India, Sept. 23 -- Like most Indian girls in their late 20s, I used to send my clothes to be washed after wearing them just once. Even a little dust or a small mark was enough to make me put them in the laundry basket.

My laundry cycle was an endless loop. I would buy clothes, wash them 3 or 4 times, and watch them fade, shrink, or lose their fit. I was constantly complaining, "I need new clothes, my jeans look dull, my knitwear is loose, everything is shrinking." I was blaming the brands, the fabric quality, and sometimes, even the weather. It really hit me when I looked at my favourite pair of branded jeans that had cost me Rs.7,000. They were already fading, getting thin around the thighs and losing their shape. My house help was hone...