Are you tossing those pants because you wore them out, or just because you don’t wear them anymore?
The modern fashion industry treats clothing as disposable, and it is tempting for us to do the same. Big box stores and multinationals make money selling you way more than necessary. Really, how many pairs of pants do you need?
A select few clothiers have stuck with an older, more sustainable plan of a slower churn, selling fewer of items made to last for years. Sure, it costs more each time you buy a pair of these more responsibly-crafted pants, but if they last many times as long as the cheaper fast fashion pair, you come out ahead.
And they can last even longer than you might think. That proverbial “stitch in time” might save the pants for another year, or it might save them for another wearer, perhaps one who wears a size that no longer fits you. Maybe a thrift store can generate a little money for a good cause in the process of making the exchange.
Shopping for quality clothing, mending what you love and finding a new home for unwanted items, can be powerful — even subversive — actions.
