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DEATH TO THE RAVE DRAWER

By Sophia Sipe Staff Writer

Buried beneath a pile of innocent fuzzy socks, lies the land of every mother’s worst nightmare: the rave drawer. Categorized by sequined thongs and fishnet tights, this onestop shop takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to festival fashion.

Often spanning several days, popular rave festivals like EDC warrant the purchasing of multiple outfits to showcase each day. And most partygoers dress to impress. Online shops like Shein, Dollskill and iHeartRaves turn a mean profit at the expense of the climate’s health.

Teen Vogue reports that “a recent study found that single-use outfits for music festivals accounted for approximately 7.5 million outfits per year — a total of $307 million worth of clothing.”

Disguised as an economic enhancement in a skintight dress, raves’ increasing popularity is sinking its teeth into the climate’s flesh and leaving behind a gaping, oozing wound. Side effects include long-term detrimental pollution, low-wage labor and the accelerated depletion of the planet’s natural resources, as detailed in a 2024 article by Earth.org.

“Overall, the best part of raving is the culture and the vibes,” aviation senior Alex Chang said. “One of the best feelings is to be able to scream and shout the lyrics with others knowing you’re truly heard and understood.”

Among the newgoers, was kinesiology junior Khan Tran, who called her first EDC “nerve racking” but enjoyed Wasteland, a hardstyle stage.

“Getting to see different styles of art and outfits was really cool,” Tran said. “I was able to enjoy the music with people who came from all around the world.”

While perfect for a night out, the skimpy albeit creative designs make styling rave items difficult for casual wear. More often than not, rave outfits collect dust burrowing among Goodwill lingerie. Inadvertently, the single-use nature of these clothes makes them wasteful, lending a dyeing and treatment.

Of these, 8,000 man-made chemicals are used and released into freshwater.

From the metaphorical realm to reality, these cuts have manifested in the stomachs and brains of both animals and humans. Originating from clothing fibers, researchers suggest that microplastics, such as the ones found in mass-produced rave tights, create adverse effects on biological processes relating to tissue growth and the respiratory system.

Turning plastic into clothing is a laborious process, demanding extreme amounts of petroleum. As a chemical response, hydrogen chloride and similar acids are released into the environment.

“My understanding is that the race to get goods to market sometimes means the use of air freight, which is very impactful for climate change,” Vos said.

Similarly, on a societal level, the implications are just as dangerous. The industry carries itself atop exhausted and underpaid workers who are subjected to poor conditions. More often than not, health issues arise as a result.

“I typically buy swimsuits and try to follow a theme with the colors I bought,” Tran said. “I’ve worn my basic outfits many different times at events because they are simple.”

This way, the swimsuits can be reused and fully functional, rather than existing solely as a costume. Finding creative ways to reuse rave clothing essentially builds a capsule wardrobe, which is one of the most sustainable options.

Find accessories like bandanas and scarves that can be bought second-hand and used as cover-ups, headgear or upcycled fabric. The key is versatility.

“ I’m kind of a basic raver and I wear jerseys, but I’ve been exploring and wanting to diversify my rave outfits,” Chang said.

If you must have the latest and greatest holographic one-piece, buying from reputable businesses with eco-friendly carbon footprints is a great starting point. Websites like Good On You dedicate their entire brand to ensuring this information is accessible to every consumer on the market.

The most obvious, yet overlooked choice, is to be attentive towards quality. Paying an adequate price for a lasting bralette will always trump paying a cheap price several times for a quick-to-fall-apart factory one.

In any case, return to the drawer with hopeful hands and dig away. Sure, those tights may be stale and stiff. Those muscle tanks probably already debuted on the gram. But when the neon lights cascade among the crowd, and the beat finally drops, no one will realize that they’ve seen the same outfit twice.

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