Sewing

• The new context of their lives means the clothes they wore for the city no longer work for their new lives.
• This is also true in the climate crisis.
• Australia’s carbon footprint from the consumption and use of fashion is the world’s biggest, a dubious distinction in a materialistic world.
• Read more:
  New home, new clothes: the old ones no longer fit once you move to the country

Lessons from wartime

• To conserve precious resources, shorter skirts, minimal detailing and a focus on utility became the norm.
• People adapted their personal aesthetics and appearance because the situation was grave and they wanted to “do their bit” to help with the war effort.
• This wartime response reflected the priorities and values of society as a whole as well as most people in that society.

Read more:
Following a t-shirt from cotton field to landfill shows the true cost of fast fashion

So what can we do today?

• That makes Australians the second highest textiles consumers in the world after the USA , and is 60% more than we bought even 15 years ago.
• If we buy ten to 12 new items a year, we can replace our entire wardrobe in about seven years.
• Read more:
  Secondhand clothing sales are booming – and may help solve the sustainability crisis in the fashion industry

Choosing clothes to fit our values

• In the case of clothing, we should evaluate our choices in relation to the values we hold.
• Clothes need to reflect a person’s situation as well as their identity to “work” well.
• We may start to look different, but that change signifies our values in action.

Rachael Wallis received funding from the Australian Government Research Training Program for this research.