Rough draft
The clothing I chose for this assignment is my legendary rain jacket gifted by my father. The jacket is made of water proof materials like polyester and vinyl and is serving my father for the past ten years. The company who made this jacket is heard to be participating against pollution by using waste water bottles to make polyester and makes cool clothing and accessories from it. Pollution in the world is increasing and initiatives taken against it should be appreciated. The process of making polyester is done by crushing water bottles into small pieces and then by melting it into shape of clothes. Plastic clothing is now becoming a trend and it will take over the fashion industry in near future.
Final draft
The piece of clothing I selected for this assignment is my rain jacket. It was gifted to me by my father when I started my college and has to walk long distance to get to the college. The area I lived in had heavy rains during monsoon and transiting in local traffic for students was very difficult. This rain jacket was worn by my father who used to wear it on rainy days while he travelled to work. This jacket came very handy as my father used to say that once he had an interview and it started raining. My dad luckily had this raincoat and it helped him walk till the bus station and from the bus station to the office. Since then he cared for his jacket more than any clothing he had.
Yesterday I had to travel to my friend’s house and the weather was cloudy. To be on the safe side I decided to keep this jacket with me as I had to travel on foot. I noticed the tag inside the jacket that read “Polartec Fabrics, 100% synthetic”. I couldn’t help but notice that this jacket is made of synthetic materials like vinyl and polyester as they all are best waterproofing materials. I remembered something I learned in a chemistry class that thermoplastics are non-biodegradable and they are a cause of pollution. We as humans have polluted this world enough. What should have been our responsibility to take care of our environment we started polluting it and are not even stopping after seeing its adverse effects like global warming, toxic gases, and polluted oceans. Millions of plastic water bottles can be seen lying on the beach that were thrown as trash by the people who visited those places.
This jacket is made by a company named Polartec Fabrics. This company is known for its contribution in reducing plastic waste. They are using plastic bottles and shaping them into beautiful clothing saving the plastic waste that pollutes the oceans. The company’s effort in reduction of plastic waste should be appreciated as they showed interest in an environmental concern. It may be possible it is just a publicity stunt and company is doing it for their own promotion but it is no doubt a good initiative and it should be appreciated.
This jacket is made of two synthetic water proofing materials, polyester and vinyl. It is double sided with outer layers made of plastic and vinyl for waterproofing the inner layer is made of thick polyester and the jacket is made leak proof by reinforced layer of plastic and elastic material on wrists and waist. Its polyester fleece resists moisture and also keeps the person warm. The porous surface of polyester and its structure creates air pockets between the layers making it is a bad conductor of heat and therefore keeps the wearer warm.
The manufacturing process of this jacket is simple. Polyester is made by crushing waste water bottles. The crushed pieces are then melted in a furnace and then pressed by rollers to make sheets of plastic fibers, these plastic sheets then are used to make clothing items and waterproof materials. This jacket is made by same process with addition to its extra leak proofing that was done by coating of vinyl that was used in dye that colored the outer layer.
There are some concerns related to plastic and polyester clothing and its market is growing. The polyester items entered the clothing in early 18th century and since then its popularity increased. They have become a hot fashion trend among women because of their shiny looks and durability. Polyester made clothes do not need washing and are resistant to water, saving us from difficult and time consuming work of washing clothes. Plastic clothing has become a fashion trend when famous celebrities like Kim Kardashian are seen wearing plastic clothing and shoes. It is said that plastic clothing is going to be the hottest trend in 2018.
On my way to my friend’s home it started raining and I took out my beloved raincoat and enjoyed the cool wind on my face. As I was enjoying the rain washed roads, green grass and trees, and the beautiful lake, I looked up, and had a kind of pleasant feeling of how great environment God has given to us. My mood got sad when I thought how savagely we are ruining this world. Just before I rang the bell of my friend’s house I promised myself to contribute in what I can do to save this planet for the better future of us and our children.
References
Eriksen, M., Lebreton, L. C., Carson, H. S., Thiel, M., Moore, C. J., Borerro, J. C., … & Reisser, J. (2014). Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans: more than 5 trillion plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at sea. PloS one, 9(12), e111913.
Vadicherla, T., & Saravanan, D. (2014). Textiles and apparel development using recycled and reclaimed fibers. In Roadmap to sustainable textiles and clothing (pp. 139-160). Springer, Singapore.
Wagner, M., Chen, Y., Curteza, A., Thomassey, S., Perwuelz, A., & Zeng, X. (2018). Fashion Product Solutions and Challenges for Environmental and Trend Conscious Consumers. Journal of Fashion Technology & Textile Engineering, 2017.
