Gone are the days of the frivolous, selfish consumer, the ones who blindly frolic through retail areas and purchase everything on a “got-to-have” basis.Consumers have become much wiser. This might be due to a deteriorating economy or simply, the consumer has become more compassionate in a sense.
With all that is going on with the environment, and man’s callous treatment of it, consumers are no longer looking to shop simply to satisfy hedonistic needs. The contemporary consumer gravitates toward social activism and doing his part in an environmentally unfriendly society, with hopes that change will soon come.
This drift toward “everything natural” is spreading like wildfire with fashion designers and retail corporations going the “green” route.
According to Seventeen Magazine, “Going green could be the biggest fad to date.” The magazine featured a two-page spread in its February issue on going green, its environmental benefits and ways to look fashionable without harming the environment.
This new trend that’s sweeping through Hollywood seeks to turn T-shirts into tote bags and leave prepubescent teenagers flocking to craft stores to create their own environmentally friendly accessories.
Natural products and fabrics such as cotton, beads and shells mimic their favorite celebrities “natural’ red-carpet looks.
Though skeptics see this as a phase with minimal impact on the environment, the optimist, in most cases the “green shopper” sees it as doing his part to save the environment.
As minute as it may be, this craze has spread beyond the realm of fashion and started a new social consensus on environmental awareness. People are generally more aware of the disastrous effects that come with mankind’s disregard for the Earth.
Recently an “earth hour” spoke volumes of man’s involvement in the relentless quest to preserve Mother Earth, as millions across the globe switched off their lights in an attempt to conserve energy.
Though fashion is a tiny aspect in the issue of environmental awareness, it seeks to put an end to hedonistic shopping and play an active part in the fight to preserve the environment.