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Research: Consumer behaviour statistics

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When writing my dissertation, I found that I was missing some statistics about consumers and their usage of fast fashion so I conducted some research to find out how fast fashion is consumed. I read a thesis about consumer behaviour characteristics in fast fashion. This research may not be very reliable as the sample was only small so it isn't very representative of the whole population that buy fast fashipn. The participants were also mostly Swedish so it is useful for seeing how fast fashion is consumed in places other than in the UK as most of my research has focussed on fast fashion in Britain. The thesis was written in 2010 so it might be out dated now, however, there has been little research into consumer behaviour with fast fashion so this research is useful for giving an idea of consumer habits. Shopping frequency decreases with age - most 13-18 shopped twice a month, 20-26 ranged from twice a week to twice a month, 31-39 shopped less than younger groups, once or twice a...
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Research: Boycotting fast fashion

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When I researched Fashion Revolution, I found that they don't think that boycotting fast fashion is the solution so I decided to research this further. I read an article by 'The National'  that showed a discussion between two 'fashion experts' where one thought that boycotting was good and the other thought that we shouldn't boycott. This article showed the harm that boycotting could cause as everyone not buying from fast fashion at all would put thousands of (mostly female) garment workers out of work which would cause poverty. The other person said that boycotting is good as it shows companies that their unethical practices aren't acceptable. This article was useful as it showed the pros and cons of both boycotting and not boycotting. The source has little bias as it shows both sides of the argument. I also read this article , 'Why boycotting sweatshop clothing is not the answer'. It talks about the ethical problems of fast fashion eg. child lab...
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January and February Review

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Over the a last couple of months, I have been doing less research as I have been focussing on writing my dissertation. The last few pieces of research that I have done have mostly been to find statistics for points I have discussed in my dissertation. Writing my dissertation has also highlighted some gaps in my research so I will do some more research in the next few months on these topics (that will be highlighted in my amended timetable blog). I have found starting to write my dissertation difficult as I struggled to decide on the position that I wanted to have in terms of the viewpoint of my piece. I have decided not to write my dissertation from a neutral perspective as I don't think this will make an effective essay as the research I have done strongly points to fast fashion being a negative thing. In the next month I want to finish all of my research and continue to write my dissertation.
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Research: Can the fashion industry ever be sustainable?

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I wanted to look at whether it is actually possible for fashion to become sustainable. I was particularly interested in finding out whether consumers are willing to shop more sustainably and whether businesses would adapt to more environmentally friendly practices. I listened The Guardian's 'Today in Focus: Can the fashion industry ever be sustainable?' and made notes: London Fashion Week - recycled materials. Dress made from plastic bottles Zero waste pattern cutting - design process where pattern is cut in a way that every scrap of fabric is used Fashion is more than the clothes - also things in the supply chain Buttons made of plastic (oil) Fast Fashion developed because UK is big textile country, massive exporter of clothing. Fast Fashion has been developing since the industrial revolution. Cotton yarn became faster to make due to machinery. 'Fast Fashion was always going to happen'. Holes in self worth are filled by fast fashion Sustainable fashion -...
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Research: The impact of jeans

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I read an article by The Guardian about sustainable jeans and the impact of denim. Here are the notes that I made whilst reading the article. Estimated that it takes 10,000 litres to grow the cotton for each pair of jeans Lines of pollution can be seen in China's Pearl River from space Substances used to make denim look old harms worker's lungs Ellen Macarthur Foundation's Jeans Redesign - guidelines to change the harmful production of jeans Lee is a brand that are looking into new technology for jeans production that eliminates water and reduces energy and chemical use. They are also creating compostable jeans. Skinny jeans shed a large amount of microplastics Hiut jeans only make 100 pairs a week - they want to make the best jeans, not the most jeans Raw denim hasn't been washed and treated many times (sandblast) so is better for the environment Stretch stops jeans from being recyclable so 100% denim is better I found this article useful as it highlighte...
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Resarch: Rana Plaza Disaster

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In 2013, the Rana Plaza garment factory collapsed, killing approximately 1,100 people and injuring another 2,500. Most of these were young women. Cracks were discovered in the building before the collapse but the building owner ignored warning that the building was dangerous so the workers continued working the next day, when the building collapsed. From the research I have completed, the Rana Plaza Disaster has been mentioned many times as one of the reasons why the sustainability and ethics of brands are being questioned. This piece of research was useful for my project so that I can understand why the treatment of workers is so important.
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Research: BBC - Fashion Conscious

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I watched 'Fashion Conscious' on BBC iPlayer which is a short series about different aspects of the fashion industry. I found this to be really useful as it showed issues with the fashion industry and also looked at solutions that are being developed. It was also useful as it looked, in detail, at different problems with fast fashion, eg. water usage and materials. These are the notes I made whilst watching. ·        Future Fabrics – fish leather treated with natural products, the fish is eaten by locals and the skin was being thrown away so they use it to make clothes instead (luxury, couldn’t be max produced) – ethical issues and not necessarily sustainable. Refibra (recycled cotton and wood pulp), stocked in 1m, can buy a smaller amount which is against fast fashion as designers make something their own again – more sustainable and value clothes more. More expensive – sustainable products will be cheaper than non-sustainable ones if the producers ...
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