WHAT TO WEAR TO A CLIMATE CHANGE

Jo Paoletti, professor, University of Maryland: “People think of fashion as the stuff you buy and wear…But it’s an entire process from the raw material to the making of fibers into yarns and then into fabrics, to manufacturing them into clothing and transporting it to where it’s sold. There are energy costs all along the way.”

Institute for Manufacturing study, Cambridge University: 60% of greenhouse gases associated with a T-shirt come not from the shirt but from the (likely) 25 machine washings/dryings. And T-shirts don’t require dry cleaning, which generates another problem, environmental toxins.

The best news? Climate change desperation will lead to the end of endless trying on of garments. John Jacob, professor of fashion design, West Virginia University: “You put on a body suit and walk into some sort of cubicle that does laser imaging of your body…That info feeds into a computer that generates a set of patterns based on your unique body dimensions. The benefit to the biosphere is that nothing is produced that isn’t already purchased.”

Some predict the end of “hyperconsumption." There is a growing “slow fashion” movement that calls on fashionistas to buy high-quality, long-lasting clothing. Paoletti: “What if you only had half the wardrobe but everything in it was something you really, really loved?… No regrets, nothing superfluous.”

Certified carbon neutral. (click to enlarge)

Paoletti also urges committed fashionistas to read clothing labels and learn to evaluate the information. They must realize that "polyester" means "oil" and organic materials may have toxic dyes.

But fashionistas are nothing if not brutally realistic. Paoletti: “You’re never going to reduce your carbon footprint to zero, really. I mean, you’re here…And being naked really isn’t an option.”

Darn.

Fashion Forward: How Climate Change Will Affect What We Wear
Starshine Roshell, January 18, 2008 (Miller-McCune)

WHO
Live It Green, Amazon.com, Linda Loudermilk

C-IN2 Men’s Bamboo Rider Boxer Brief (click to enlarge)

WHAT
Let Al Gore worry about getting people to do something about climate change. These are folks worrying about what to wear for it.

WHEN
- Climate change began having an impact on the fashion world when the 2006-2007 New York City winter was so warm that winter coat sales plummeted.

Cuddl Duds Eco Soft Smart Bamboo Long Sleeve Top Daywear (click to enlarge)

WHERE
- 96% U.S. clothing is produced elsewhere — mostly in Asia. With rising awareness comes questions.
- Live It Green is based in Chicago.
- Linda Loudermilk is based in LA.

WHY
- A typical washing machine: 160 pounds of CO2/year; dryer: 700 pounds.
- Live It Green certfies clothing carbon neutral for manufacturers who buy offsets for every garment sold.
- Amazon.com sells underwear made of sustainably harvested bamboo and new super-textile Ingeo, a fiber made from 100% renewable resources.
- Linda Loudermilk’s self-described “luxury eco” label sells wood pulp and recycled soda bottle dresses and sasawashi blouses (sasawashi: fun to say and an allergen-free blend of Japanese paper, herbs, vitamins and amino acids).
- Cashmere and seersucker, more versatile fabrics, are expected to grow in popularity.

Linda Loudermilk Water-Is-A-Human-Right Bamboo Scarf (click to enlarge

QUOTES
- Beppe Modenese, Milan Fashion Week founder, to NY Times: “There is no strong difference between summer and winter anymore…The whole fashion system will have to change.”
- Linda Loudermilk, to celebrity buyers of her “luxury eco” label like Debra Messing and Jennifer Beals: “…wear your conviction in style!”
- Professor Paoletti, on the problem with labels: “A label can tell you the shirt is 100 percent USDA organic cotton, but that claim doesn’t tell the whole story: What about the dyes and finishes used in the shirt?”