Shoddy, global clothing production, and lying in the grass

Postcard collection of Maggie Land Blanck http://www.maggieblanck.com/Land/Shoddy.html

I found the above image on a page about shoddy, which is a kind of recycled wool yarn. The image seems unrelated, but what caught my eye was the person lying in the grass on the side of the road. It looks so peaceful, like there’s nothing else to do but enjoy the sun and the passing of time.

The article that initially lead me onto that postcard image was an article about used clothing. Attire is so plentiful, it seems we humans can finally quit worrying about finding something to wear.

Between 2000 and 2015, global clothing production doubled, while the average number of times that a garment was worn before disposal declined by 36 percent. In China, it declined by 70 percent.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/no-one-wants-your-used-clothes-anymore

I’ve been away from my computer for the last week or so. During that time I’ve noticed my idle phone usage rising, specifically on either Reddit or Instagram. It makes me feel cross-eyed after scrolling through posts for so long, often not pausing to look or reflect on something for more than a second or two. The pace at which I scroll through content is bananas.

What used to consume people’s time before print or online content? Maybe they just spent it lying in the grass.

Young woman lying in the grass – Paul Gauguin