We are excited to announce the publication of an intriguing new article by Kate Fletcher and Anna Fitzpatrick, “Decentering Durability: Decarbonizing and Decolonizing Ideas and Practices of Long-Lasting Clothes”. Published in Fashion Theory, this article reexamines the widely accepted sustainability strategy of clothing durability through a critical lens that incorporates decolonial and resource-efficient, decarbonizing perspectives.
Rethinking Durability: Beyond Eurocentric Approaches
Durability has long been a cornerstone of sustainability strategies, promoting the extension of garment lifespans to reduce resource consumption and environmental impact. However, as Fletcher and Fitzpatrick argue, most durability frameworks are deeply rooted in Euro-American systems of thought. These approaches often fail to consider diverse cultural practices, values, and methods of clothing use, thereby perpetuating colonial legacies in sustainability discourse.
The article critiques dominant durability narratives for their focus on technological and market-driven solutions, which overlook alternative practices and non-Western knowledge systems. Instead, Fletcher and Fitzpatrick advocate for a pluralistic approach that highlights diverse cultural, social, and ecological understandings of what it means for clothes to “last.”
Key Themes and Findings
Drawing from interviews conducted with participants from Africa, Latin America, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and South and Southeast Asia, the study identifies 14 decentered features of durability—a framework for understanding long-lasting clothes in ways that challenge dominant paradigms. These features emphasize relational, context-specific, and community-driven practices that prioritize ecological well-being and cultural diversity over the imperatives of capitalist production.
Highlights of the article include:
- Decarbonization through diversity: Exploring how diverse clothing practices contribute to carbon reduction in ways that differ from Eurocentric sustainability models.
- Decolonizing durability: Revealing the hidden power dynamics and colonial legacies embedded in global fashion and sustainability strategies.
- Alternative frameworks: Proposing plural and evolving definitions of durability that encompass non-market-driven, localized, and culturally rooted practices.
A Call for New Tools and Methods
Fletcher and Fitzpatrick call for critical reflection on research methods, knowledge production, and the power structures that shape how we approach environmental and social change in fashion.
Why This Matters
This article is a timely intervention in the global conversation about sustainability. It invites researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to broaden their understanding of clothing durability and to consider how plural, decolonial perspectives can inspire more inclusive and effective approaches to environmental impact reduction.
We encourage everyone interested in fashion, sustainability, and decolonial theory to engage with this important work. It offers not only new ways of thinking but also actionable insights for reimagining the future of sustainable fashion.
Where to Read the Article
Fletcher, K., & Fitzpatrick, A. (2024). Decentering Durability: Decarbonizing and Decolonizing Ideas and Practices of Long-Lasting Clothes. Fashion Theory, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/1362704X.2024.2427493
