U.S. Rep.
Chellie Pingree speaks outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.
C., Thursday about the new Slow Fashion Caucus, a group of lawmakers who want to draw attention to the effects of mass-produced, cheap clothing. Photo by Gabrielle Mannino U.
S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, wearing a pastel green thrift store sweater and floral scarf, stood outside the U.
S. Capitol on Thursday to introduce the Slow Fashion Caucus, a congressional effort to draw attention to how mass-produced garments contribute to climate change. “Often, people don’t understand the role that fashion is playing today in our climate crisis.
We’ve developed these dual habits in our country – keeping up with every single fashion trend and purchasing cheap, poorly made clothing,” the Maine Democrat said in a speech, flanked by other members of Congress and supporters. “And they have become drivers of yet one more issue in our climate change crisis. In fact, the fashion industry is responsible for more carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
” Slow fashion is a term describing the embrace of clothing that is made locally, out of sustainable fibers, and lasts longer. It is a response to “fast fashion,” which describes the production of clothing designed only to endure as long as a given trend does. Pingree, D-1st District, said she hopes Congress will prioritize policies that will make clothing production and consumption more sustainable, such as investing in t.
