Spending $50 on an organic linen t-shirt isn’t as eco-friendly as you might think.
“Greenwashing,” “sustaniababble” and “green sheen” are all phrases used to describe corruption within the sustainability movement. What began as a form of environmental protection is now poached by big companies that prioritize profit, leaving consumers questioning authenticity and sustainable company values.
While the expenses that go into certified sustainable production are ethical and valid, a majority of consumers are still hesitant to choose sustainability over affordability. The Capgemini Research Institute conducted a consumer demand survey in 2022 and found 54% of global consumers prioritize a product’s price over materials.
While there is a market for eco-friendly clothing, balancing living expenses, personal finances and grocery budgets leaves little room for struggling college students to make optimal environmental choices.
Maintaining sustainability without breaking the bank is possible but requires a bit of creativity.
Liv Bain, advertising junior, said she felt pulled between affordability and sustainability. She said she wanted to rethink her consumption altogether. In January 2024, Bain co-founded a vintage resell shop called CockyGirlVintage with her friend Alyssa Trevino.
The shop serves as a way to encourage consumers to look toward the hidden gems already produced, rather than participate in fast fashion.
“Fast fashion facilitates the idea that once you have acquired everything that is trending, the next step is to look for the next best thing,” Bain said. “This leads to perfectly good clothes being discarded after only a short period, contributing to waste and encouraging constant consumption.”
The mass production of fast fashion is too much for consumers to keep up with, the Copenhagen Fashion Summit reported out of the 100 billion garments produced annually, 92 million tons end up discarded in landfills.
Rather than contribute to waste, Bain said she hopes to inspire locals in the community to practice responsible consumption and DIY habits that reconnect them with their clothing.
“One sustainable habit we practice frequently is up-cycling,” Bain said. “This habit is especially meaningful to us because it personalizes the item, making it feel truly ours and as a result, we’re less likely to part with it.”
Maintaining your wardrobe through simple alterations and at-home sewing allows you to get creative before throwing a piece away. Just because a piece has been worn and loved doesn’t mean its life has to come to an end. Fix up holes in fabric by learning how to sew patches or alter your favorite pair of jeans after a growth spurt. Not only is this a sustainable practice, but it shows that we’re capable of maintaining quality pieces for future generations.
Texas State’s Alkek One MakerSpace invites students to enter the workshop to get hands-on experience with sewing machine operation. The Making With Fabric workshop guides students through a basic sewing demonstration that creates a foundational understanding of up-cycling and inspires personalized fashion.
Bain utilizes the community to maintain sustainability on a budget. Rather than giving into trends, Bain encourages clothing swaps with friends as a way to invest in timeless pieces and give clothing a new life.
“We’ve always felt that fast fashion trends are just cheap reinterpretations of what’s already been done,” Bain said.
These habits are not only sustainable practices, but they help reshape our perception of consumerism. Having more stuff has never equated to a unique connection with your personal style. We have to keep fashion centered around creativity and resourcefulness, not abundance.
-Hannah Nunez is a journalism senior
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