THE £28 CARDIGAN: WHAT IT SAYS VS. WHAT IT MEANS

WHAT IS SAYS

A luxurious new £28 cardigan is the viral knit of summer – it's polished and perfect for autumn.
An instant bestseller.
A versatile addition to your wardrobe, this knitted cardigan is crafted with a touch of wool for a luxuriously soft feel. It's designed in an easy regular fit, with an elegant crew neck. Added stretch offers supreme comfort, while ribbed trims at the neck, cuffs and hem complete the cosy look. Composition:
57% acrylic, 32% polyester, 8% wool and 3% elastane for added stretch.

WHAT IT MEANS

57% acrylic, 32% polyester and 3% elastane will shed thousands of microplastic fibres per washing cycle into our water system and they don't break down. They’ll end up in our seas, in plankton, then in fish, then in us. A 2024 study found micro particles of plastic in all 62 human placentas studied.
Saying it’s a ‘viral hit’ creates  a creepy ‘buy-it-now’ urgency. ‘Instant best-seller’ is the same shtick.

‘Crafted with a touch of wool for a luxuriously soft feel’ puts wool out front – making the cardigan sound natural. It’s 8% wool – which is too little to change how the garment will feel or perform but it will make the garment unrecyclable – blended fibres can’t be mechanically separated so this cardigan’s only realistic end is landfill or incineration. Wool was only added so the brand could lead the marketing garnish with a woolly message.

WHAT IT SHOULD SAY

A £28 cardigan made almost entirely of oil-based fibre that will contribute to landfill, micro-plastic pollution and climate change. Buy it if you care more about looking like everyone else and not in the least about the planet.

Clothes shouldn’t cost us our planet.
Buy second hand.
Get clever with the clothes you’ve got.
Swap with friends.
Choose stuff that is 100% natural so it can be recycled.
Don’t buy this. It’s shit.