We have to wait less and less time to get new clothes. Many stores renew their stock every 15 days, others every week and some twice a week. Rapid replacement of one trend by another is the order of the day, which has led to concepts such as fast fashion, instant consumer fashion and easily replaceable.

This massive production not only causes tons of waste, which impacts the environment, but it also affects working conditions around the world. Emanuela Mora, Professor of Sociology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy), spoke on this topic during her visit to the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) where she offered a course on Theoretical Perspectives on Culture and Cultural Mediations to students enrolled in the Master of Social Science Research at the University of Navarra.

According to the expert, even though production continues to increase, we are increasingly aware of the consequences that fashion consumption can have. The green movements of the 1970s began with food, recycling and bio products. Although this movement has impacted the textile sector some what, it has unfortunately been late to join. The movement is still uncommon and many consumers look at sustainable initiatives with suspicion.

According to the professor, a nascent critical consumption "is the responsible attitude of selecting products that correspond to our desires and needs" and, at the same time, "of being sure that products’ materials and processes are respectful of the environment and of workers, and that they do not pose a danger to our health."

Individual and business responsibility

For Mora, at present, we find two social groups that consume fashion in a sustainable way. On the one hand, there are highly educated people with purchasing power who "are willing to pay more for products made in fairer and less polluting ways, but which, at the same time, follow the latest trends.” They cannot be considered a group since they act individually.

On the other hand, there is a group with a very recognizable style. These "people are very politically and culturally engaged against the fashion industry. "She indicates that, for them, critical consumption is ethical consumption and it first implies reduction, such that they acquire clothing outside of the trend cycle and that is made through processes of solidarity.

Just as consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the fashion industry’s waste, pollution and poor working conditions, it seems that many brands have recognized these concerns and are committed to changing the way they produce, for example, by using bio materials, recycling clothing, decreasing the use of chemicals... However, Mora is critical of many of these initiatives in that they mostly involve a “facelift” for companies: "They want to stay in the market."

Fashion and psychology

Despite the appearance of movements such as critical consumption, it could be said that most people buy for other reasons. According to the specialist, when we buy and use a product, most of the time we do not do it out of necessity, but rather out of desire —a desire to show off, to see ourselves better— and also to relate to each other –a desire to show who we are, with whom we want to be associated and to share our ideas about the world. "We communicate through fashion," Mora notes.

In fact, clothing can be very useful in disciplines such as psychology and social work since it is a first indicator of a person's way of being. As the sociologist explains, "we are accustomed to dressing in a socially acceptable manner, as well as in relation to weather, others’ expectations, the products offered on the market, local traditions, etc."When a social worker or psychologist works with a person who needs help and does not dress according to the weather or situation, "he or she may have social insertion problems," Mora adds.

Despite the frivolous image that can be associated with fashion, Emmanuela Mora emphasizes that there is a deeper component since, with it, "we are able to declare that we belong to something or that something belongs to us on an intimate level, since garments are a second skin." She trusts that fashion consumption can also become a wide spread vehicle for expressing concern for the environment, leading to research and development of new sustainable forms of production.