My Vision: A Beautiful Mess

The perfect world: our planet Earth is safe from harming materials; We are conscious of what we are using and how much we are using of it; We recycle and reuse; We are aware of all the consequences. Will we ever see this perfect world?  To keep our environment safe, each level of the apparel industry has to be on the same page: the manufactures, the buyers, and the ultimate consumers.

            My dream is to one day have my own store. I picture it a small boutique downtown carrying the latest trends and fashion accessories. I want it to be “the spot” for the perfect outfit. I want to carry apparel for women and children. I also want to carry home décor. But most importantly, I want my store to be sustainable, from the energy method, to the lighting, to the bagging and packaging. I want my store to “go green”. I want my customers to understand that I am fully behind the pact to make our earth safe again.

            In an article on renewableenergyworld.com it states problems with energy in the United States. It said the United States currently relies heavily on coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy. Fossil fuels are non-renewable, that is, they draw on finite resources that will eventually dwindle, becoming too expensive or too environmentally damaging to retrieve. Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun. Sunlight, or solar energy, can be used directly for heating and lighting homes and other buildings, for generating electricity, and for hot water heating, solar cooling, and a variety of commercial and industrial uses. The sun's heat also drives the winds, whose energy, is captured with wind turbines. Then, the winds and the sun's heat cause water to evaporate. When this water vapor turns into rain or snow and flows downhill into rivers or streams, its energy can be captured using hydroelectric power. Running a store takes a lot of energy, lighting, and many other things that can be harming. After researching this, there is no doubt that there is a way to keep it healthy for our environment.

            My store will have many windows to let light in. I will plan on using the light from the windows when I can, instead of having to use multiple lights and electricity.

            Bagging and packaging has always been an issue for the apparel industry. I want to use eco-friendly materials for my bags. I want the materials for my bags to be from recyclable goods.

            Overconsumption: an issue the apparel industry is constantly facing. In the article titled Limited Consumption: Toward a Sustainable Culture it gives us insight on these issues. Overconsumption by the wealthiest fifth of humanity is an environmental problem unmatched in severity by anything but perhaps population growth. The surging exploitation of resources threatens to exhaust or unalterably disfigure forests, soils, water, air, and culture. Skyrocketing consumption is the hallmark of our era. As a store owner I would have to keep the idea of over-consuming in mind. New apparel usually comes in an excessive amount of bubble wrap and plastic wrap, materials that harm our environment if over-used. I am aware of this problem of overconsumption and would do all I can to protect our environment. I truly believe in “everything in moderation”.

            Keeping all the ideas of energy, renewable resources and monitoring the consumption is a vision I have for my future store. Ideas like these are what will help keep Earth safe and out of harm’s way. Of course, I can’t do it alone. These issues will have to be a group effort. But it has to start somewhere, and I wouldn’t mind if my store helped kick this movement off.