To Die for: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World? - Softcover

Siegle, Lucy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007264097 ISBN 13: 9780007264094

Publisher: Fourth Estate (GB), 2011

Synopsis

An expose on the fashion industry written by the Observer's 'Ethical Living' columnist, examining the inhumane and environmentally devastating story behind the clothes we so casually buy and wear.

Coming at a time when the global financial crisis and contracting of consumer spending is ushering in a new epoch for the fashion industry, To Die For offers a very plausible vision of how green could really be the new black.

Taking particular issue with our current mania for both big-name labels and cheap fashion, To Die For sets an agenda for the urgent changes that can and need to be made by both the industry and the consumer. Far from outlining a future of drab, ethical clothing, Lucy Siegle believes that it is indeed possible to be an 'ethical fashionista', simply by being aware of how and where (and by whom) clothing is manufactured.

The global banking crisis has put the consumer at a crossroads: when money is tight should we embrace cheap fast fashion to prop up an already engorged wardrobe, or should we reject this as the ultimate false economy and advocate a return to real fashion, bolstered by the principles of individualism and style pedigree?

In this impassioned book, Siegle analyses the global epidemic of unsustainable fashion, taking stock of our economic health and moral accountabilities to expose the pitfalls of fast fashion. Refocusing the debate squarely back on the importance of basic consumer rights, Siegle reveals the truth behind cut price, bulk fashion and the importance of your purchasing decisions, advocating the case for a new sustainable design era where we are assured of value for money: ethically, morally and in real terms.

About this title

Synopsis:

An expose on the fashion industry written by the Observer's 'Ethical Living' columnist, examining the environmentally devastating and inhumanely shocking story behind the clothes we so casually buy and wear. Taking particular issue with our current mania for both big-name labels and cheap fashion, To Die For sets an agenda for the urgent changes that can and need to be made by both the industry and the consumer. Far from outlining a future of drab, ethical clothing, Lucy Siegle believes that it is indeed possible to be an 'ethical fashionista', simply by being aware of how and where (and by whom) clothing is manufactured. Coming at a time when the fashion industry is being pressured to demand better practice, To Die For offers a very plausible and timely vision of how green really could be the new black. Siegle uses examples of recent must-have items, from designer sunglasses to the ubiquitous military jacket, working out the 'fashion miles' that each component has travelled, as well as examining the humanitarian and economical issues attached to each item like an invisible label.She also sets herself the challenge of revolutionising her wardrobe and wearing clothes that offend neither the ethically aware nor the fashion-conscious.

About the Author:

Lucy Siegle is the author of ‘Green Living in the Urban Jungle’ and contributing writer on ‘A Good Life’. From a strong journalistic background, she is a specialist in ecological and ethical lifestyle matters. As well as writing her weekly ‘Observer’ column, she is an environmental columnist for ‘Marie Claire’ and a regular contributor to ‘Grazia’, the ‘Guardian’, the ‘New Statesman’, ‘Elle’ and ‘New Consumer’ magazine, and a frequent commentator on television and radio, regularly appearing on BBC One’s ‘The One Show’.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fourth Estate (GB)
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0007264097
• ISBN 13: 9780007264094
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 339