Inside the Slow Fashion Congressional Caucus

Office of Rep. Chellie Pingree

For the first time ever, the United States government will have a caucus focused solely on fashion. Started by Maine Representative Chellie Pingree (D-M.E.) the Slow Fashion Caucus will focus on legislation around textile waste, labor issues in fashion and of course, fashion’s contribution to climate change. (Other members include Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Sydney Kamlager- Dove (D-Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.).

The fashion industry is pumping out clothing faster than ever with little accountability for where those pieces end up after they are discarded. Fast fashion in particular is often made from fossil fuel-based fabrics like polyester and nylon which, when not discarded properly, end up in landfills and oceans. Over the last five years, advocates around the globe have started to advocate for more legislation tied to garment worker pay, recycling, supply chain tracing and more.

In an exclusive interview with Teen Vogue, Rep. Pingree gave us the inside scoop on what she hopes for the caucus, why the government needs to take fashion seriously, and how young people can get involved.

This conversation was condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

Teen Vogue: So, how did the Slow Fashion Caucus come about?

Rep. Chellie Pingree: I am the ranking member on the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. We also have the environment in our subcommittee, meaning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is part of it. I've learned a lot about recycling over the years I've been in Congress. I'm an organic farmer, I've been a sheep farmer. I'm very interested in sustainable agriculture. I used to actually be in the knitting business, so I'm very aware of sustainable fibers, sustainable foods, and I grew up sewing clothes. I've got sort of my own personal interests, but more and more I have learned a lot about just what a big component of our failed recycling systems the clothing industry is.

TV: What do you see as the primary function of the caucus?

CP: You can use the caucus as a way to bring in outside speakers and have meetings to educate your colleagues or the staff of your colleagues. I just started sort of shopping this around with my colleagues a few months ago after I had really dug into the topic and realized everything that I know so well about it, particularly from the environmental climate change side. I mean, there's huge labor components, there's trade issues. I felt like the one thing that people didn't have a very good understanding of was the climate change impact of their clothing, and the percentage that's going to landfills.

I want to use the caucus as a way to work on legislation, to elevate legislation my colleagues have already put together and to do more briefings with my other colleagues. [Rep.] Rosa Delore (D-CT) and I are waiting on a study that we're having done so we can get more current facts and figures. And as I said, I'm the ranking member on the committee that has oversight of the budget for the EPA. So I brought the topic up in EPA hearings, and once we really get some facts, I want to sort of get some targets for them. I also think it's a great opportunity to help educate people about what's happening in other countries.

TV: How has the slow fashion caucus been received in Congress? I've found that sometimes fashion legislation can be looked at as frivolous, even though it is this multi-trillion dollar industry with massive impact on people and planet. And so I'm curious, as you started to think about the way this is shaping up, what that reception has been like from your colleagues?

CP: In forming the caucus and literally just having one-on-one conversations with my colleagues or other people outside of Congress, I do think it's kind of one of those 50/50 things. Sometimes people are absolutely aware of what's going on and they're so mad about throw-away fashion, or they have just a basic sense that you shouldn't waste things and that clothing is getting wasted. And on the other hand, I am occasionally timid because I'll get sort of an immediate face from somebody like, oh wow, I thought you were in Congress to do some really big stuff. Aren't we at war? Don't we have to deal with climate change and economic instability? And so I sort of get like, no, no, no, really, I want to tell you, this is one of those serious things.

I am not a highly fashionable person. I'm from Maine, so fashion — we're more into LL Bean boots and a cotton shirt. I love mending clothes and I love the whole visible mending movement that's been growing.

TV: Clothing consumption, waste, and domestic manufacturing affects every single state!

CP: Right. I mean, I'm very engaged in the topic of climate change. Everything from how agriculture is transforming itself, to transportation, better systems for heating and cooling, our homes, all those things. I'm pretty much of a geek on all this stuff. I often feel like people leave off the things that are right in front of their face, not dealing with your compostable waste – especially if you live in a city where you can just put in a bucket and somebody will come and clean it up – is missing an opportunity to do the things you care about. [So is] not understanding that fashion plays a big role in this, and that you should get outraged about the fashion companies that are contributing to the amount of plastics in our ocean.

TV:  Shein just hired a lobbying group in DC. So it does seem that the brands see it as something that could be impacting their business. How are you looking at this dynamic?

CP: I work in agriculture and food processing, and that probably has more lobbyists than almost every other industry combined. So I'm very familiar with that being a big part of it. And in some ways I look forward to them engaging. I think the sooner we start to see some real engagement on the part of industry, the sooner we can sort of figure out where the pushback is going to come. And in some ways, it just shows that we've made some progress.

TV:  Legislation is a tactile way to make a change outside of just consuming, which I think is important for young people who may not have as many purchasing options.

CP: I'm so convinced that when you can get young people mobilized on an issue, that's when you can really move forward.

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Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue