Plastics as the New Luxury?
When did plastic in fashion become the norm? And how do we stop collaboration?
Photography by Dani Pujalte. Available via Dazed © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Once again, social media, particularly TikTok, has emerged as a significant influencer in the fashion industry. It has prompted many content creators and regular users to create videos advising people to check product tags while shopping for new clothes or accessories. The gradual trend of incorporating plastics into clothing has become the norm. Numerous stores and brands offer visually appealing garments, but a closer look at the product tag reveals that the design is predominantly made of polyester, nylon, or acrylic. Not only is this initially frustrating, but it can also lead the brand to lose customers who do not support adding plastics into clothing over time.
This is disappointing for potential buyers, as clothing made from these materials does not maintain quality over time. It is also not environmentally friendly or sustainable for the fashion market.
The question is, why do fashion brands encourage pushing these materials onto consumers? Additionally, why is plastic suddenly becoming aspirational? According to The Business of Fashion, the global textile production increased to a record of 124 tonnes. This increase is connected to ‘virgin polyester’, which dominates the textile market and controls nearly two-thirds of the total. Not only should this concern consumers, but it should also empower them to pause and reconsider their purchasing decisions.
The problem with the increased production of polyester in clothing is that it not only promotes fast fashion but also significantly deteriorates the quality of clothing. The boom of social media has not helped fight the battle of fast fashion because new trends pop up every few weeks that encourage people to buy into them. The clothes associated with these trends are almost always made from plastic, which then severely harms the environment and contributes to landfill production.
Not only does incorporating plastics in clothes diminish the quality of the material, especially in the luxury space, but plastics from clothes break down in the wash, which then migrate into water systems and food. In turn, due to mass plastic production, the consumer will unknowingly put plastic into their body over time.
While fast fashion may be gripping stores, brands, and individuals, plastic has no business being sewn into luxury fashion. Luxury fashion has a specific market as it is not normal for individuals to afford the price tag of high-end brands featured during New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, etc. However, upon closer inspection, plastic has been migrating into these companies. An example of a lower-tier fashion brand that is still a luxury to wear is Lululemon. A brand that gained popularity a few years ago has a majority of polyester or other plastic-based clothing. While this brand is not on the level of haute couture, it is still a luxury. It raises the question of whether it is morally ethical to promote clothing as high-end, knowing the materials are not sustainable or organic?
Plastic is not aspirational, and while brands argue that using recycled material in products helps the environment, this is just not the case. Plastic breaks down and then infiltrates ecosystems and bodies, which causes long-term harm, and at its core, fashion is about craftsmanship, design, and hard work. It must be protected and valued with organic and clean materials. Not only do clothes last longer when made out of cotton, wool, or silk, but they also do not require the same level of fossil fuels as polyester and other plastics.
