Emma's EPQ

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...

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.

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 -...

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...