Why do zip-off trousers make me cringe?

This essay reflects on the discomfort with zip-off trousers despite their clear sustainable benefits. It critiques the current state of sustainability in fashion, arguing that the overemphasis on practicality, particularly in garments like zip-off trousers, often leads to a lack of appeal. Drawing a parallel to high-heeled shoes, which transitioned from practical items to symbols of power, societal belonging and self-expression, the essay suggests that sustainability in fashion needs to similarly transcend its practical roots. I contend that to make sustainability fashionable, it must be embedded within the practices of power, attraction and self-expression, rather than remaining solely practical.