Weighing the Value

Introduction

Sustainable Style is inspired by the Lifers exhibition at ROM created by artist Noelle Hamlyn.

In 2019, Noelle collected some life jackets that had washed up on a beach, and these life jackets inspired the idea behind Lifers.

Noelle found previously used clothing in thrift stores and other places, and tailored them to cover the life jackets. These “Lifers” were made to inspire thoughts and questions. One important question is “what is the real cost of fast fashion?”

This activity allows you to investigate the answer to that question by shopping in a virtual store based on real items of clothing.

Background Information

When Noelle is creating a Lifer, she thinks about the style of the clothing, how it was originally meant to be worn, how it was made, what the worn spots say about how its original owner wore it, and how it was decorated.

Noelle wants to remind us that every piece of clothing holds a story worth preserving, and Lifers helps to tell that story. 

At the same time, Lifers also makes us think about how the ways we make and use our clothes affects the Earth around us.

The effects of the fashion industry affect water, the climate, the workers involved, and the waste we produce.

By testing and investigating the price of clothing and comparing it to how long those clothes will last, we can discover the real value of the clothes we wear and learn to make sustainable choices in the future.

You Will Need

Instructions

Step 1

Explore the village shops and keep an eye out for the Undercover Reporter.

Step 2

Read the labels on the clothes in the virtual store and fill in the "Cost" columns of the table in question 1 of the Weighing the Value Worksheet. [Google] [Word] [PDF]

Step 3

Talk to the Undercover Reporter to find out how many uses each piece of clothing lasts for. Use that information to fill in the "Number of Uses" columns in the table in question 1. 

Step 4

Figure out how much each piece of clothing costs per use by dividing the cost of the clothing by the number of uses before the clothes wear out.

(Assume you use the slippers every day, and 1 day = 1 use).


Step 5

Fill in the table in question 3 of the Weighing the Value Worksheet with your results.

For the next steps, you could either record your answers on the worksheet, or in a book and quill to export and add to the school library when you're done. Ask your teacher which you should do.

Step 6

Imagine you need to buy a black shirt, teal sweater, and purple slippers for school. 

Explain how you would spend your money on these clothes based on these results. Why would you make these choices?

Record your answers in a book and quill or on your worksheet.

Step 7

What if you could only spend money you earned from doing chores, and you earned $100 over the summer? Explain how that would affect your choice.

Step 8

Find famous author Sir Terry Pratchett in one of the shops, and read the quote from his book.

What do you think he was trying to say?

After a class discussion, record your final thoughts on your worksheet or in your book.

Step 9

Thought Questions:

Record your answers to these questions and other thoughts in your book. You may want to explore the school library to learn more about fast fashion and why people choose to buy it.

Step 10

Sign your book and export a copy for your teacher.

Add your book to the School Library.