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Are our clothes too cheap?

As the saying goes, I can resist anything except a Black Friday sale. Maybe that’s not quite right.

Either way, there’s no denying the palpable pull a sale can have on our purse strings.

Black Friday sales surpassed that of last years, according to Reuters. Data from Barclaycard, which processes nearly 1 pound ($1.33) in every 3 pounds spent on credit and debit cards in the United Kingdom, said the ‘volume of payment transactions as of 1700 GMT was up 2.4%, versus the same period in 2019 and up 23% on 2020’.

This may sound like the world is finally getting back on its feet, thriving in a post-covid life. But what about the workers on the other side of your transaction? Some of the worlds poorest workers are footing the bill for Britain’s love affair with fast fashion.

What was once a monthly payday treat, has now become a habitual weekly purchase.

According to the BBC, the UK is responsible for disposing a million tonnes worth of clothes every year, 20% of which ends up as landfill.

Increasingly, independent brands are appearing at the forefront of the debate surrounding sustainable clothing. Some brands are completely opting out of the Black Friday fever, with the hope of showing customers that mass production and globalisation is not sustainable.

Here at Alex Rose, we are passionate about the quality and source of our jackets. We have long standing trading relationships with the traditional mills of West Yorkshire, along with the world’s leading cloth merchants. We work very closely with our clients to ensure their jacket is exactly what they envisioned, and the fit and the internal construction is superb - we share the same workrooms with many Savile Row of London tailors. You also have the option to embroider your name in the jacket lining so your garment is truly one of a kind - not something you could just pick up on the high street.

Of course, it is not always convenient or affordable to shop with such a conscience. However, if society’s attitudes towards shopping could shift away from a disposable hobby, and lean more towards a means of investment, it could dramatically impact the way fashion is produced. The ever-increasing pressure on brands to get trends from the catwalks into our wardrobe in a short period of time is only catalysed by demand. If demand slowed down, so would production.

We know it’s very easy to buy into the temptation of a Christmas bargain. In a couple of weeks time, when the Boxing Day sales launch and the 30% off vinyls on the shop fronts toy with your temptation, ask yourself if you’ll still be wearing it in 6 months time. Would you be better investing your money into garments with a longer life expectancy?