Balancing Consumption
Neele, 24, Cloppenburg
"In general, I have extremely reduced my consumption, I buy much less compared to before. This was very important to me, because that´s where one can easily start."
In line with the Fashion Revolution Week, The Fashion Lens has interviewed young women who have changed their consumption behavior. This is Neele, a 24 years-old dance therapist from Germany.
What does fashion mean to you?
At some point, you find your own style. I mean, I also want to have my own style. Fashion, then, doesn´t necessarily need to follow trends, but it can also be vintage and secondhand. I just need to like it and feel well in it, it´s very individual. I have also realized that style changes. I don´t wear the same clothes I wore five years ago. This definitely has something to do with what I am doing, like what I studied and what is now my job. I don´t wear jeans anymore, because they are too tight and not flexible, but instead I wear very comfortable clothes now, wide and made from good material. It´s funny how I have adapted to this style even in my free time. I mean, it´s not like I´m dancing around here all the time, but I still prefer comfortable clothes.
What do you think makes fast fashion so attractive?
We see something and we want it. We are all stuck in this tunnel: wanting and wanting ever more. All that we have seen on the media. All that makes us feel beautiful, that makes us happy. This is what makes fast fashion so attractive, we can just go to a store and get what we want. That´s how consumption works, you can quickly satisfy your needs. Considering also, how much people want, makes it even more logical that they buy fast fashion, [because] it´s cheap.
Before I started to really pay attention to production standards, I would mainly buy fast fashion, too. I did feel bad about it, but then I felt like there was no option. I mean, you can assume that Primark [does not adhere to good standards], but then, it´s not just Primark. It´s also the big brands. So, I quickly developed the attitude that ‘Why should I buy from the expensive brands, if the price is only for the name, and not for good quality or a better consciousness.’ That´s why I went to H&M for shopping.
Have you tried to break out of this?
Yes, I have, but it´s not that easy. I do buy much less than I did before or at least look at fair fashion, but I feel like I still want to keep my own style. So, sometimes I do end up buying fast fashion again. It´s really hard to restrict my own desires.
Do you consider the impact that fast fashion production has on the world?
“[Due to] my family owning an organic farm, I grew up in a very conscious home. It appeared natural to me to also question the production standards of my clothes. The problem is, that I don´t have enough information to evaluate that. I guess, I just imagine it really bad, but have no proof. In the media, there´s also not that much information on it, just once in a while when something really bad happens.
What moved you to pay closer attention about fair trade and sustainability in fashion, then?
During my voluntary social work in Uganda, where I went with the organization IJGD, these [sustainability and fair trade] have also been prevalent topics. During preparation and follow-up meetings, we had a lot of discussions.
I will never forget a video one of them showed us, about Nestlé having kids working on cacao plantations. Since then, I have only bought fair trade chocolate. I think, it makes a difference if you´re surrounded by conscious people who are actually well informed, talking about the issues with them makes it much more real. In the end, I kind of transferred my knowledge about the food industry to the fashion industry. I figured, it couldn´t be that different.
Last year, when I was in Berlin, I also bought a magazine where fair fashion brands were presented. The article was mainly about how this fashion does not correspond to the stereotypes anymore, but actually offers contemporary styles. Since then, I´ve been researching these brands online.
Do you perceive of any barriers towards a more sustainable consumption?
I once went to visit a friend in Belgium, in Gent. There, they have such cool secondhand-shops, where I bought a lot of stuff. It can make so much fun to buy secondhand, you can find really unique pieces. But I mean, the clothes need to suit my style. In Paderborn, where I live at the moment, there are no cool secondhand shops. One or two, that´s it, and then they only offer old-fashioned stuff, that I don´t want to wear.
I also look at new collections, such as ‘eco edit’ at Asos, or at brands such as ARMEDANGELS. They offer really good basics. The problem is when you want to get something fancy. That´s either not available or super expensive. That´s quite frustrating, because I just don´t have that much money. Then, I might go to a fast fashion store.
Then, I think it´s quite limiting, that the sustainable brands are not available in stores, but mostly online. Even hessnatur, a big brand, has only few shops, I suppose. At least, I have never seen one anywhere. If you prefer to stroll around stores to try on things before buying them, and experience this kind of quality in shopping, it´s difficult to do that with sustainable clothing.
It would be nice if companies were more transparent about where and how they produce. With everything being so far away, it´s hard to imagine what is happening. This makes it easy to just ignore the problems we hear about in the media. Some might write a country on the label, but who can really imagine how it is to work in that state?
So, what have you changed? How do you consume fashion now?
I ask myself ‘Do I really need this’ before buying something new. Then, I also try to get to cool secondhand-shops from time to time, or I have a look at my friends´, my mom´s and even grandma´s wardrobe. For example, as I´m close to Groningen over Easter, I will go there for secondhand shopping, and this sweater that I´m wearing, I found it at my grandma´s.
In general, I have extremely reduced my consumption, I buy much less compared to before. This was very important to me, because that´s where one can easily start.
