(ESPM 2019) The main idea of the text is that

Conscious Consumerism:

Slow vs. Fast Fashion &

Upcycling

Agatha “Agy” is a textile artist and environmentalist. She co-founded Connected Threads Asia and Fashion Revolution Singapore to bring greater awareness to the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Her current goal is to get people to reconnect with their clothes through techniques such as repairing and transforming them into creative wearables (a.k.a. upcycling).

It was the realization that my wardrobe was starting to look like an archaeological dig and contributing to the heaps of textile and leather waste being incinerated each year, that I felt action was needed.

Each garment has passed through so many hands and countries before reaching your wardrobe, and so it is all about respecting and valuing the makers who made the piece of clothing.

You could call what I do “slow clothing”, the antithesis to “fast fashion”, which has now taken over our malls. Fast fashion churns out collections every two weeks, taking advantage of low labour costs and their extensive logistics network.

Manufacturing so many clothes to entice people to buy them not only creates a burden on our environment, but disconnects people from the garments they wear. It also causes people to lose touch with the skills needed to make clothing.

I encourage people to up-cycle and repair their own clothes so that they can have a deeper relationship with their wardrobe! Sometimes, people do not take action because they deem it too difficult to fit into their lifestyles, or they are just overwhelmed by the various actions that one can take. I think it is important that they understand that it is okay to take small and simple steps, like not using or refusing a plastic bag, or just sewing back a button onto your shirt.

One exciting area is research into using food waste such as kombucha, mushrooms and even soy, to make sustainable textile fibers. (I have tried making leather from kombucha and one of the problems is making it waterproof.) Another area that I see is increasingly popular is where brands are encouraging their customers to bring back their clothes for repair or upcycling. It is happening in the West, and hopefully more brands will bring it to Singapore.

Many people tend to see the Consciousness Economy as marauding ‘dogooders’ who want to make the world better at the cost of business or profits”. Many say it won’t help solve the environmental disaster we are living in. However, if we look at it from a positive angle, the movement has not only put the spotlight on the environmental causes, but also exposed these issues to a segment of the market that would have never thought about taking action for a good cause. My hope is that it will push this group into taking more action from the initial baby steps.

It has been very exciting. People are starting to question where and who made their clothes. They are more curious about the fibers used and are opting for natural and even organic fibers. We are also seeing increased interest towards secondhand clothing, be it through thrift stores, vintage or swaps.

Some simple questions one can ask a fashion brand should they be looking to purchase: Do you vouch for organic or natural fibers, or are you an advocate for natural dyes or human rights? Is there certification?

You can find your answers on the labels of clothing, in the corporate social responsibility reports that can be downloaded on the brand’s website, or even independent reporting sites, such as ProjectJUST. Just be curious and never take things at face value. We can start rethinking the way we view our garments. Try it. Pick up sewing skills from scratch and create something new from a t-shirt or a pair of jeans!

(adaptado de thebusywomanproject.com, 20, ago, 2017)

QUESTÃO 47
(ESPM 2019) The main idea of the text is that:

a) there is a need to raise awareness and be active about the environmental cost of rampant fashion consumerism.

b) One cannot take individual actions in order to curb consumerism, as they are more effective if taken jointly.

c) fast fashion is deplorable in contemporary societies and ought not to fit in.

d) upcycling is doubly advantageous, as it not only decreases environmental damages but is also profitable.

e) Upcycling hasn’t been proven to be a great training for world sustainability.

QUESTÃO ANTERIOR:
- (ESPM 2019) In the sentence: Not all products lend themselves to that, boldfaced in the text, the verb lend conveys another meaning, different from the most common one