Food for Thought
A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to someone about my thesis topics – sustainability, sourcing, production, luxury fashion and its consumers – and they recommended that I look into the food industry. I thought it a bit strange. The food industry? What do food and fashion have anything to do with each other? Then I got to thinking about grocery stores. From where I live in Chapel Hill, I can honestly walk to at least four different grocery stores: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Harris Teeter and Food Lion. On top of that, there are two drug stores in walking distance where I could also get food: CVS and Walgreens. When you start to think about it, each grocery store offers you something a bit different – a different experience, different products. I’m sure you’re thinking, “McGee – it’s just food. What’s the difference?” But there is a difference!
When you go into CVS or Walgreens, you’re likely not going in for food. You’re probably going in for something else – a prescription maybe – and then you see a bag of chips or a pack of candy that you absolutely must have. CVS and Walgreens aren’t really food destinations, but you can certainly get some food while you’re there.
When you go into Food Lion or Harris Teeter, I think of it as a mission. You’ve got your list. You may even have your coupons organized and ready. You’re stocking up for the week and getting s*** done. It’s not an unenjoyable experience, but I wouldn’t say you’re going in to really spend some time and peruse the shelves.
When you go into Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, you’re going in for the experience. It’s beautiful. It’s well-lit. Those organic veggies look like the happiest, healthiest veggies you’ve ever laid your eyes on. You just know that the eggs came from chickens with the most wonderful lives. The sales associates are friendly, informed on the products and ready to help you in whatever way you may need. You walk through every aisle and scan every shelf. You take your time.
Here’s the thing, you’re paying for those differences, right? Everyone’s heard the joke, “Whole Foods, whole paycheck.” It’s true. The experience that you have at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s is something for which you pay more. Fashion is the same way. Target is your CVS or Walgreens. You’re not necessarily going into Target for clothes, but we all know you’ll likely pick some up on your way out. TJ Maxx or department stores like Belk’s and Macy’s are your Food Lion’s and Harris Teeter’s. You may shop around a bit, but you’re most likely going in there because you need something. Maybe you have a wedding coming up or an important business meeting and you need something new to wear. It’s not that you don’t enjoy the experience, but it probably isn’t an experience to write home about. Highly curated boutiques (like Whilden in Chapel Hill or Augusta Twenty in Greenville, SC) or high-end department stores (like Selfridge’s in London) are your Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. These places are meticulously thought through. Each piece of clothing has been hand selected for a certain consumer. You take your time when you’re there – looking through every piece of clothing and every accessory that’s artfully displayed.
So, if we know that places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are more expensive, why are we willing to spend more? It’s the quality, right? It’s the belief that what we’re buying is better for us in some way or another. If you’re buying apples at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, you’re buying into the belief that these apples are the best possible quality. They’re organic. They’re pesticide free. We’re willing to spend more because they’re better for us (supposedly). If that’s the case with our food, why don’t we think about our clothes that way? Why don’t we spend a bit more on clothing that’s better quality? Maybe it’s sustainably sourced or ethically produced. Maybe its proceeds go to a certain cause (like Warby Parker eyeglasses). If we’re willing to spend more on quality food that’s going into our body, why aren’t we willing to spend more on quality clothing that’s going onto our body? You could argue that clothing doesn’t directly impact our health in the same way that food does, but doesn’t it? The fashion industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions (McFall-Johnsen, 2020). Those pollutants are going directly into the air we breathe. I’m certainly not saying that the solution to fashion’s environmental impact is as simple as buying quality, sustainably produced clothing; but I am saying it’s a start.
Just some food for thought.
Bye for now,
McGee