Have you ever wondered how much your jeans cost to wear once? Have you ever thought that you actually never bought the jeans? As if you’ve just paid the price in advance, and every time you wear it, the amount you paid is justified. For example, if you’ve bought a pair of jeans for INR 2000 and have worn them 40 times, then the cost per use would be INR 50.
In this blog, we’ll be talking about how Sustainable Fashion holds a superlative value over fast fashion. And how you can take advantage of sustainable fashion and upgrade your standard of living.
Remember: At Dwij, we don’t just sell upcycled products; rather, we embrace sustainable fashion. Rather than buying cheap products and emphasizing disposable fashion, we believe that everything you wear owns some part of your soul, and it is important for you to practice mindful consumption.
Understanding the Cost Per Use
Cost per use is a deceptively simple concept that carries profound implications for how we approach fashion. It's essentially a calculation of how much an item costs when you consider how often you use or wear it. Rather than fixating on the initial price tag, this metric invites us to consider the long-term value of our clothing choices. And make better decisions.
Imagine buying a cheap t-shirt that falls apart after a few washes versus investing in a high-quality, sustainably-made shirt that lasts for years. The product might have a higher initial cost, but when you break it down by the number of times you wear it, it often turns out to be a more economical choice.
A 2020 BBC report estimated that 92 million metric tons of textile waste are produced annually, and one garbage truck's worth of clothing ends up in landfills every single second. We anticipate wasting more than 134 million metric tons of textiles annually by 2030 as a whole. Don't you think it’s brutal?
Benefits of Sustainable Fashion
It is not only better for you to be sustainable and practice ethical fashion in your life, but it is also environmentally friendly. However, many do have the question, what is sustainable fashion?
Sustainable or Ethical fashion prioritizes eco-friendly practices, ethical production, and longevity. It reduces environmental impact, conserves resources, and promotes fair labor. Brands like ours exemplify sustainability by using upcycled materials and responsible methods to create stylish, fashionable products.
Key Benefits Of Sustainable Fashion
Well, as we’ve discussed above, Cost per use is one of the prime benefits of sustainable fashion. Buying cheap products and being able to use them only once or twice is neither beneficial for you nor sustainable. Below are some of the other benefits of sustainable fashion-
Unique and Timeless Styling: These types of fashion products often have unique, timeless designs that stand out from mass-produced trends. And not only that, it gives you the essence of being a responsible person.
Empowerment of Artisans and Communities: Ethical fashion prioritizes local artisans rather than opting for machinery. Brands like ours empower artisans and contribute positively to the communities involved in their production processes.
Reduced carbon footprints: Ethical fashion practices reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a smaller carbon footprint. It focuses on using sustainable and recycled materials to make products.
Resource Conservation: This is one of the major benefits of sustainable fashion. Resource conservation often leads to the reduction of crucial resources like water, energy, and raw materials.
How you can take advantage of Cost per use
As we have already discussed above, what are ‘cost per use’ and ‘benefits of sustainable fashion?’ It is vital for you to know how you can benefit yourself by practicing sustainable fashion in your life, and by doing so, you’re also contributing to the betterment of the environment.
Let’s understand by revisiting our favorite childhood story, Cinderella. Do you remember Cinderella? She was a princess who lost an imported/ expensive pair of beautiful shoes while stepping down the stairs. Now, hypothetically, let’s assume she bought those shoes for INR 5000 and, rather than losing them or not using them once or twice, she decides to wear them once every week for a year.
Now, a year is a total of 52 weeks, and if you calculated the cost of those beautiful, shiny shoes per wear, it would shock your mind. She wore it once a week for a whole year. Therefore, 5000/ 52 would give- INR 9.61.
Those beautiful, pretty shoes would hardly cost 10 rupees per use. Now, what do you think about buying cheap, non-sustainable cloth that contains environmentally hazardous materials or something that is not only of premium quality but that you can actually use for several years and later recycle as well?
Calculating the cost per wear is a useful tool for you as well as the people who make your clothes. By highlighting the long-term value, durability/longetivity of the product and financial sustainability of sustainable clothing, it encourages consumers to make thoughtful and informed purchasing decisions.
In addition, it promotes slow fashion, ethical work methods, and a decrease in wasteful consumption. We can pave the way for a more environment-friendly and ethical fashion sector that benefits all parties by taking cost per wear into account. So, let’s contribute to the environment by saying NO to fast fashion ideas.