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You likely buy clothes on the regular. From different brands, to thrift stores and markets, or from second-hand places. But have you ever thought about what you're buying might not be reputable, sustainable or even worth your money? If so, would you wear something that openly tells you this?

True Sight aims to answer this question - by designing clothes which reveal the truth of their production and the problems the clothing industry creates through the graphics itself. This way, the issues of the clothing industry can become more prominent and evident for the world to see.

The clothing industry - Fast fashion to be exact. It appeals to a majority of the world, due to it's wide variety of clothing, accessibility with online shopping, affordability, and style. Achieving this comes at a cost of many fast-fashion brands cutting corners to meet their demands, at the cost of ethical issues.

Environmental issues - Unwanted clothes go to landfill, destroying land around it and making places uninhabitable for both animals and us. Materials like polyester, nylon and acrylic takes many years to biodegrade, and also produce microplastics, with International Union of Conservative Nature estimating that 35% of microplastics on the ocean come from clothing. Making clothes requires a large amount of water to be used, with a pair of jeans needing 2000 gallons of water, and a cotton shirt 700 gallons
Social issues - Its high demand makes it unsustainable as clothes seen out of trend or unwanted will be going to landfill as waste Due to this high demand of fast-fashion and instant clothing demands, labor is often demanding and exploitative, with workers having exhaustive shifts
Production Issues - When it comes to Fast Fashion, quality is reduced in favor of quantity, so clothes are unlikely to last as long. This feeds back into demand since clothes don’t last long, and since fast fashion clothing is cheaper, consumers will likely buy more clothes from the same brands

Despite these worldwide problems slowly becoming more harmful, fast fashion continues to dominate the clothing industry, with an estimated 36% of all clothes being bought coming from it. Despite this, the number of unethically made clothes being bought is likely higher. This number won't reduce unless changes are to be made within the clothing industry - both from the manufacturers and the consumers.

The change for better sustainable clothing is in the hands of the brands themselves, as they are fully responsible for the business module they adopt. Some of these changes can include:

Quality over Quantity - No more relying on cheap material that will not last long and inevitably end up as landfill. Materials like cotton and wool are far better than synthesised material like polyester, which takes up energy to make and many years to decompose. However, it is best if the amount of clothes made is reduced as much as possible.
Better Working Conditions - Clothes should never come at the cost of exploited workers. The industry should ensure workers have acceptable hours, safe working conditions, fair treatment among each other, and a fair wage. No-one deserves unethical treatment to make what you only wear.
Spreading the word - Clothing brands with a large platform and the ability to reach out to many people should ultimately raise awareness of the problems within the clothing industry, and ensure they do not practice the same problems. In doing so, the public can become much more conscious of what they buy and begin pivoting the trend of fast-fashion into something more sustainable.

The future of the clothing industry and it's problems can also begin being solved by YOU, the consumer. Unethical brands are mainly sustained by the customers that buy their products, and without them, their business module will not be as sustainable. To make your mark in a future that's more sustainable and ethical, follow these practices:

Less is more - Buy clothes that you NEED, not want. Overconsumption is what enables cheap unsustainable brands to continue their business, so ensure that what you buy is kept to a minimum. To take this to the next step, consider adopting the 'Capsule Wardrobe' minimalist lifestyle, wherein your wardrobe is limited to a few clothes which can all be mixed and matched within each other.
Better brands, better future - Limit your selection to brands known for their sustainability, ethicality, and most importantly, quality. Brands like Patagonia or Kotn are well known for being considerate for the environment and following ethical guidelines. Follow sites like goodonyou which provide ratings on how ethical a clothing brand is.
No more fast fashion - Avoid big name fast-fashion brands like Primark, Shein, Zara, and H&M as much as possible - although cheap, it likely comes at a cost of quality, pollution and the funding of unethical worker practices.
Second Hand Shopping- If sustainable brands are unaffordable or unavailable for you, buying from second-hand marketplaces or communities is more than enough of a change. This is as long as you do not overconsume from these spaces, and to continue only buying what you need.

Ultimately, True Sight is about challenging the fact what you buy is not what you see. The process of making a T-shirt can cost more than the price, and with this brand, you the consumer can finally see the TRUTH.