US Congress Initiates Slow Fashion Caucus. Image: pingree.house.gov

Introduction

The rise of fast fashion i.e. inexpensive, seasonal and stylish apparel to satisfy the needs of consumers on a tight budget, has become a pressing environmental problem. Fast fashion relies on inexpensive production, frequent consumption and short-lived use. This cycle of production and disposal is taking a huge toll on our environment. According to the UN Environment Programme, the fashion industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for about 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. This can be addressed with circularity, which  requires governments, businesses and consumers to look beyond the current “take, make and dispose” extractive industrial model and focus on furthering the value of products with resale and recycle.

“Overproduction rides on the back of the most vulnerable people along the fast fashion supply chain, who are usually from the Global South,” Sammy Oteng, Senior Community Engagement Manager, The Or Foundation, tells Vogue. “In Ghana, where I’m from, the influx of these garments overshadows the good, culturally driven work that Kantamanto—the largest reuse and upcycle economy—does. It is also a culprit in the decline of local textile industries and has eroded the quality and sentimental value people place on garments. This is simply because fast fashion positions garments as disposable. A decrease in garment production amounts, coupled with Globally Accountable Extended Producer Responsibility to provide the investment necessary to develop localised circularity and revitalize the local textiles industry, is a way forward.”

Per Vogue Business, “The resale market is now worth an estimated $100-120 billion, three times more than in 2019, according to the latest resale report from Vestiaire Collective and Boston Consulting Group. The sector is expected to grow a further 127 per cent by 2026, per the 2022 Thredup Resale Report. As mainstream consumers have become more comfortable with secondhand fashion, and the stigma around resale has started to shift into aspiration, many brands and retailers have launched integrated resale platforms, from Isabel Marant and Balenciaga to Selfridges and Net-a-Porter. The idea is to build loyalty among sustainability-minded consumers, offer lower-priced options for new customer acquisition, and continue profiting from products long after they leave the shopfloor.”

US Congress Initiates Slow Fashion Caucus

In a groundbreaking initiative to address the environmental threat of fast fashion, members of the US Congress unveiled the first-ever Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus that aims to advance climate-smart legislation that incentivises the apparel industry to adopt circular economy and other sustainable practices. The launch event and press conference on Capitol Hill witnessed participation from sustainable fashion brands and stakeholders such as Patagonia, thredUp and the Garment Worker Center.

“For too long, the so-called ‘fast fashion’ industry has been given free range to pollute our planet, exploit workers, and shortchange consumers… The launch of our Slow Fashion Caucus marks a new era in the fight against climate change and sends a clear message that Congress will not stand by as the harmful fast fashion industry flies under the radar to destroy our planet,” Pingree, Founder and Chair of the Slow Fashion Caucus, expressed in a press release. “As lawmakers, we can create incentives for the apparel industry and consumers to reduce natural resource consumption and engage in reusing, repairing, rewearing, and recycling textiles…”

Founding members of the Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus include: Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine, Chair), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii). The Slow Fashion Caucus has already garnered widespread support from industry players including American Circular Textiles, Garment Worker Center, Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, Patagonia, ThredUp and many more.

The Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus supports a circular economy for textiles by incentivising the apparel industry to design products that can be reused, repaired and recycled. With this in mind, the Caucus aspires to promote textile recycling infrastructure as the existing infrastructure does not support consistent, convenient, or widespread collection of textiles. It also intends to build public awareness of the negative impacts of fast fashion, emphasise local production and support the use of sustainable plant and animal-based fibers such as cotton, flax, hemp, wool and alpaca.

In Support of Slow Fashion Caucus

“Consumers demand — and companies should deliver — products that are more durable, multifunctional and, crucially, socially and environmentally responsible,” said Rebecca Goodstein, senior retail environmental activism manager at Patagonia, in the press release. “We need a national revolution around quality, backed by policies and legislation that prioritize the most sustainable raw materials and best manufacturing practices. That’s why my colleagues and I are excited about the launch of this caucus and its goals to strengthen public awareness and encourage textile sustainability.” Patagonia is an ethically-conscious brand that uses sustainable processes to craft its outdoor apparel, accessories and gear and also donates a percentage of sales to support environmental non-profits. By taking responsibility for their ecological footprint and investing in causes that align with their values, Patagonia strives to create a positive, lasting impact on the environment, inspiring other brands and individuals to join the fight for a more sustainable future.

The Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus supports a circular economy

“There is a dire need for public policy to help us accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future, just like it has for energy and vehicles. The launch of the Slow Fashion Caucus gives us a powerful new platform to forge ahead,” said Alon Rotem, Chief Legal Officer of ThredUp, in the press statement. “We look forward to working with like-minded organizations and policymakers to advance the fashion policy agenda, change incentive structures to benefit our shared planet and resources, and ultimately create a more sustainable fashion future for generations to come.” By making it easy to buy and sell secondhand, ThredUp has become one of the largest resale platforms for apparel, accessories and shoes. The firm’s scalable, resale business model is applauded for providing a fabulous solution to the fashion industry’s wastefulness.

“The Garment Worker Center applauds the Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus. “The slow fashion movement must include the needs of sustainable, ethical brands and American garment workers, of which there are 100,000 today. It’s due time for US policy that invests in workers, responsible business, and combats fast fashion… We look forward to engaging with the Slow Fashion Caucus on pivotal initiatives involving ethical labor, domestic manufacturing, sustainability, and environmental responsibility,” expressed Daisy Gonzalez, Campaigns Director of the Garment Worker Center, in the press statement.

Conclusion

The first-ever Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus aspires to curb fast fashion pollution through ethical, sustainable and climate-smart policies that foster a circular economy in the textile industry, aiming to mitigate its environmental footprint. Central to their principles is incentivising the apparel sector to prioritize the reuse, repair, and recycling of textiles. By implementing policies that encourage secondhand purchases and rentals, both companies and consumers can play a pivotal role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimising waste.

A cornerstone of the caucus’s agenda is the development of comprehensive circular economy policies. These policies aim to curb natural resource consumption by designing products that are durable, repairable, and recyclable. By keeping materials in circulation rather than allowing them to become waste, the textile industry can contribute to sustainable practices on a global scale. Critical to supporting these initiatives is the establishment of robust infrastructure for textile reuse and recycling.  Furthermore, the caucus advocates for reshoring textile production to the United States. As global economic dynamics shift and consumer demand for sustainability grows, bringing textile manufacturing stages back to the US could help reduce environmental impacts associated with long-distance transportation.

In tandem with reshoring efforts, the caucus supports the use of sustainable fibers such as cotton, flax, hemp, wool, and alpaca. These materials offer alternatives to virgin synthetics, thereby reducing reliance on non-renewable resources and mitigating environmental harm throughout the production cycle.By advocating for these principles, the Slow Fashion Caucus aims to drive systemic change within the apparel sector, fostering a transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy for textiles. Through collaborative efforts between industry, government, and consumers, these initiatives seek to address pressing environmental challenges while promoting economic resilience and innovation in fashion production.