Do You Love Denim? Read This!

By guest writer Emily Fenves, The Landerline

Hello Earthlings!

Coming at you from the comfy bedroom chair that I pined over when I first saw it at Roundtop this time last year (Roundtop is a tiny town in Texas that hosts an epic antique and design fair every six months. It is definitely a bucket list item if you come to Austin in the spring or fall). Speaking of Texans, if there is anything else that Texans like (and the rest of the world, for that matter), it's the classic American wardrobe essential: denim.

But, denim is, sadly, one of the “dirtiest” categories in our closets. And by dirty I mean: It takes (on average) 80 litres (i.e. 21 gallons) of water to produce one pair of denim jeans. And that blue hue we all associate with our beloved favourite pair? What if I told you that the chemical dyes that are applied to the fabric pollute the water supply, detrimentally affecting wildlife, sea life, and human life in the communities around the manufacturing plants? Most synthetic “indigo" dyes are in powder form; to make that powder dissolve in water before dying the fabric, reduction agents like sodium dithionite or hydrosulfite are often added. When the finished jeans are washed (or the excess solution is emptied), these chemicals rinse off directly into waterways.

And what if I told you that the garment workers who make these clothes become sick, have permanent stains on their hands, and work in filthy conditions with poor air quality? Today, 37% of cotton (which is the main ingredient in all denim) is sourced from India and, according to Better Cotton, a sustainability initiative that aims to make the production of cotton safer for workers, “Many cotton workers face poor working conditions, discrimination, and low wages, particularly those from underprivileged, rural communities, or migrant families."

These are only some of the dirty facts of the fashion industry and particularly apply to denim manufacturing. And the fashion industry benefits from us not knowing these things (i.e. the less we know about how our clothing was made the more likely we will not hesitate to make a purchase). But consumers are changing their tune, and starting to demand that brands prioritise transparency. And new brands are emerging, producing fresh designs, classic styles, and even better quality. But more importantly, they are reducing their energy use, their water supply, their chemical consumption, and paying their workers a living wage, uplifting the communities that they exist in, and leading as examples of what denim production needs to look like. It is essential to the future of fashion that we support ethical brands, whether by referring friends, posting about them on social media, speaking about them in conversations, or purchasing their products. 

But also start to choose a second-hand first hand. I hope these eye-opening facts have inspired you to make a better choice next time looking for a pair of denim.