Ethical clothing for a better world

We love fashion.

We all want to keep up with the latest trends, but getting pieces straight off the catwalk can get pretty exy. 

And according to Money Smart's Australian spending habits report, we spend over $20.4 billion on it every year. That’s a lot of handbags ladies!

Enter fast fashion. 

It copies the latest catwalk styles and makes cheaply produced garments and accessories accessible to most of us. Allowing us to binge on 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year - and discard most of them after only a few wears. 

The impact of fast fashion

Fast fashion’s environmental and social impact has pushed the industry to the top of an incredibly unglamorous list – it is now the second biggest polluter of the world after oil. Given its reliance on non-renewable resources, its greenhouse gas emissions and use of non-biodegradable materials like polyester and acrylic, it’s not a real surprise. 

But it’s not just environmental resources it takes for granted. People are also deeply affected by the demand of cheap fashion thrills. 60 million people fuel fast fashion worldwide, with a lot of them doing 11-hour days, six day per week – and still not getting above the poverty line. 

Brands are slowly trying to improve their practices, but fast fashion’s impact is hard to reverse. More than half of companies are now investing in using sustainably fibres, and creating ethical clothing which is great. But only 5% can demonstrate paying a living wage to all workers, which is very disappointing. 

What’s ethics got to do with it? 

Luckily, we’re starting to realise what our habits are doing to our world. In Australia, the majority of us are concerned about sustainability - but we’re still not sure what to do about it. 

But when we start to think about the impact of what we buy - both our planet and our people - the role of ethics in fashion becomes pretty clear. And pretty important.

This is where ethical clothing comes in.

Ethical clothing or fashion is clothing that’s been created, sold and distributed in a responsible way – one that is both kind to the environment and people. 

It wants to minimise its impact by thinking about all the elements of creating clothing – everything from dyes and materials to transportation and labour practices. 

Changing mindsets, not trends 

Fast fashion has deeply influenced our expectations about the cost of clothing. A recent survey found that 62% of respondents want a discount for buying ethical clothing or goods. 

In a world of bargains, $5 t-shirts and constantly changing trends, forking out more than the bare minimum for clothes is a difficult shift. But it’s a necessary one. 

Especially when you consider that while ethical clothing might be more expensive to purchase it can outlast your cheap $5 buys by years because ethically made clothes are made to last. So you actually save money in the long run. 

We think about clothing as an investment. An investment in your image, your planet and its people. 

At Papaya Lane, we take the time to source ethical clothing. This means people who make them aren’t exploited, they’re paid fair wages and work in good conditions. Our products also meet sustainability practices, so they don’t damage the environment or our planet.

A few, well-considered staple purchases - think a well-made white t-shirt, shape-fitting blazer, a killer pair of jeans - will last you years, save you money and significantly reduce your environmental footprint.

A bit of pain for long-term gain.

We at Papaya Lane believe we can all make a difference – and look fab while doing it.