For the last few years the term “sustainable fashion” has been tossed around in the media. Sustainable fashion, along with its other eco-friendly movements, has been lost in the mix of media as the years have gone by. But sustainable fashion is just as important as your everyday recycling but yet it goes unnoticed.
First and foremost, what is sustainable fashion? Dresslemuse.com describes sustainable fashion as, “the concept of creating fashion items in a way that reduces the environmental impact and promotes social responsibility throughout the entire production process. It aims to create fashion items that are environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically viable.” In other words, creating fashion that is good for our planet. Nowadays amid fast fashion and rapidly growing amounts of consumerism, more and more people continue to buy cheap and poorly made quality pieces of clothing just to pad up their wardrobe and quickly expand their closet.
via The Ecologist
However, not only does this cause environmental issues like the increase in gas emissions and land degradation, but it also causes an increase in humanitarian issues. To create fast fashion at the pace in which the industry wants it requires immense amounts of labor. In turn, many women and children in many different countries are being put to work for hours upon hours on end in unsafe, unhealthy, and mentally draining facilities.
So what constitutes sustainable fashion? These pieces are created using materials such as organic cotton, recycled polyester, linen, or bamboo. Additionally, these pieces are often dyed with natural dyes made from plants and mineral sources. The process of making these clothes is also incredibly different than those made in fast fashion sweatshops. Sustainable brands often utilize energies like solar power to power their factories to reduce their carbon footprint.
via Refinery29
While sustainable fashion often takes longer to make and costs more, its benefits are immeasurable. As mentioned before, fast fashion brands are not only a humanitarian issue but an environmental one. The longer we allow their production to continue, the more harm that is being done. But with all this in mind, where do you start? Don’t worry. We got you covered. Here are some of the top sustainable clothes brands on the market today:
E.L.V. Denim: a top luxury denim brand based in London. While expensive, all pieces created through E.L.V. Denim are made with 100% upcycled materials. They specialize in jeans, skirts, and tops and each piece is curated perfectly to create a timeless look.
Stella Mccartney: Stella Mccartney is a designer who creates pieces that erase the misconceptions about sustainable fashion. She creates pieces that look stylish and classic but never with any harmful materials. Due to her being vegetarian, Mccartney has committed herself to never having used leather or fur in any of her works. She substitutes these textiles for faux leather, wool, recycled satin, and more.
OMNES: This UK brand’s name is the Latin word for “all” because they believe that we are “all” in this together. Omnes Fashion strives to create pieces that not just benefit the wearer, but benefit the world in turn. All of their pieces are reviewed by a group of independent auditors and made with globally certified materials.
We get it. Fast fashion is quick. Fast fashion is easy. But fast fashion is also a quick way of destroying our earth. We recognize that not everyone can afford to shop sustainably all the time, however, try your best to be conscious of it next time you’re shopping. Instead of buying new tops online, try thrifting instead. Breathe new life into previously loved pieces. It is possible for sustainable fashion to become the new norm. We just need to allow it to be.
By Abigail Moynihan
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