In certain nations, more clothing is being purchased than ever before, yet this trend is unsustainable. Would a “wellbeing wardrobe” be beneficial?

If nothing changes soon, the fashion sector may consume 25% of the world’s remaining carbon budget by 2050 to keep global warming below 2°C and 35% more land by 2030 to produce fiber. This may seem unbelievable, but it’s not. While the amount of time we spend wearing clothing has decreased by over 40% over the previous 15 years, clothing production has more than doubled. People in the EU are purchasing more apparel than ever while spending less money because of declining prices. This cannot continue. There must be a sacrifice. A “wellbeing wardrobe” was suggested in recent research as a new direction for design in which human and environmental health are prioritized over the ever-increasing consumption of disposable quick fashion. How would that appear? It would include each of us buying up to 75% fewer new garments each year, investing in durable clothing, and recycling our clothing when it has served its purpose. For the industry, this would entail addressing low wages for those who produce clothing as well as providing assistance to workers who might lose their jobs as the sector makes the transition to a more sustainable one.

It won’t be easy to change the fashion industry’s constant development model to a sustainable one. But rather than letting a tidal surge of unnecessary clothing consume resources, energy, and our extremely limited carbon budget, we should take action to determine the future of fashion and work toward a wardrobe good for people and the Earth.