Activity: Sustainable Style: Weighing the Value

A teacher stands in front of a projector board displaying a virtual clothing store.
  • 2 hours
    • Individual
  • Grades 4 - 12
  • Ages 8-10, 11-14, 14+
  • Classroom, flat surface

Investigate what our clothes are truly worth.

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.

Learning Goals

  • Compare the cost of clothing to its estimated lifespan to determine the actual cost per wear.
  • Compare different fictional clothing brands to determine which offers the best value.
  • Consider and discuss social and economic factors that would drive shoppers to purchase fast fashion even knowing the true cost per wear.

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 make 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, students can discover the real value of the clothes we wear and learn to make sustainable choices in the future.

Materials

Preparation

Prep and print materials

Instructions

Step 1

A virtual clothing store

Explore the virtual store (or the Village Shop if you’re exploring this activity in the Sustainable Style Minecraft world).

If you can’t access the virtual store, your teacher can give you a copy of the Reporter’s Notes.

Step 2

A table comparing cost of different items of different brands to the number of uses

Read the labels on the clothes in the virtual store and fill in the table in question 1 of the Weighing the Value worksheet.

Step 3

A procedurally generated image of a student doing math work at a desk

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 4

A table comparing cost per use of various items of clothing by three different brands

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

Step 5

A procedurally generated illustration of a teenager shopping in a clothing store

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?

Step 6

A stock photograph of students counting money from a piggy bank

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 7

A procedurally generated illustration of a class having a discussion

As a class, read the Terry Pratchett quote on page 3 of the Weighing the Value worksheet, and discuss what you think the author was trying to say.

Step 8

Add a summary of your class discussion to the Weighing the Value worksheet.

Follow-Up

Has this activity changed the way you think about the clothes you wear?

What are important things to think about when choosing what clothes we buy?

What are some of the factors that can affect peoples’ decisions about what clothes to buy?

Extension Activities

Explore the library in the Sustainable Style Minecraft world to learn more about fast fashion and why people choose to buy it.

More at the ROM

Sustainable Style: Design A Lifer

Glossary

Fast Fashion: Clothing and accessories based on the latest fashion trends, produced very quickly for mass-market purchase. Clothing is often cheaply made but low-cost, encouraging repeated bulk buying by consumers.