A Brief History of Sustainable Fashion through Subculture Movements
The 70s had punks and the 90s had grunge, but sustainable fashion has paved its path through each of these subculture movements.
Young designer Vivienne Westwood & Sex Pistols manager Malcom McLaren | Source
Through the ages the fashion industry has gone through many changes. Way, way back fashion was about wealth and status with trends from the rich trickling down to the masses.
But how did the fashion industry become so unsustainable? Where did the sustainable clothing movement emerge from?
What is a Subculture Movement?
Think of subculture as a small group within a much larger group. The small group develops their own values and principles that typically go against the larger groups political, cultural and even sexual ideals.
There have been tons of subcultures throughout history, think of the hippies and flower children of the 60s, the 70s punks or the 90s grunge kids.
There have always been and always will be subcultures, the examples are endless. In fact, most generations will have many. They eventually become more accepted in society due to innovation and invention. Things like technology influence evolution and new ways of thinking which both contribute to globalization.
Globalization of a subculture means that the norms and values of this group spread and are embraced in more locations throughout the entire world.
Fashion is linked to many social developments especially when it comes to the most memorable subcultures in history.
Textile Manufacturing Factory in the Industrial Revolution | Source
Ethical Fashion Through the Ages
Fashion changes like the wind; trends come and go faster then seasons. It’s honestly hard to keep up most of the time. Sustainable fashion isn’t new it’s just entered the mainstream a bit more.
The Birth of Fast Fashion
When the dawn of the industrial revolution happened new technological advancements started happening everywhere. What this did was significantly increase manufacturing for basically every industry.
The 20th century brought us mass production and by the time the 1950’s rolled around, the consumer culture became a hit. Desires turned into needs and the American consumer was considered patriotic.
However, the dark side of the faster, cheaper production is that sweatshops started to appear. They moved around Europe for a while but after World War II, the west began to move their industries into Japan, other parts of Asia and Latin America.
By the time the 80s rolled around most big name retail stores started outsourcing production. Companies making clothing in the United States just couldn’t compete.
Ladies of a Commune | Source
Organic Movement of the 60s
The 60s brought us the hippie revolution and other rebellious movements. The consumerist culture began to be confronted, people started to ask questions and demanding answers.
These free-spirits started to embrace natural textiles, simpler lives and became anti-fashion.
Punk’s Contribution to Sustainable Fashion
During the 70s when Britain’s economy was struggling and unemployment was increasing. The punk reaction to the politics and socio-economic culture was one of rebellion.
This era rejected the traditional norms of fashion, looking for unique second-hand and vintage clothing. The punk era embraced DIY and working with what was available. The message that was being spread was anti-mainstream and anti-establishment.
During the 80s the anti-fur movement also started to make its way into the front lines. People started to hold these companies accountable for their disastrous effects on the environment, economy and society.
Fashion suX - the sustainable underground | Source
The Ethical 90s
Fast fashion really started to go off during the 90s. Offshore manufacturing became cheaper and more accessible for even the smallest companies. But the sustainable fashion movement also began to become more recognized.
Grunge furthered the frustration toward society; it inherited the punks stance on fashion and the economy as a whole. It turned “anti-fashion” into “non-fashion”. It was as if the hippies and the punks gave birth to grunge which resulted into effortless, uncoordinated appearances.
Many companies like Nike, started getting fingers pointed at them for their poor working conditions. Big fashion houses like Gucci started getting in on the eco-fashion action by taking on more sustainable practices.
Accidental Fashion Icon | Source
Present Day Sustainability Movement
The Rana Plaza factory tragedy in 2013 which killed over a 1000 garment workers opened the eyes of the public. The hashtag #WhoMadeMyClothes started making its way around to raise awareness of the horrendous environments many fast-fashion garment makers work in.
Sustainable fashion today looks like “slow fashion” and following in the footsteps of past generations by reusing and recycling our clothing. Many brands are implementing recycle or upcycle programs into their clothing lines. There are sustainable fashion weeks in cities like San Francisco, New York, New Jersey, as well as all over the world like Helsinki and Australia.
Although fast fashion is still alive and well, sustainable fashion is becoming a much larger subculture within the fashion industry.
How Can You Get Involved?
You may be asking yourself, “how can I practice sustainable fashion”. As a consumer you have more power than you probably think.
Educating yourself on fair-trade clothing companies is a good way to start and if you can avoid fast fashion that’s even better. Go thrifting and vintage shopping; you’ll get your hands on some neat pieces that no one else likely has. That’s way cooler than wearing the same thing as everyone else anyways.
There is a lot of misconception that buying sustainably is more expensive. When you compare fast fashion to ethical fashion, the biggest difference isn’t necessarily the price tag. Sustainable clothing is made with better quality and is basically guaranteed to last longer. It also doesn’t come at the expense of the planet or the garment worker.
There is a lot of pressure out there to look our best, get in on every trend and never wear the same outfit twice. The only thing that combats this is to embrace your own personal style. Take a lesson from the history books, fashion is about expression and freedom not about what's trending.
