By Megan Hannaford
The current homelessness problem in the U.K disproportionately affects men more than women. Official statistics released in February revealed that the majority of people sleeping on the streets were male, and over 26 years of age. This, on average, was 2,688 men per night, compared to 377 women, who made up just 14% of the overall total. For charities organising clothing donations, a trend emerges where female clothing is received in excess, and there is a constant need for more menswear. Homeless men, therefore, are lucky to get what they’re given.
Resultantly, what these men wear is clothing: simply a garment devoid of any social meaning or connections, as opposed to fashion. By contrast, fashion is an aesthetic form of self-expression and autonomy, which describes the ‘social and temporal system that influences and "activates" dress as a social signifier in a certain time and context’ (Textile Value Chain). And so, the gender asymmetry of homelessness means that utilising clothing as a symbol of identity becomes inaccessible to the majority of homeless people.
Having an individual style is a privilege, which comes with having the ability to source pieces selected by you, for you. However, fashion is upheld by classism, with haute couture at the top of the ladder, and only obtainable for those with excess disposable income. Consequently, we must consider the ethical problems that come with fashion houses profiting off of ‘homeless chic’, which ironically makes homeless fashion culture accessible to the upper-class, whilst high fashion remains inconceivable for the homeless.
For example, in 2000, Dior’s John Galliano presented a controversial show inspired by Paris’ homeless population. This appropriation of homeless culture was criticised for eroticising their conditions, with the irony that no homeless person could ever afford the ‘homeless chic’ he showcased.
Similarly, in 2010, Vivienne Westwood put forward an equally offensive display with her ‘homeless chic’ catwalk at Milan fashion week. Westwood defended her desire to “involve the privileged people of the fashion world in the homeless scene”. This seems pretty tone deaf considering her show seemed more in line with the punk-rock art scene.
And more recently, in 2017, designer of N.Hoolywood, Daisuke Obana, sent the fashion world into an ethical frenzy with his homeless-inspired fashion collection at the New York Men’s Fashion Week. He was labelled ‘tasteless’ and ‘insensitive’ for sending depressed looking models out carrying bin-bags — I think Obana just missed the mark with this one.
These designers defend that they aimed to give homeless people a sense of importance, where they could be seen and not ignored. Yet, it seems to never be out of fashion to prey on the homeless, or draw stylistic inspiration from the hard times these individuals have endured. Rather than actually giving back to the communities in need, these designers instead chose to glamorise and profit from their hardship. This seems to warp their ‘good’ intentions, and I highly doubt those sleeping on the streets would really care for these voyeuristic fashion displays that are worlds away from their lived realities.
The entire operation of a fashion show is entangled with an accessibility to fashion — a far cry from the actual inaccessibility of high fashion for those in need. This is not a case of giving visibility to the invisible, but maybe that could have been the case had these fashion houses actually engaged with homeless individuals. Instead, it seems their position is exploited for a ‘quirky’ angle in the fashion market.
Homeless chic appears to be even more inappropriate in light of how Covid-19 has affected our homeless population. Whilst the pandemic increased our online shopping, with conspicuous consumption and staying indoors excessively, we must consider that how the pandemic was experienced by homeless people was quite the opposite. With less people out and about to help, and clothing banks even shutting temporarily, the past two years may have been hard for the majority of us, but even harder for those affected in this way. And with our resurrected fears of lockdowns and pubs shutting with the new Omicron variant, and the constant ‘make sure you’ve done a lateral flow’ before seeing your mates, let’s try and bear these things in mind.
Considering these issues in a wider sense, it is the responsibility of fashion houses to redefine accessibility as part of their sustainability strategies.
We must question who said fashion can’t be both practical and fashionable, and the baseless assumption that those who are homeless have no interest in fashion. This is an issue not at the fault of those donating clothes, but instead lies with the fashion companies who put their profits to ethically inadequate use. Setting a fantastic example to counter this is French luxury fashion house, Chloé. This year, Chloé has collaborated with The Sheltersuit Foundation to demonstrate the power of meaningful partnerships and collaborations in fashion to bring about positive change. The Sheltersuit was created by Dutch fashion designer Bas Timmer in 2014 when he redesigned his luxury outerwear to accommodate and tackle homelessness. By shifting his values, and using fashion to communicate this, he was able to create a jacket with an additional piece that becomes a sleeping bag. The Sheltersuit merges fashion and practicality, and has come to London this winter.
Whilst you can get yourself a Chloé Sheltersuit for an eye-watering £2,090 (with profits going to the Sheltersuit Foundation), the great thing about these jackets is that they will be given out to the homeless for free.
This collaboration is made out of up-cycled materials from previous Chloé collections, as well as up-cycled tent materials which were digitally printed directly onto. The collection also includes exclusive backpacks, where for each one bought, 2 Sheltersuit’s are financed. Contrasting to the lack of action coming out of homeless chic fashion shows, these Sheltersuit's are made in partnership with local NGOs, and assembled by refugees and former homeless people to contribute both support and a social role to the homeless community.
This is what the future of socially conscious fashion should look like. Rather than imitating homeless culture, fashion should be adapted and thought of in a way which is productive. However, this also must be translated onto all levels of the industry. Accordingly, The Blankfaces works at a more local level to tackle fashions inaccessibility to the homeless.
The Blankfaces is the UK’s first non-profit fashion label aimed at ending homelessness. Each of their designs are inspired or created by a homeless person, and they give a percentage of every product sold directly back to the homeless participant who has shared their story. It’s about giving people a voice, an outlet, and a way to share their story to erase the stigma of homelessness.
Merging sustainably-conscious branding with local initiatives seems the way to go in widening the market for accessible fashion. However, sustainable fashion is often problematised as exclusionary for the working classes. Despite its good intentions, without sustainable fashion being given out for free, as Chloé does, only the privileged get to reap its benefits. We cannot blame everyone who shops fast fashion as they cannot afford to shop elsewhere (although we can totally blame most middle-class girls for giving their life savings to Pretty Little Thing - thanks Molly Mae and your inspiring 24 hours!). Fast fashion needs to become inclusive, adaptive and flexible. Though equally, sustainable fashion also needs to become inclusive, adaptive and flexible, with its aesthetic commonly catering to specific beauty standards. This is, therefore, a universal and joint effort, which must be perpetuated by the industry as a whole.
The internet has made cheap and easy fashion easier than ever, knocking off both fashion houses and independent designers, and luring people in with deals they cannot afford to refuse. This, in itself, is an exploitation of working class conditions when considering the low-paid production of this clothing, the limited financial options of its consumers, and the power and wealth this brings fast fashion CEO’s. Profiting corporations, therefore, have a lot to answer for. They need to produce change in the form of higher wages, less products, and considerations for the impact of their companies.
Fashion is intertwined with class ideology, and to minimise the negative effects of this intersection, we can start by rethinking the commercialised production of Christmas in time for the next one.
For those of us who have the means to do so, we need to actively reflect upon our spending habits in 2022. We need to think about where our money is going, and to really consider the longevity of what we are buying. Will this be in fashion next year? Am I buying this for a one-time use? Does my sister really need another Zara top? And above all, we must not take for granted the luxury of present-buying in itself.
So, what can you do this New Year?
I understand that it is unrealistic to expect everyone to shop sustainably overnight. Even for those who can, there will always be the excuse of student overdrafts, looming rent payments, the convenience of Amazon Prime, and a total avoidance of wider issues at stake. Nor is it realistic to expect everyone to have a nifty hand in charity shops, or to assume that everyone wants, or likes, their cousins hand-me-downs.
Unfortunately, more of us are more selfish than we like to admit. The transition to ethical living must often be mutually beneficial to work. So, if you plan on giving your money to ASOS irregardless of reading this article, please consider some other ways of giving back after a Christmas of splurging
Here are my top 5 tips for for going from fast fashion to fast action this New Year:
If you are female, I would advise you to sort through your unwanted clothes, and look online to see if any homeless charities are looking for women’s clothing. If not, I would suggest you instead take them down to your local charity shops, so they can still be put towards a good cause. If you are male, please donate as much as you can to homeless charities who are desperate for men’s clothing! Some ones to look into are the Whitechapel Mission, Crisis, The Little Things UK, Mungos, Shelter, and the Salvation Army.
Girls, raid your boyfriends, brothers and dads wardrobes for male clothing to be donated, and encourage them to do the same, as unfortunately studies have found that women are more likely to donate to charities than men of equal means.
Donate to Sheltersuit! You can make one-off or monthly donations through their website, which will help them set up their mission in the U.K.
Where possible, spend that 50 quid your aunt gave you in sustainable stores, support local businesses, look in charity shops, vintage stores, and hunt on Depop, eBay, and Vinted! These don’t have to be second hand, there are plenty of unworn items with tags being resold!
Donate any unwanted Christmas gift to charities that cater for the homeless, refugees, children’s hospitals and the elderly, such as Oxfam Unwrapped, Salvation Army, The Book Trust, Crisis this Christmas, Age UK, GOSH Christmas Stocking Appeal, or Action for Children. If you love online shopping, and hate getting out of bed, donating money online is perfect for you, and will help more than you think :)