Clothes are an essential part of life, there is no disputing
that fact. However, our society takes it to a new extreme. Fashion magazines
are around every corner and shows like Project Runway take up a considerable
chunk of TV time. It’s bigger news if a celebrity commits fashion suicide than
the political turmoil on the other side of the world. Stores like H&M and
Forever 21 make it easy and cheap to buy new clothing on a whim.
It is completely unnecessary to have such a focus on
clothing. But what is even more wasteful is the clothing that sits unworn in
the back of your closet. There are so many opportunities to put these unwanted
or unused clothing to good use.
Quite obviously, you can donate your clothes to
organizations such as Goodwill and Salvation Army. These places will sell the
clothing at low prices for people who can’t afford to peruse the mall
storefronts for a new outfit. If you have a younger sibling or other relative
who would wear the clothing, give it to them. It lightens up your closet and
allows the garment to fulfill its purpose.
Recently, Elon participated in the Cinderella project. High school
girls who couldn’t afford a prom dress were bused to Elon and thanks to donated
formal dresses, were able to pick out a dress for free to wear to their prom.
This is a fantastic idea, after all how many times are you going to wear your
prom dress after the event? Why not donate it to help out someone who can’t
afford it?
It will take time to change society from a materialistic one
to a minimalistic one. However, there are actions you can take to keep from
wasting products such as clothing. Next time you have a chance, take a look in
your closet and see just what you need and what you can put to a better use.
this is a good point .. I wonder how those girls felt though being bused to a place to get a free dress .. hmmmm but you are right .. our clothes obsession is over the top.
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