What Is Sustainable Fashion?
Your wardrobe is more than just a collection of fabrics and styles; it's a testament to your identity. Every thread, every color, every texture represents a facet of who you are. So why not make the way you dress a reflection of your sustainability efforts, too?
Unfortunately, the fashion industry is notoriously unsustainable and unethical, with rampant issues from pollution to human rights violations. More and more people are looking for sustainable alternatives, only to be bombarded with buzzwords like “vegan” and “eco-friendly” that make it difficult to tell the difference between brands that are actually sustainable and the ones that aren’t.
All of the confusion around sustainable fashion may make you want to throw your hands in the air and declare that there’s no such thing as sustainable fashion in the first place. In a sense, you’d be correct: fashion is not a closed loop system as it is driven by ever-changing styles. However, sustainable fashion is possible, it exists, and it’s redefining how we look at our wardrobes.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez
Airing out the dirty laundry: waste in the fashion industry
The industrial revolution that began in the 18th century paved the way for fast and cheap production of all things from toothpaste to clothing. While there’s no doubt that industrialization has had positive effects on society—for example by raising the standard of living—it’s also linked to dramatic increases in greenhouse gas emissions, the driving factor behind climate change.
Since then, our consumerism has only increased—sometimes steadily, sometimes by leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, increased consumption means an increase in waste as well.
Waste is a particularly big problem for the fashion and textile industries. For starters, millions of tons of textiles are thrown away in the US every year. Of these, 85% end up in landfills or burned, with only 15% being recycled.
It wasn’t always like this—before the industrial revolution, people relied on making the most out of a piece of clothing, repairing it when necessary and even making their own clothing from natural fibers such as hemp and linen. But today it’s easier, cheaper, and more convenient than ever to buy new clothes whenever one feels like it. This trend is part of a phenomenon known as fast fashion.
What is fast fashion?
Fast fashion is primarily defined by the speed with which clothing moves through society. Not only is much of today’s clothing produced extremely quickly, but it moves fast on almost every level of its existence, from conception on.
While it’s a relatively new trend in the grand scheme of fashion, it’s undeniable that fast fashion has completely changed our relationship with clothing. Fast fashion companies draw ideas from social media and the catwalks, then turn them into cheap outfits at breakneck speed. It’s almost impossible for consumers to keep up, but they try to do so anyway to stay relevant. Sadly, this often means that clothing is then quickly discarded.
To give you a better idea of why fast fashion is so damaging, we break it down into five “fast” steps:
Fast trends
In the past, fashion companies unveiled new styles on a seasonal basis, a speed that was not altogether unreasonable. Today, however, fast fashion companies such as SHEIN and Forever 21 are constantly releasing new styles, most of which are aimed at young consumers who are eager to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. This leads to an exciting “chase” for the consumer, but one that is never-ending and results in a giant heap of clothing trailing behind.
Although neither the seasonal nor continuous pace of fashion is truly sustainable, it’s clear that the constantly changing fashion trends are having a big impact on the planet. Clothes are more likely to be “out of style” sooner and worn fewer times as a result before being tossed or donated.
Fast production
The industrial revolution paved the way for fast, cheap production of consumer goods. Today, factory production fuels fast fashion at a rate that would have been unimaginable a century ago. According to McKinsey & Company, the rate of production in the fashion industry doubled between 2000 and 2014 to over 100 billion articles of clothing. But, as good on you points out, no one actually knows how much clothing is being produced, and estimates vary wildly from 80 to 150 billion items a year.
It’s hard to understand just how tremendous the scale of production is in the fashion industry, until you see the waste that is created as a result. It’s estimated that roughly 92 million tons of textile waste are landfilled each year on a global scale. But that doesn’t account for the mountains of clothing in the deserts of Chile, or the truckloads of clothing donations washing up on African beaches.
But it’s not just about the waste. At the heart of fast fashion are workers, and they’re the ones who are paying the true cost of fast production. Across the textile industry, workers are subjected to harsh and often dangerous working conditions, paid unlivable wages, discriminated against, and abused. Examples of modern slavery and child labor also persist in the textile industry.
So why do we let this happen? It’s complicated, but in the end it comes down to companies producing new styles quickly in order to feed consumer demand (fast trends). Consumers, meanwhile, are often unaware of what it takes for a new garment to be produced and who is involved.
Fast sale
Thanks to the fast and cheap mass production of fast fashion items, costs are driven lower and lower. Even if we know that cheap items tend to be of lower quality, it’s hard to resist low prices, so we buy them anyway. Psychologically, it’s because shopping gives us a huge sense of pleasure. Unfortunately, it’s feeding the fast fashion machine.
To make matters worse, the already low prices are further driven down by competition between fast fashion companies. There is no better example of this than the ultra-fast-fashion company SHEIN: items listed for sale on their website are often $10 or less, making it almost a no-brainer for consumers to buy, buy, buy.
Many companies also use tactics such as frequent sales, offers, or “exclusive” deals to make it seem like the consumer will be missing out if they don’t buy quickly (and frequently).
Fast delivery
According to a recent survey by Circuit, Americans have high expectations of delivery speeds. These expectations have largely been influenced by the mega-retailer Amazon, which set the bar for same-day and next-day delivery services.
Another survey reveals that 62% of Americans expect their shipping to be free as well as fast, even though the cost of shipping (even for retailers) is anything but.
Fast use
The final piece of the fast fashion puzzle rests at home with the consumer. Many pieces of clothes are only worn a handful of times before being tossed or donated. Some items, especially dresses worn for special occasions, are often worn only once before being considered old news.
Additionally, it’s not uncommon for damaged, torn, or stained items to be tossed. Even though many repairs are easy to do, they take time. Buying new clothes, on the other hand, is quick and easy to do and results in a dopamine rush not unlike a sugar high.
What is sustainable clothing?
By now you have a pretty good understanding of what sustainable clothing is not. But what exactly is the alternative to fast fashion? What makes one brand more sustainable than another? In short, it depends on how they are working to minimize their impact on the planet and people.
To help you get a better idea, here are the four key elements of sustainable fashion:
Transparent
Sustainable fashion should do more than just claim to be sustainable; it should be measurably better for the planet and people than fast fashion alternatives. For example, brands that use terms such as “sustainable,” “eco-friendly,” “green,” and “vegan” without providing evidence-based information to back up those claims are not truly sustainable. Instead, they’re guilty of greenwashing their products.
Brands that honestly and truly value sustainability should be transparent. Even though manufacturing processes are complicated, a company should be able to track down all of the individual components, right down to the farming of cotton or weaving of fabrics. Transparency means disclosing all of this information to the consumer, because that’s the only way a company can be held accountable.
That being said, it can be hard to track down whether a company is being transparent or being gimmicky. That’s where third-party certifications come in handy; as they certify that a company is adhering to certain standards. In the fashion industry, look for certifications such as B-Corporation, Fairtrade, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), OEKO-TEX, and more.
Made from sustainable materials
Another way to identify sustainable fashion is through the type of materials used. While synthetic fibers (made from oil) are useful for, say, stretchy yoga pants, they contain microplastics that never fully break down but end up released into the environment through washing machine run-off or the landfill.
Materials that you should instead keep an eye out for include:
Organic cotton
Hemp
Recycled polyester
Wool
TENCEL™
Silk
Bamboo linen
Clothing simply made from recycled materials is not a perfect solution, because clothing cannot be infinitely recycled. Plus, contrary to popular belief, recycled polyester is not made from polyester clothing, but rather from rPET, the plastic found in water bottles.
Note that bamboo rayon fabrics, which have in recent years been touted as highly sustainable fabrics, are not all that they are made out to be. In fact, most fabrics made from bamboo (besides bamboo linen, which is less common and not as soft) have been highly chemically processed. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), “there’s no trace of the original plant left” in these types of products.
Produced with sustainable methods
Fast fashion processes pollute the air and water in myriad ways, from emitting roughly 8-10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions to polluting water supplies with toxic chemicals.
By contrast, sustainable fashion brands focus on methods that cause minimal harm to the planet. For example, by using methods that are less water-intensive or energy-intensive. Moreover, there are non-toxic dyes and finishers that can be used to produce clothing with less water usage and less pollution. Plus, non-toxic chemicals are better for the people that work with them, as well as the people that end up wearing the clothes (i.e. you)!
Ethical
Sustainability is about more than the planet; it’s also about the humans involved in every step of the process. Sustainable fashion should be made ethically and responsibly.
That means that workers from farm laborers to garment manufacturers should be paid fair living wages, subjected to healthy and safe working conditions, and allowed to work standard hours. Plus, work should be voluntary (no child or slave labor) and there should be no workplace discrimination. A few ethical certifications to watch out for include B-Corporation, Fairtrade, and Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP).
Finally, sustainable fashion should be ethical for the consumer, too. That means providing a range of inclusive sizes and styles, as well as imagery that support inclusivity (i.e. photographing models with different body types, skin colors, and backgrounds).
Tips to slow down your fashion consumption
If you’ve found yourself caught in the fast fashion trap, rest assured you’re not alone, and it’s not your fault. If you’re looking for ways to get out, or to at least slow down your fashion consumption and turn towards more sustainable fashion, you’ll be happy to learn there are many ways to do so that don’t necessarily break the bank.
If you’re able, buy high-quality, long-lasting garments from reputable brands. For a more frugal approach, consider thrifting your next outfit at your local thrift-shop or consignment store.
To make items you already own last longer, make sure to wash and dry them properly. Also consider mending and repairing items, either by doing so yourself or taking items to your local tailor.
Finally, next time you’re thinking of throwing out a piece of clothing, consider a more sustainable alternative. If the item is in good condition, try your hand at selling it in the second-hand clothing market. To save yourself the hassle, donate your item instead. If the item really is at the end of its life, make sure to recycle it so it can have another chance at life.
How do you slow down your consumption of fashion? Do you have a favorite brand of sustainable clothing? Let us know below!
