Ethics of Fashion

[Belacqua]

So if I could make an argument in favor of Zara and other fast fashion brands. They have the benefit of being many things to many people. They allow for diversity of style in ways that a smaller more niche brand cannot.

I think given the choice between improving the practices of Zara, and getting rid of Zara, having Zara-like stores around is good for consumers.

I hadn't thought of it this way -- this makes sense.

I have a couple of Zara suits that I like a lot, and I got them because they are different from the standard salaryman suits that are usually available. Normal shopping is either the typical office-worker suit or a designer brand that's very pricey. 

I suppose these things work on "economies of scale." They can offer things that are a little bit niche, at a low price, because they have 1000 shops around the world. In other words, in order to offer the diverse choices, they have to continue the practices that make them ethically questionable. Quick cheap labor, fast international distribution, throwing last month's stuff into the garbage. 

Since I don't know the first thing about economics, really, I fantasize about diverse choices that don't have these ethical issues. But I don't think shops like this could be as cheap or as widespread. 

It may be significant: the Hiroshima Zara has recently closed. And I won't buy from them on line because the quality of the fabric varies a lot, and I won't buy if i haven't touched it myself. The building is now occupied by a shop called "Standard Product" which has things like dishes and towels that are simple designs and very cheap. Like a dollar shop, but 5 dollars, and everything is supposed to be good but simple and inoffensive enough that everyone can use it.

As a contrast, there's a group of shops in Kyoto called Sou Sou. 

https://www.sousou.co.jp

These have really good quality fabric, in designs that are updated variations on Kyoto tradition. Since traditional kimono are worn much less now, the old fabric-making workshops are happy to have the business. They aren't as cheap as Zara, but they're certainly not prohibitive if you like the style. 

They seem to be doing very well -- when they started they had one tiny shop downtown, but in June when I was there they have taken over several adjacent stores. I don't know if they have ambitions to expand, but I suspect they are happy to be seen as a Kyoto specialty. 

Kyoto has an advantage here, because of their tradition. I don't know if a shop in Chicago or Cincinnati could invent some equivalent.