Substainable Fashion
December 13, 2022
What is sustainability? What is sustainable fashion?
As days go by, the demands of the growing consumer market are also growing. The infrastructure of our present societies requires more clothing items due to ever-changing fashion trends, population growth and the need to replace the rapidly deteriorating clothes. Clothes seem cheaper, better to keep up with the changing fashion trends, but in the long run, fast fashion products cause more damage than one thinks.
What is Sustainability? What is Sustainable Fashion?
Sustainability is defined by the Oxford Languages Dictionary as “the ability to be maintained at a certain level” and “avoiding the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance”. In this context, sustainable fashion means clothing that lasts a long time without affecting nature and clothing that is produced under decent working conditions during the production process.
How are clothes made sustainably?
The quality of the fabric or production is not enough to define a garment as “sustainable”. We must keep in mind that a garment is not sustainable until the materials used are produced using environmentally friendly processes, for example; Wool must come from farms that treat animals humanely and the people who make the clothes must be provided with a safe working environment and also be paid fairly. So we can say that sustainable fashion means clothes that are made from high-quality materials responsibly, in an environmentally friendly way and without harm to the manufacturing process, putting environmental integrity and social justice before profit.
What is sustainable fashion good for?
That's easy to answer because sustainable fashion is good for so many reasons.
- Saves money: While the initial cost is a bit higher than fast fashion products, slow fashion saves money in the long run. If we think about it, we get a timeless product that will last for years and maybe even generations without having to replace it every season.
- Better wages, better working conditions: When we buy a piece of clothing, we never think about the story behind it. Who made the fabric. Who dyed it, sewed it and who marked the price and folded the garment so that it is found on the shelves as it is. It takes more people and a longer journey to make a simple white t-shirt than we think. When a garment is sustainable, it means that the factories are safe and comfortable environments for the workers, the health of the workers is taken into account and their wages are fair.
- Less synthetic textiles landfills: When we are done with a garment, we throw it away thinking “they will dissolve in nature”. Contrary to this misconception, textile waste adds up. Over time, the cheap synthetic fabric used to make them mixes into the oceans and from there the clumps of fabric and microplastics are eaten by marine life or sometimes even cause fish and birds to get caught and suffocate. Sustainable fashion promotes timeless (never out of trend) and long-lasting garments that help us save the other inhabitants of our home planet.
- Reducing one's carbon footprint: Fast fashion products have so many negative impacts on the environment. The fabrics used are mostly synthetic, the dyes are toxic and are produced with excessive energy. Sustainable fashion encourages consumers to choose natural fabrics dyed with natural dyes, with less energy and water consumption. Meanwhile, transportation of materials and products is also another important element of the fashion industry. While cheap products are shipped back and forth across the world, large amounts of greenhouse gases are released into our atmosphere. Sustainable brands prefer to use local materials to prevent overuse of global trade. Also, many sustainable brands recycle their previous collections or even recycle old fabrics.
- Clean water for tomorrow: Dyeing and finishing processes of fast fashion clothes consume large amounts of water and poison it during the process. This toxic waste not only hurts the animals but also harms us in the end. Sustainable fashion brands specifically choose water-saving methods, organic dyes and organic fabrics. The garments produced during their process require less water and do not pollute nature as they do not release harmful substances.
Overall, there are so many reasons for all of us to choose sustainable fashion over fast fashion. Be part of the green movement by choosing sustainable fashion products. Save our planet, save its inhabitants, save your money and save yourself by wearing sustainable clothing today.