When shopping, many questions now arise. Do I buy an organic cotton t-shirt? Which stores do I go to? And what are the vegan sneakers good for? Parts of the fashion industry are discussing how they can become more environmentally conscious and fairer. This will also be an issue at the Berlin Fashion Week, which starts this Monday (March 14). From the point of view of the author Carl Tillessen (“Consumer”), as a consumer you can still learn a lot about yourself. For example, why do we often buy more than we need?
“The simplest answer to the question is: Because we can – and that wasn’t always the case,” he told the German Press Agency. Many products have become cheaper and cheaper for us over time. That was initially due to industrialization, in recent decades, however, mainly due to globalization.
“Most of the things we buy are now manufactured abroad – to put it mildly – for cheap wages and – to put it less harmlessly – sometimes under conditions similar to slavery,” says Tillessen, who himself comes from the fashion industry. His book “Consumption” helps many developments apart.
In his opinion, many people now know more about the lack of environmental compatibility of consumption, but not so much about the lack of social compatibility. People often think that unfair production conditions are the exception, says Tillessen. “We’re very good at suppressing things.” In addition, we often take our bearings from our surroundings. “We say to ourselves: ‘If it were really that bad, then not all my friends would do it.'”
In addition, purchasing decisions are not made in the laboratory. “We drift through shops, let our gaze wander, browse the Internet,” says Tillessen. According to studies, if we like a product, such ethical decisions do not come in first place, but in ninth or tenth place. “We are – if To be honest – not very willing to compromise: We don’t buy ugly shoes just because they were manufactured fairly and in an environmentally friendly way.”
So do we think we are better than we are? “Definitely. We overestimate ourselves in many ways,” says Tillessen. You buy status symbols for yourself, but also for the public image. In their actions and in many life decisions, people orientate themselves much more towards their environment and much less towards their own authentic needs than they thought.
Berlin Fashion Week discusses sustainability
Sustainability is also discussed again and again at the Berlin Fashion Week. For example, the forum “202030 – The Berlin Fashion Summit” is planned. From Tillessen’s point of view, there are two levers that the industry could use. On the one hand, the quality: you can rely on organic cotton, for example, or pay people better. This is relatively easy for the industry and customers. “You then buy the same thing in green. That’s better than nothing, but absolutely not enough. Because the effect is nullified if we just keep buying more.”
In his opinion, the industry is now entering a new phase. “You start to think about the quantity of things. How much do we actually need? How durable should products be? Do you try to buy vintage? And of course the fashion industry also has a hard time with this less,” says Tillessen. This is also a huge challenge for the economy.
It’s easier for people to calm their ecological conscience by buying new fair trade yoga clothes made from organic cotton than to simply not buy new yoga clothes. Is consumption as a reward or as a comfort actually a good idea? “Unfortunately no,” says Tillessen. “It’s like taking substances. The tolerance limits are shifting – we have to keep increasing the dose in order to return to the original feeling of happiness.”
To check whether you really want to buy something, he names a few tricks. “You should actually ask yourself the question: Do I really want to use it or do I just want to own it? A second tip: first of all, distance yourself.” Have a coffee or even sleep on it. “In many cases you will find that you have forgotten it the next morning. And if you still want it, you can usually get it.”(dpa)