Crimes of Fashion

Deanna B -

Say hello to Penelope. She loves to buy clothes. Even if she is loathe to admit it, she spends way too much on clothes every year. $200? $800? The total is staggering. Annually, she performs a “closet purge” where she throws out, donates, or sells all the items she didn’t wear in the past 365 days. Yet, she can never seem to avoid the Forever 21 sales at the end of every season, or the SHEIN ads which her favorite influencers promote on TikTok daily. Besides, it’s not like there’s much harm done when each piece costs only $5…right? 

Hi, everyone! My name is Deanna Bonhard, and my Senior Project is titled “Crimes of Fashion: Exploring the Importance of Fashion Sustainability Through Designing a Capsule Wardrobe.” Though Penelope may not be a real person (at least in this example) she certainly represents millions of people globally who overspend and underuse the clothes they purchase annually. I’ve been obsessed with fiber arts for as long as I can remember. I’m also really interested in environmental science, modern technology, biology, and how these lines of study intersects with textile arts. Fast fashion – referring to industries which prioritize rapidly responding to trends and churning out inexpensive clothes to maximize profit – is a monolithic concept that seems like it’s being thrown everywhere nowadays. But what does sustainable clothing really mean? 

Through my project, I’ll be working with local field experts in the fashion science and textile industries who will help guide me to create my very own capsule closet, all with the aim of sewing my own environmentally sustainable garments. And maybe, as I go through the process of completing my senior project, I can teach Penelope a few lessons along the way?

Me, aged 8-ish, crocheting my first scarf (spoiler, it was awful).

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Comments:

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    czarina_p_s
    This was a really captivating introduction, Deanna! I really enjoyed how you captivated the audience with the first paragraph. Will all pieces in your capsule closet be able to be worn by real life people? Or will they be mini pieces?
    February 14, 2025 at 9:45 am - Reply
    dea_k
    Your introduction had me hooked! Do you plan to make all types of clothes or focus on a few specific pieces?
    February 14, 2025 at 4:46 pm - Reply
    arjun_c
    Hey Deanna, your project looks super interesting! You mentioned the cycle of consumers buying into fast fashion and the sustainability issues with that process. How does your process of sewing environmentally sustainable garments actually affect consumer behavior? That is, how does your work address "overspending and underusing" as you mentioned. I would assume, your garments would cost more than the mass produced fast fashion pieces, right?
    February 14, 2025 at 5:34 pm - Reply
    adampongratz
    This project seems very interesting in highlighting a greater issue of global consumerism. How would you go about teaching others to reduce their spending on unnecessary clothing purchases?
    February 15, 2025 at 3:36 pm - Reply
    deanna_b
    Thanks, Czarina! If all goes right, they'll be real-life sized, and I should be wearing the pieces I make for a long time :)
    February 16, 2025 at 6:27 pm - Reply
    deanna_b
    Thank you, Dea! I'm thinking of making clothes that will make up an outfit (bag, shirt, pants). And hopefully, if I have the time, I'd like to make more.
    February 16, 2025 at 6:29 pm - Reply
    deanna_b
    Hey, Arjun! Thank you, and that's a great question! You're right, "sustainable" clothes that have craft and quality at the forefront of their production tend to cost more, often because of material or labor. However, these clothes last longer in consumers' closets, which allows for more use per cost out of single garments, as opposed to mass-produced clothes (which aren't often very high quality, because they're cheaper). This causes some people to need to repurchase clothes over and over again, increasing their out-of-pocket spending in the long run which doesn't correspond to the use they get per garment. Through my project, I'll highlight this fact by examining various factors (e.g. textile composition) which contribute to sustainable clothes. Then, I'll share what I learn with those around me so they can make more informed decisions when purchasing clothing as consumers themselves. That's the "short" answer, it's a pretty complicated topic which I'm hoping to explore over the next few months!
    February 16, 2025 at 6:41 pm - Reply
    deanna_b
    Thanks, Adam! Hopefully, by through my in-depth exploration of the high effort many in the fashion industry put into crafting high-quality clothing, I can share with others why the sticker price of garments isn't always the only thing they should consider when shopping for clothes.
    February 16, 2025 at 6:45 pm - Reply
    kristen_sanders
    I love this idea! I heard someone say once that to adhere to the Paris Climate Agreement people should not buy more than one clothing item per month, which I *almost* adhered to last year. I think it's important for more people to take into consideration the impact that their clothing purchases have on the environment, so I'm happy to see you doing this project!
    February 17, 2025 at 10:09 am - Reply

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