Reframing Abundance: What Degrowth in Fashion Actually Means

Let’s talk about growth. Not the kind that helps us flourish, but the kind that’s been drilled into our heads as the only marker of success. More sales. More products. More collections. More, more, more. In fashion, growth has always been the goal. But at what cost? And how did this happen? 

Enter degrowth. A term that might make investors squirm but very much seems like the key to a thriving future. And no, degrowth doesn’t mean deprivation. It’s not about “doing without” or romanticising a past where we all wore the same burlap sack until it disintegrated. It’s about redefining what enough looks like.

Degrowth, in the context of a circular and sustainable economy, isn't about cutting profits or jobs, it's about rethinking how we produce and consume, and decoupling profits from production volume. Instead of focusing on increasing the volume and speed of production and sales, which leads to overconsumption and environmental harm, degrowth encourages us to shift toward finding solutions to our needs, using what we already have available. This can actually lead to more profitable outcomes, as businesses innovate to offer higher-quality, longer-lasting products, with reduced resource use. At the same time, it creates new job opportunities, especially in sectors like renewable energy, repair, and recycling, where people are needed to maintain and renew products rather than simply producing new ones. 

So, degrowth in volume doesn’t mean less profit or fewer jobs, it means restructuring our economy to prioritise sustainability and wellbeing while fostering innovation and employment.

WHY ARE WE STILL CHASING GROWTH? 

All companies have growth predictions. Why is this? Companies have to appeal to shareholders. Investors look for companies that have reliable growth rates, and therefore stock appreciation, meaning that they will make profits in the future when stocks are sold. If the company was to keep a constant profit, investors would receive a constant dividend, which is, however, less appealing. 

This economic model has led to companies encouraging people to buy more and more: consumerism. It is defined as a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts.

Blame capitalism, marketing, or our human tendency to want more, but we’ve been conditioned to think that stagnation is failure. If a company isn’t growing, it’s dying, right?  But in a world where we’re already overproducing by 100 billion garments a year, what exactly are we growing towards?

Most fashion companies will tell you that scaling up is essential. More stores, more lines, more units produced. But why is success measured in sheer volume? Why isn’t a brand celebrated for slowing down, refining, or making fewer but better things?

Degrowth challenges this entire mindset. It asks: what if a brand’s value wasn’t tied to expansion, but to impact? What if longevity, worker well-being, and environmental restoration were the real KPIs?

There would be a focus on community and reciprocity. Communal care for people & planet. 

degrowth.info is a platform that tries to promote the concept of degrowth, and provides an impressive range of articles to explore this topic. They have developed a list of conditions that are necessary to allow degrowth to happen, which are very aligned with the concepts of wellbeing economy which we have brought to you in earlier articles. 

• Striving for a self-determined life with dignity for all. This includes deceleration, time welfare and conviviality.

• An economy and a society that sustains the natural basis of life.

• A reduction of production and consumption in the global North and liberation from the one-sided Western paradigm of development. This could allow for a self-determined path of social organization in the global South.

• An extension of democratic decision-making to allow for real political participation.

• Social changes and an orientation towards sufficiency instead of purely technological changes and improvements in efficiency in order to solve ecological problems. We believe that it has historically been proven that decoupling economic growth from resource use is not possible.

• The creation of open, connected and localized economies.

They also suggest a beautiful concept that we would like to quote. The origin of the term degrowth isn’t something negative as it might instinctively sound.  It is to be found in Latin languages, where “la décroissance” in French or “la decrescita” in Italian refer to a river going back to its normal flow after a disastrous flood.

We love the idea of picturing our world like an overflowing river that is causing damage all around, and it needs to come back to a stable flow, which is slower, but much better for everyone. 

WASN’T GROWTH MEANT TO BE GOOD? 

You might be wondering why we are so against growth. Surely, with economic growth, there should be improved living and health conditions, increased levels of human rights, and overall general population well-being, right? Yes - that would make sense, however, there is an issue with the definition and calculation of growth. Too often, wealth, the metric which should increase to allow economic growth, has been defined as GDP, which means Gross Domestic Product, a precise calculation which gives an indication of the financial performance of a country. However, GDP doesn’t take many other variables into account. 

The Inclusive Wealth Index (IWI) is a metric of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in response to the Beyond GDP movement. Inclusive wealth measures the assets that underpin a nation’s income flows and human well-being: natural, human and produced capital. 

We totally agree with UNEP on the fact that measuring inclusive wealth is key, and this is a topic that we have covered in our Wellbeing Economy article. 

ABUNDANCE VS. SCARCITY: THE MINDSET SHIFT WE NEED

Fashion operates on a scarcity mindset. We’re constantly told that we need new trends to stay relevant, that the next purchase will finally complete our wardrobe, that if we don’t act fast, we’ll miss out. But what if we flipped the script?

Abundance isn’t about having infinite choices or an overflowing closet. It’s about feeling content with what we have. It’s about knowing where our clothes come from, valuing craftsmanship, and embracing styles that last beyond a season. Degrowth isn’t about giving up fashion, it’s about actually enjoying it without the burnout.

Because growth hasn’t made us happier. Studies show that despite the fashion industry ballooning into a $1.71 trillion beast, garment workers are still underpaid, environmental damage is worse than ever, and overconsumption is leading us to burnout, not joy. (Source).

In a world constantly discussing resource scarcity, we often overlook the vast abundance of waste that surrounds us. What if we reframe waste not as a problem, but as a valuable resource waiting to be tapped? Materials we discard daily (plastics, metals, food scraps, textiles) contain immense potential for reuse, repurposing, and recycling. 

By viewing waste through the lens of opportunity, we can create a wellbeing economy where nothing goes to waste. Instead of extracting new resources from the earth, we could rely on the rich supply of materials already available, reducing the strain on natural ecosystems. This shift would not only alleviate resource scarcity but also drive innovation, create new industries, and generate jobs, transforming waste into sustainable abundance, achieving growth in resource extraction, but not in profits and employment. 

SO, WHAT DOES DEGROWTH LOOK LIKE FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE? 

Degrowth doesn’t mean quitting fashion, it means reimagining it. It looks like brands that produce less but pay more. It looks like materials designed to last, not to disintegrate into microplastics. It looks like consumers are embracing the joy of a well-worn jacket instead of chasing the high of a haul.

We recently learned about the Buddhist Economy and love the values it brings. The Buddhist economy challenges the traditional profit-driven mindset by prioritizing well-being, ethical conduct, and sustainability over material excess. Rooted in the principle of Right Livelihood, it encourages work that supports both personal growth and societal good while minimizing harm to people and the planet. Instead of chasing endless consumption, this approach values sufficiency over excess, promoting mindful living and a deeper connection to the resources we use. It also recognizes the interdependence of all beings, advocating for fair wages, responsible resource use, and ethical business practices that foster collective well-being. At its core, the Buddhist economy offers a holistic alternative to conventional economic models, one that seeks harmony between material needs, environmental responsibility, and spiritual fulfillment.

We don’t have to burn the industry to the ground. But we do have to rethink what we celebrate. Less production doesn’t have to mean less creativity. It could actually mean more. More intention, more innovation, more connection to what we wear.

So let’s rewrite the story. Instead of chasing endless growth, what if we pursued better? Not just in how our clothes look, but in how they’re made, worn, and valued. Maybe then, we’d finally feel like we have enough.

Some questions we have if you know anyone who can help answer!

→ As an economist and environment advocate, how do you see the future of production aligning with environment goals to reduce climate change? 

→ Do you believe in decoupling financial growth and volume of production from an economic perspective? Do you believe this is necessary for a sustainable future?

→ What does degrowth look like from an economic perspective? How can it be implemented?