I still remember as a kid, the concept of trousers having extra amount of cloth hidden behind back and also down at the leg openings. At that time, everything was cotton. As we were known to have growth spurts, tailors had this brilliant idea to loosen the waist and lengthen the legs when needed. Same would hold dresses worn by girls. Now of course, it is totally unheard of. Dresses come in all sizes and shapes and to alterations are done as they are simply replaced. Fashionable dresses mean diverse array of synthetic materials and anything cotton has become luxury.
Fashion world has not done much in terms of sustainability from that point of view. Of course, the colors, the glamor and and all that jazz is purely entertaining. Of course, it is a big industry with lots of money invested. However, look at the animal world that has provided a feast to our eyes with vibrant colors, sizes and shapes and textures without any waste. We try to imitate them and produce waste. When any of the creatures in animal kingdom perish, they leave behind organic waste that is recycled by nature. Fashion world on the other hand leaves behind chemical and toxic waste, that is polluting all or one or many of water, air and earth that we rely on to produce the food we need to survive.
Even here we can see the world of decreasing recyclability.
.Sarees and lungi were great for any kind of growth. Mahatma Gandhi became world known for his single piece of lounge cloth – high recyclability in its purest form. Entire khaadi bhandaar industry came into existence because of that.