Survey Says...

With all the buzz lately about eco-fashion, we decided to take to the streets and find out what our fellow students at Rowan University think about the new craze. We asked 100 students about their thoughts on eco-fashion; their likes, dislikes, and if they're on the sustainable fashion bandwagon.

When asked if they knew what eco-fashion was, 58 students answered yes straight off, which slightly surprised us. Organic clothing and natural cotton are things that most people have heard about by now, but we were taken aback at just how much press and exposure the term eco-fashion itself has gotten in the last year or so. To the same question, 22 people answered no, and the other 20 had only a vague idea after the term was explained.

Sophomore Casey Marguccio was very excited when we asked her if she was an eco-enthusiast.

CM: I think eco-fashion is great! I only learned the technical term a few months back actually, but I did my freshman year of college in Texas, and a lot of the people there were really into organic and...oh, what is that word--

Fashion Advivum [FA]: Sustainable fashion?

CM: Yes! sustainable fashion. It's hard to find in stores, especially when you're not in a big city, but I've done some shopping online and I really like the products.

FA: What do you like most about the clothing?

CM: Well, of course I like that it's better for the environment. I think little things like recycling and buying clothing like this are realistic things that young people can do to make a difference. But really, even if it wasn't, I would still be buying. The fabrics are so nice! I got a shirt, it was made from bamboo I think? Oh man, it is so comfortable! It's like the softest jersey you ever felt, but better.

FA: So it's safe to say you'll continue buying eco-friendly clothing in the future?

CM: Definitely! I mean, as much as I can, being a college student and therefor poor. That's the one downfall, that a lot of the clothes tend to be a bit pricey. It's not really possible for me to buy ALL my stuff from eco-fashion places, but I try to as much as I can.

For Casey as well as many of the students we surveyed, price was a definite issue with eco-fashion. 41 of the students surveyed said that price was one of the main things that kept them from buying "green" (the eco-friendly sense of the word). 7 students also said that availability was an issue as well.

Junior Felicia Khublall says that availability is the main reason she hasn't purchased organic or sustainable clothing yet.

FK: I'm a bio major, so things having to do with the environment are important to me. I would really like to start buying "green" clothing! But when was the last time you saw a store selling stuff like that in the Deptford or Cherry Hill mall? I'm not really an online shopper, I really hate doing it actually, so for me, the lack of stores is what's keeping me back. I guess I'll have to make do with recycling for now.

FA: So if there were more stores that sold organic or sustainable clothing, you wouldn't mind spending a bit more money for clothing made of organic cotton or bamboo?

FK: Not really. I have a job here at school and stuff, so I'm not too strapped for cash, so I wouldn't mind spending a little extra money. I obviously wouldn't be going on shopping sprees, but when the clothes are so cute, it's not that big of a deal.

To those who don't really know much about eco-fashion, what the clothing actually looks like maybe one of the most surprising parts. Of the 42 people that didn't know what eco-fashion was or that had only a vague idea, 27 of them said that they pictured the stereotypical hippie clothing.

Sophomore Rob Nolte was one of those people.

RN: Yea, I really had no idea what this eco-fashion thing was. I guess it's because I'm a guy, I don't really pay attention to fashion or clothes, I just grab whatever looks good, and half the time my girlfriend dresses me [laughs]. When I read the first question [if the reader knew what eco-fashion was] the first thing I pictured a hippie smoking a bong in a striped hemp hoodie.

FA: But now that you know what eco-fashion is, and how much better it is for the environment, would you be more inclined to buy if the opportunity arose?

RN: Yea, I think I would...we all need to do our part, right? However small it is? Maybe Rowan could hop on that. They're all about being "green" lately aren't they. Maybe they could make all the Rowan clothes they sell in the bookstore eco-friendly or whatever you call it.

Luckily for us, Rob was one of the first people we surveyed, so we added that as a question on our survey. Of 93 students asked, 84 said yes, they would still be willing to buy Rowan apparel, even if the prices went up, if the clothing was eco-friendly. The other 9 said no, Rowan apparel was expensive enough.

Of 100 people, only 24 said that they owned or had previously bought some sort of sustainable clothing. But the last question of our survey asked whether he or she would be more inclined to buy "green" now that they were a bit more informed on the subject. Our question was met with an overwhelming yes! 89 students, both male and female, said that they would most likely buy some sort of sustainable clothing in the future. 7 said they would if the clothing was not so expensive. Only 4 said that they had no interest in buying eco-friendly clothing. We hope that we've inspired these students to do another small part in helping the environment, just by getting dressed in the morning. And maybe we can even inspired Donald Farish to get Rowan on the eco-fashion bandwagon!