Getting access to sustainable clothing can be a challenge for high school students.
Luckily, Cal High’s new club Threaded may just be the solution to the fast fashion frenzy.
Juniors Abhiraj Sharma and Lauren Lee started the Threaded sustainable fashion club with the goal of educating Cal High students about the dangers of fast fashion, as well as providing a space where people can learn about environmentally-friendly clothing.
Fast fashion is a new trend in the clothing industry that involves making cheap, low-quality clothes at a lightning-quick pace, often at the expense of the workers involved. Workers in the fast fashion industry suffer through unbearably long hours and hazardous working conditions, according to Pebble Magazine.
Workers aren’t the only ones harmed by fast fashion either. Over 85% of fabric waste goes to landfills, where it won’t decay for millions of years, according to The New York Times.
“We wear a lot of fast fashion without knowing the effects it has on the environment,” Sharma said. “I felt that we have to help educate the Cal High community on what fast fashion is.”
Sustainable clothing and rejecting fast fashion drew the attention of plenty of Cal students. At the club’s first meeting, junior Sophia Pfister expressed her interest in the topic.
“I was really interested in learning about sustainable clothing since I love learning about the environment,” Pfister said. “I thought it was cool that this club is teaching these things.”
Shopping at local thrift stores is on the table for Threaded members too. The club plans to go on “thrift trips” which will have club members shopping at local thrift shops and community stores in order to show them real-world examples of sustainable clothing.
“We really want to try to promote shopping in our local community and support local thrift stores,” junior Sam Saudners, the club treasurer, said. “Reusable clothing is a great way to support the environment and give back to the community.”
Sharma and Lee also have plans to collaborate with other school clubs, such as the Coins for Countries Club. Their main goal for this collaboration is to organize a sustainable clothing drive for poor and underdeveloped countries.
Threaded’s officers have plans for Do-It-Yourself projects too. Members will get the opportunity to make their own bracelets, tote bags, and t-shirts out of environmentally-friendly materials and share their creations with their fellow club members.
The biggest thing Threaded has planned is a sustainable fashion runway show during lunch, where students can showcase trendy but environmentally friendly clothes they’ve bought.
“Dressing sustainably has so many benefits, and it’s also therapeutic in a way, kind of like retail therapy,” Lee said. “Knowing that what you are wearing is safer for the environment feels nice.”
Cal students and staff have high hopes for Threaded’s future. Hannah Cheng, the club advisor, believes Threaded’s founders are taking big steps to achieve their goal.
“I think the message of the club is really important,” Cheng said. “Students who have an idea for something that they’re passionate about and take action, I really appreciate them. ”
From field trips to clothing drives to runway shows, Threaded’s founders hope to make a big impact on Cal and encourage people to think outside the box when it comes to trendy and sustainable clothing.