Me holding onto a precious roll of cotton. I accidentally caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and remembered how much I love this hand-me-down fair isle sweater and old destroyed jeans from my big sister. Fifty percent of my closet is comprised of her old clothes and I'm proud of that.
You may be in for a shocker the next time you purchase a new package of those cotton tighty whities for you or your loved one: The cost of cotton has risen over 80% by July in 2010 and will continue to rise. Major cotton exporters like China are marking up the prices of cotton due to the increased demand and the shortage in supply. India, another big player in the cotton-producing industry, have been regulating their exports to protect their local economy. Recent natural disasters like floods have huge negative impacts on cotton growers like Pakistan and Australia.
Gradually, consumers will see rises in the price of jeans and t-shirts. It is predicted by leading figures in the apparel industry that more clothing producers will go for synthetic alternatives such as polyester and rayon.
Fast-food fashion chain stores like Forever 21 and H&M will definitely look to the cheaper alternatives in order to maintain their affordable prices, in my opinion.
What do you think? Will you be more choosy when it comes to buying clothes the next you're out shopping? Would you sacrifice the comfort of cotton for more affordable options like blended fabric?
I'm a little bit of a trend follower--but I'm also big on comfort. I splurge on staple items like jeans and t-shirts. When I'm in the mood, I'll buy trendy items to spice up my closet a little. I'm also a second-hand clothing fanatic for three reasons: One, it saves money. Two, you get unique stuff a lot of the times. Three (most importantly), it's environmentally friendly.
