In the fall of 2021, journalist Valérie Simard was shocked by images taken by a photographer from Agence France-Presse, which made newspaper headlines around the world for several weeks. We could see the Atacama Desert, in Chile, buried under a mountain of textiles; 39,000 tonnes of used, unsold clothing, mainly from thrift stores and donation centers in Northern countries, including Canada. This open-air dump, a symbol of global overconsumption, has devastating effects on the environment as well as on the Chilean populations.
“It clicked when I saw these photos,” says Valérie Simard. They allowed me to become aware of my consumption and its impacts. I understood that the clothes I donated to second-hand stores or donation centers did not necessarily find buyers. Clothing production is so great that it exceeds the needs of the population, even clogging up resale markets. »
Around the same time, the Quebec government decreed the end of the second confinement linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging businesses to begin a gradual return to the office. “Like many people, I wanted to replenish my wardrobe. Then I wondered why I had this impulse, why the clothes I wore before no longer suited me. To deconstruct my consumption desires, I challenged myself not to buy new clothing for a year. However, it was so easy to overconsume in thrift stores that I quickly made the decision to make my challenge more difficult, and not to make any clothing purchases. »
This personal and journalistic approach is documented in the essay A year of clothing detox, to be published on January 11 by Éditions La Presse. To better understand the social, environmental and economic repercussions of the fashion industry, and thus determine the best behaviors to adopt, the journalist analyzed the data, interviewed experts in marketing, psychology and ecological transition, in addition to talking to women who, like her, had invested in a year without purchases.
His observation? Industry behavior, like that of consumers, must change. And it’s urgent!
Nothing yet to wear?
Whether we opt for ethically or locally manufactured pieces, organic or second-hand, the heart of the problem lies in overconsumption. According to a report from the firm McKinsey, clothing consumption per person in the world increased by 60% between 2000 and 2014. But why do we constantly feel the urge to wear new outfits?
“This question was really the crux of my quest. I realized that I didn’t have a very loving relationship with most of my clothes. I felt like I never had anything to wear, even though my wardrobe had 214 pieces. I was far from wearing them all,” emphasizes Valérie Simard.
By interviewing psychologist Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier, the essayist became aware that, for many, shopping could be a habit aimed at overcoming the frustration of certain fundamental psychological needs, such as connection and competence. “Shopping becomes a form of compensation, like gambling or alcohol for some people. Making purchases activates the reward circuit in these individuals, a neural network that motivates us to adopt behaviors essential to our survival. When our basic psychological needs are not met, we seek to activate this motivational system in another way. However, the well-being that we feel when making a purchase is very fleeting, which pushes us to try to reproduce it on a fairly regular basis. »
Advertising strategists are also well aware of the dynamics that operate in our brains, and they use them to create desire, in particular by offering perpetual novelty, by constantly imagining new trends and by bombarding the consumer with images, newsletters and sales.
Overproduction = overconsumption
If we are pushed to constantly renew our wardrobe, it is also because the pace of fashion has accelerated. The number of items of clothing produced annually has doubled since 2000 and exceeded 100 billion for the first time in 2014, which represented nearly 14 items of clothing for every person on Earth.
“From 2 collections per year, major fashion brands have gone to producing 12, 16 or 20. Every day, a thousand items are put online. On the other hand, clothing prices continue to fall. With globalization, production costs have become lower and lower, and come significant social and environmental impacts,” explains Valérie Simard.
This fast fashion, or ephemeral fashion, is often created in precariousness. The majority of those—mainly women—who make our clothes do not have decent pay, and they often work in conditions that are dangerous to their health. However, “when a sweater sells for the price of a sandwich, it is difficult to want to do without it,” writes the essayist. With the perverse effect that we will give it little value, and will not necessarily take care of it.
How to get out of this hellish wheel? There is no miracle solution, according to Valérie Simard. It is possible to consume less, but better, by learning about working practices, the circular economy, the quality of textiles and their durability, and by being wary of greenwashing and the misleading use of arguments reporting eco-friendly practices in major clothing chains. You can also turn to second-hand clothing stores, exchange or rental, as well as learn how to make simple repairs.
“A challenge like the one I did is not for everyone, but it has forever transformed my relationship with consumption. It’s much easier to deconstruct your desires when you understand where they come from. I am less impulsive, I take the time to choose clothes that I want to take care of and that I will wear for a long time. But to make changes, we must first understand the impacts of our purchases. »