“Spring has been gone for a long time now. Dead leaves crunch, wood fires burn. Seeing France so beautiful in this late autumn, you suddenly feel languid and, even with socks on, you shiver.”Barbara could have sung.
Because today we’re talking about them: tights. Those damn tights.
Tights: 3 to 6 uses and then gone
Sometimes too thin, often designed to spin quickly (the story is that we can also buy them dry), and therefore immediately thrown away for fear of appearing neglected, tights are a real pain.
According to a report by the Stop Planned Obsolescence association (HOP for short), Every year in France alone, 104 million tights are thrown awaywhile at the same time 130 million were sold — and even 8 billion in the world.
Tights do not exceed more than six uses for 72% of those interviewed. Just three, for 40% of them.
And how they are made of nylon and spandex, synthetic fibers typically derived from fossil fuels (like oil), pantyhose represent a significant amount of plastic waste. They can take forever to decompose: about a hundred years. It is therefore a form of pollution that is too neglected.
These brands that fight against pantyhose as soon as they are worn, as soon as they are spun
Against this, Hēdoïne, for example, launched himself 85% biodegradable and non-spinning tightsso says the Rowing The British Anna Rauch, co-founder of the London brand:
“Not only do they last longer, but they also break down after up to five years at the end of their life. »
The remaining 15% of the composition corresponds to elastane, which as things currently stand is not (yet) biodegradable.
Other brands were already working on the niche of tights that decompose naturally and quickly, such as Billi London.
Another path more widely used in the industry: use recycled and recyclable nylon. But tights still need to be collected correctly in order to be recycled in good condition, according to an ideal of circular fashion that is still far from being achieved…
It is also to avoid this loss of a material that can be transmitted and put back into circulation some brands even offer a deposit system. This is the case, for example, of the French company Atelier Unes: return your spun tights – which will be recycled into hair elastics – and the company refunds your deposit.
A French start-up also intends to establish itself at the top: Yade, which claims to have designed perfect tights, guaranteeing support, shape, resistance and safety.
Meanwhile, according to HOP, the Wolford and Bleuforêt brands offer the most durable models, while H&M and Monoprix sell the most fragile.
Nylon tights, a textbook case of planned obsolescence
However, when it was invented in 1935, nylon was advertised as nearly indestructible. When the first socks designed with this material were launched on the market in 1940, they quickly gained popularity, becoming a symbol of Liberation in 1945. out of a thirst for profit, producers make them less and less resistant, so much so that women buy more and more of them.
And that’s why our great-grandmothers could wander around with the same pair all winter or so, while we can barely leave the house without ours slipping away! We cannot stop progress, much less the lure of profit…
Une photo credits: Ateliers Unes.
Add Madmoizelle to your favorites on Google News so you don’t miss any of our articles!
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
