"Private sufficiency, public luxury": an exploration of consumer clothing circularity

This chapter explores, the concept of clothing circularity through the lens of a circular economy wardrobe, that if implemented, will achieve private sufficiency of high-quality clothing, accessible to all consumers, currently only enjoyed by consumers who can afford high quality and luxury. The author introduces the environmental campaigner and journalist, George Monbiot, critiquing his concept of “private sufficiency, public luxury” which he uses to examine current inequality in land ownership and use. The author borrows from the term, but does not aim to compare clothing and land, instead using a circular economy framework, explores clothing access over ownership, maintenance for longevity, storage, and disposal that enables circulation of clothing, textile, and fibre at the post-consumer stage. A conceptual framework is presented that illustrates an idealistic model of a circular economy wardrobe. Recommendations for future research are provided at the end of the chapter.