After a sleepless night, the cotton flowers start the day a little groggy. It takes up to 20,000 liters of water1 (the amount of water needed to wash a pair of jeans 400 times), several pesticides and six to eight months to produce one kilo of usable fibers. And that's just the beginning of jeans production: cotton still has a long way to go before it hangs in a store as a stylish pair of fast-fashion jeans.
For the last time, cotton admires the vast acreage that was once its home and makes up part of the 35 million hectares dedicated to cotton cultivation worldwide before it is transported across the border to neighboring Pakistan. Here, large machines, factory workers and chemicals2 ensure that the cotton is cleaned and processed into yarn. “I look slimmer,” says the cotton fabric, pleased with its new tighter structure.
An immersion in chemical substances was not what the cotton yarn had in mind for this morning. “These new-fangled detox treatments are not the yellow of the egg,” explains the cotton yarn, slightly annoyed. But after a while, it has to admit that the new indigo blue shade looks pretty cool. The chemical substance that binds the indigo dye to the fibers gets into the waterways2, but beauty has its price, doesn't it? Without giving much thought to slow fashion alternatives, the yarn is woven into fabric and then transported to Xintang, the Chinese capital for jeans.
“I've arrived,” the cotton fabric rejoices and begins to cough. It never thought that success would smell so bitter. “Luckily I don't have lungs,” it thinks as it waits to be made into a brand new piece of fast fashion clothing. The factory workers who help him realize his dream don't seem the least bit happy about the countless hours that go into making it. However, they work diligently and the cotton fabric is transformed into a stylish pair of fast-fashion jeans in no time at all.
The jeans embark on their last long journey: two trucks, a ship and an airplane. After 14,000 kilometers3 (that's the average for a pair of fast fashion jeans), the jeans' long journey comes to an end. They are overjoyed to have finally arrived at a store in Germany. A whopping 1.25 billion pairs of jeans are sold around the world every year4 and they are all very happy to be in. “Mom would be proud,” thinks the jeans as a citrus-scented fashionista tries them on.
Life after the store is wonderful. But fast-fashion jeans regularly check their seams. She knows full well that the average garment only lasts 3.3 years before it is thrown away5. Desperate, she asks Google: “How to stay young” and “5 tips to keep my wife interested”. She finds out more about the effects of fast fashion and feels remorse. She discovers slow fashion and realizes that it's never too late to change. The life of a pair of jeans is significantly extended if they are washed with the right detergent. She also realizes that repairing items of clothing not only extends their lifespan, but also protects the environment. “Do you know Kintsugi?” she asks her owner, confident that it's never too late to change: #Rethinkfashion.
Image credits:
Header image: Getty Images
Image of cotton field: Shutterstock
Image of inside the factory: Getty Images
Image of cotton yarn spinner: Shutterstock
Image of factory workers making denim: Getty Images
Image of retail shop: Stocksy
Sources:
1. World Water Day: the cost of cotton in water-challenged India
2. The Environmental and Human Cost of Making a Pair of Jeans
The logical Indian
3. The figures come from several sources, including:
The Supply chain for jeans: assessing transport and energy consumption
(Michael Browne, Julian Allen, Transport Studies Group, University of Westminster, London, UK)
Energy Consumption in the UK Jeans Supply Chain (Transport Studies Group, University of Westminster)
4. Denim Jeans Industry Market Analysis
5 Valuing Our Clothes: the cost of UK fashion
What is Dylon's stance on sustainability? Find out here.