generations and all your creatures.
Help us to become instruments of a new creation founded on the covenant of your love.
- The cry of the Earth