Ajax, Ontario-based freelance makeup artist Emile Jenkinson-Ramirez, 24, says she was compelled to reevaluate her wardrobe choices approximately five years ago after viewing a YouTube film that examined the conditions of Bangladeshi garment industry workers who were paid inadequate wages.
That's when she realized she needed to shop more wisely for clothes, CBC News reported.
Currently, Jenkinson-Ramirez demonstrates her commitment to sustainable fashion by purchasing items from local small businesses that are meant to last. She particularly admires Pashion Footwear and the Slo Fashion Company.
According to her, sustainable fashion is apparel made with consideration for its carbon footprint in an atmosphere that offers fair labor standards and compensation.
"I'm content. People like myself didn't know the difference [between fast and sustainable fashion] for a long time, which is why this is being discussed more now," the speaker stated.
Eight to ten percent of the world's carbon emissions are attributed to the fashion business, according to environmental news site Earth.org. A single cotton shirt requires approximately 2,600 liters of water, while a pair of jeans requires 7,500 liters. According to Earth.org, 80 billion garments are manufactured annually, representing a 4,000% increase from 20 years ago.
Jenkinson-Ramirez belongs to a generation that is becoming more conscious of the damage quick fashion does to the environment. Generation Z is altering its purchasing habits due to inflation and climate change.
"People's everyday lives need to become more rooted in sustainable fashion," the speaker stated.
About more than shopping
According to a survey by Vividata, a Canadian nonprofit research organization, 44 per cent of Gen Z respondents (people aged 12-27) said they were willing to pay more for sustainable fashion, while 45 per cent said they like to shop second-hand. (As a comparison, 32 per cent of respondents 18 and older said they were willing to pay more for sustainable fashion.)
But dressing sustainably is about more than just shopping, says Audrey Henderson, a spokesperson at Fashion Takes Action, a Canadian nonprofit that promotes sustainability and ethics in the fashion industry.
"Being a conscious citizen — or responsible consumer — doesn't necessarily mean that you need to spend a lot of money on a 'sustainable brand,'" Henderson said. "The key is taking the time to be intentional with your actions. It's the opposite of impulse-buying or purchasing something because the price is simply too good to pass up."
Earlier this month, Fashion Takes Action organized an event in Toronto called ReMode, which gave visitors the opportunity to engage with the community and different vendors that produce sustainable fashion. /BGNES