Why Size Matters to Sustainability in Fashion
The very definition of fashion dictates that it is constantly changing putting pressure on supplies and longevity of garments. It has created an insatiable and unnecessary consumption of material, energy and supply. An incredible 92 million tonnes of textiles waste is created each year and is equivalent to a rubbish truck full of clothes entering landfill sites every single second. Whilst this is better understood by the public, few appreciate what ‘vanity sizing’ has played in the current clothing excess.
With online sales increasing all the time in the clothing industry the importance of fit should be centre stage. In a store it is possible to try on clothes regardless of the label. Online a reference is needed. Vanity sizing was created to make people feel better about the size of the clothing they are purchasing. To do so a once recognised system equating to actual measurement was abandoned and the lower numbers attributed to larger garments. In many instances the drop has been by more than one whole size. An often used example is that of Marylin Monroe. At her fame she was a UK size 14 but now she would now be a size 8! The relevance of the number that truly represents size has been lost and it is now a fact that more than half or people do not really know what size they should buy
The outcome of this can be witnessed the huge number of returns that faces the industry. It is not just the scale of the returns but also the cost in transportation and more unwanted stock at end of each season. The situation has exacerbated the environmental burden of the clothing industry. It is now not unusual for well known branded clothing companies to have a return rate around 30%.
Solution
So how do we minimise this problem? Firstly concentrate not only on clothes made to last primarily from cotton, but also focus on fit. Buy garments that are made for
your size if you can to minimise returns. Measurements are vital. If you are in a store try clothes on to make sure they fit. If you are buying from unfamiliar brands check out their size guide before proceeding. It may seem old fashioned but without a true reference from the clothing industry, measured sizes are the only sure way forward. A small inclusion of elastane can also help with minor size discrepancies but the tape measure rules when it comes to online sales.
Our create your own chinos are made with 3% elastane and are hand cut and made to size using
measurements entered online. This is a great way of reducing the returns and ensuring the perfect fit.
More work is needed to highlight the part sizing plays in clothing waste as the trend towards online shopping continues to grow.
