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Some of the stars of this year鈥檚 Glastonbury festival have joined the chorus of campaigners denouncing 鈥榯hrowaway fashion鈥�. They鈥檝e given some of their own clothing to Oxfam and are encouraging their fans to buy their outfits second-hand (or 鈥榩re-cherished鈥�). These days you can buy a dress for a fiver and wear it once before chucking it away. Is that proof that capitalism has gone too far? Critics of the industry cite the appalling conditions and rates of pay in the third-world factories churning out garments that will end up as non-biodegradable landfill quicker than you can say 鈥渟ustainability鈥�. There are those, on the other hand, who prefer not to be lectured by celebs famous for their multiple costume changes and who point out that the minimum wage doesn鈥檛 run to a wardrobe of high-quality clobber. Beyond the social and environmental implications of fast fashion, what about the moral value of clothes themselves? We humans have covered our nakedness ever since Adam and Eve embarrassed themselves in the Garden of Eden. Fashion lovers say that our clothes matter because they are expressions of an aesthetic sensibility, intrinsic to both self-esteem and dignity. Others believe the fuss about this season鈥檚 鈥榣ook鈥� is a cynical manipulation of insecurity and a celebration of vanity and superficiality. The morality of fashion: fashionably moral.

Producer: Dan Tierney