sophia cheng
Sustainability

Wardrobe Data – Inventory: Jan 2020

Growing up, fashion has always been a medium for me to express myself and gain acceptance from others. It was practically a requirement to have a pair of UGG boots, a North Face fleece jacket, and some Abercrombie moose logos to gain a seat at the lunch table. However, being the child of first generation immigrants, I also learned how to scour for a good bargain; sifting through the sale racks, waiting for seasonal markdowns, and negotiating with sales associates. My mother still wears pieces from the 80s and has always made me flip my clothes inside out before washing them to extend their lifetime.

Like most people, my consumption habits have been driven by an attempt to keep up with trends while minimizing the impact on my wallet. Throughout high school, I expanded my wardrobe with steals from Forever21 and Zara, experimenting with bold pieces for a couple months before deeming them over worn and out of style. At the time, sustainability, specifically within retail, was a topic that hardly existed, much less was discussed. Thrifting was just starting to become popularized by Macklemore and even then, the impetus to thrift was primarily driven by style instead of sustainability.

However, in recent years, there’s been a significant shift in the minds of individuals and corporations towards more conscious consumption. Recently, a friend mentioned to me that she’s optimistic about the future of retail as she sees the ideas around consumption changing for younger generations, who post TikTok videos with their #capsulewardrobe. Recently, during the G7 Summit in Biarritz, several retailers from Kering Group to H&M signed the Fashion Pact, committing to environmental goals in three areas: stopping global warming, restoring biodiversity and protecting the oceans. Although, the topic has become more prevalent, we are still a ways away from solving this problem. According to the EPA, in 2017 alone, there was an estimated 11M tons of textiles winding up in landfills.

A couple years ago, I was introduced to the documentary True Cost, which explores the environmental and social costs of retail, specifically fast fashion, along the supply chain. Since then, I’ve been passionate about how I can be more conscious of my own consumption behaviors and drive industry-wide change to live more ethically and sustainably. In 2015, I spent a summer at Bocconi University in Milan, studying Fashion and Design Management and understanding the process from creation to consumption in the retail industry. In an attempt to understand methods to reduce waste and consumption, I’ve started by holding myself more accountable for my own behaviors.

Wardrobe Data

Inspired by Gold Zipper’s Wardrobe Science blog, I’ve been compiling data on my own closet, including everything from where my pieces come from and what they’re made of to how much I wore them.

High Level Summary:

  • I have 281 pieces actively in my wardrobe, counting accessories and shoes
    • This is probably (definitely) wayy more than I need to have, but I figured publicly shaming myself for this is the first step to holding myself accountable
    • As a caveat, a majority of these pieces came into my wardrobe before I started trying to be more conscious of my consumption behaviors and instead of donating it to a thrift store (which can often wind up in landfills), I try to make use of them
  • The tenure for each category of clothing indicates on average, how many months items in that category have been in my closet. Based on this, on average, I’ve owned most of the pieces in my closet for over 2 years
    • In the episode “The Ugly Truth Of Fast Fashion” of Hasan Minaj’s show Patriot Act, he states that by wearing your clothes for nine months longer, you can reduce your carbon footprint for that garment by 30%
    • One thing I try to be really conscious of is extending the lifetime of my pieces through proper care and maintenance like separating dedicates in the wash and keeping mothballs in my closet to prevent holes in wool pieces
    • Not captured here, but several pieces in my closet have had a much longer lifespan from secondhand purchases and upcycling old hand-me-downs from my mom and aunt
  • A large portion of my clothes are made in China
    • Geography can be an indication for how ethically sources pieces may be, where in the last decade, fast fashion has moved to being manufactured predominantly in Southeast Asian countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Vietnam with often low wages and poor working conditions
    • Growing up, “Made in China” was associated with a negative connotation; however, I would argue that it is actually harder now to find many pieces that are made in China due to higher labor costs
  • My wardrobe is primarily neutral colors, which makes sense based on what I wear and will get use from
    • However, I do find myself purchasing occasional pieces for events when I need specific colors, which tends to lead to some not-so-conscious purchases

📊Some callouts/future analysis:

  • Tracking how many pieces are new/retired each month
  • Taking a deeper dive into where I’m consuming from (i.e. how much of my purchases are fast fashion, investment pieces, or secondhand)
  • Predictive analytics to suggest items to wear based on preferences and less worn pieces

Additional sustainability and data viz inspiration/resources:

📊Wardrobe Data Inspiration:

👚♻️Retail Sustainability Resources:

Stay tuned for more data and discussions on sustainability and retail to come!