Locally owned, locally grown - not as hard as it sounds

When I was first stopped and asked what ideas I had to make the apparel industry more sustainable, I was caught off guard. My initial thought was, ‘I am not a designer or a scientist. How am I supposed to come up with new environmentally sustainable production systems?’ But then I realized, it is my job to do this. I, as a future fashion industry worker, a buyer, and a customer, have a duty. My first idea works on the principle of producing entirely locally. Fletcher (2008) shows us the harsh reality, “The average t-shirt travels the equivalent distance of once around the globe during its production” (p. 139-140). This is unacceptable. And we must keep in mind how many t-shirts each one of us own in our possession, alone. I think this is wild, considering all of the cotton farms in Oklahoma and Texas alone. So, my idea is to put government regulations on this. I believe there should be a limit of how far a product – fiber, machine, tool, etc. – can be shipped for use during production. I know a government regulation seems extreme, however, I feel that this is the only way for this to work. I realize that production owners may feel local products are more expensive or not up to their standards, however if they used these products like they use the ones in China, for example, the price and durability would increase as profits increased. Fletcher (2008) explains, “Local products inspire and challenge the community while at the same time creating jobs and making use of local resources” (p. 140). China was not born the biggest producer of the apparel industry; they made it through hard work, locally-owned production, and starting with nearly nothing. We must start somewhere! I know in my small hometown they promote local buying through “Fairview bucks” or money that can only be used in Fairview, Oklahoma stores. I thought this was brilliant! I think that campaigning is a subtle way is so much more effective than commercial jingles or harsh reality commercials.

                       (this photo is taken from a cotton farm in southwest Oklahoma)

            The second IE principle that I found interesting was working together. If textile producers would join with brands and work in one location that would decrease distributing immensely. Also, if these companies expanded and built more economically friendly buildings near or even in their main target distributions cities, the gas usage would shrink dramatically. Of course, pessimists may consider the cost of building a new factory and making that industrial unit very eco-friendly and efficient, but I believe if the company markets their ideas to their customers, they will be more likely to pay a little more for that product. For example, Toms shoes are not necessarily chic shoes, but millions of people will pay $40-$60 for them because Toms shoes gives a pair to an underprivileged child for each pair purchased. If we work off of this principle, we can change the ecosystem together. It is not something that can be changed alone or overnight, but each person matters for the advancement to work.