The Role of Sustainable Fashion in Shaping the Industry’s Future
Driving change within the multibillion-dollar fashion industry may seem impossible. The reality is that your choices do hold the power to create a more sustainable future. In this article, we explore why sustainability matters in fashion, including how you can contribute toward changing it for the better.
Why the Fashion Industry Needs to Change
To understand why the fashion world has to change, it’s crucial to examine the central issue within the industry: its fast fashion business model. It’s the practice of constantly pumping out fresh-off-the-runway looks, allowing brands to profit from trendy items.
One distinctive feature of this volume-based model is the low cost of clothes. Because fast fashion brands want to maximize their profit, they cut corners by producing their clothes in countries where textile production is inexpensive. Unfortunately, worker and environmental laws aren’t strictly followed in these regions, giving rise to concerns regarding safety, fair pay, animal welfare, and climate change.
Sustainable fashion aims to counter fast fashion’s effects by providing a more responsible alternative—one that contributes to a circular economy. At its core, sustainable style focuses on using less resource-intensive materials, ensuring ethical practices, and reducing waste at every stage of a clothing’s lifecycle.
How Embracing Sustainability Can Shape the Fashion Industry
While the responsibility to reshape the industry mainly rests with brands themselves, consumers also play a crucial role. By educating yourself about sustainable style, you can champion a more eco-conscious and ethical future, where protecting our environment is a primary concern, not an afterthought.
Below, we’ll discuss how the simple act of choosing eco-friendly clothes can lead to a more conscious future for the fashion industry.
Makes Sustainability the Standard
When more consumers actively choose eco-friendly clothing, it sends a message to fashion retailers that people demand positive change within the industry. Wanting to maintain a competitive edge, they will be challenged to adopt better practices. As a result, sustainability will become the standard rather than just a trend.
Supports Fair and Ethical Practices
This may be hard to believe, but the fast fashion world is involved in modern slavery. Sweatshop workers around the world are severely exploited—they receive low wages, endure daily exposure to toxic chemicals, and much more. By supporting sustainable fashion, you advocate for fair working conditions, ensuring that workers’ rights are protected.
Reduces Resource Waste
The clothes production process is very resource-intensive. The fast fashion industry consumes more energy than the aviation and shipping sectors combined and is accountable for over 10% of global greenhouse gases (GHGs). In contrast, sustainable brands are committed to reducing their carbon footprint by using less resource-demanding fabrics, easing the industry’s stress on the planet.
Improves the Entire Supply Chain
As brands shift to sustainable materials, they will also improve their whole supply chain. This puts pressure on all stakeholders involved—from factory operators to transportation companies—to adopt more eco-conscious practices.
Encourages the Use of Cruelty-Free Alternatives
Most methods to obtain materials can be ethically problematic. For example, sheep are regularly exploited for their fur, while cows undergo years of abuse before they’re slaughtered for their leather.
When you embrace sustainable style, you can encourage brands to trade traditional materials for cruelty-free alternatives. Sustainable fashion favors non-animal-derived materials like linen, rather than fabrics like fur.
Getting Started with Sustainable Fashion
Adopting sustainability is a process. We’ve compiled a few tips to facilitate a smooth transition into eco-conscious style:
Read the Label
Many well-known brands engage in greenwashing—the process of making consumers think they’re eco-friendly when they’re not. To steer clear of these deceptive brands, make it a habit to check each item’s label before you buy. Familiarizing yourself with common sustainability terms (e.g., “cruelty-free” and “fair trade”) empowers you to practice ethical and environmentally conscious shopping.
Practice Mindful Consumption
Sustainable fashion calls on consumers to buy less and be more mindful when purchasing clothes. This lessens the demand for fast fashion, and in turn, reduces the amount of textile waste that ends up in landfills. Rather than impulsively buying garments, buy only what you genuinely need, prioritizing well-made pieces over trends.
Educate Yourself
A deep understanding of the industry’s impact on the planet can help you make more informed choices. Fortunately, the internet is a treasure trove of information for those seeking to embrace sustainable style. Trustworthy sources such as PETA consistently provide eye-opening truths, while the documentary “The True Cost” is often recommended for newcomers to this eco-conscious path.
Alternatively, you could read books about sustainability or enroll in fashion courses online. As a bonus, studying is a great way to achieve personal growth!
Consider Going Vegan with Clothing
Most people who’ve embraced sustainable style take it a step further by adopting cruelty-free or vegan fashion. Similar to following a plant-based diet, it involves steering clear of any animal byproducts in clothes. Some examples of such materials include linen, lyocell, and polyester.
Shaping the Fashion Industry’s Future Starts with You
Embracing sustainable fashion is a process that will require your full commitment, but it will be worth it. Through your choice to wear sustainable styles, you can participate in shaping a more ethical and eco-conscious future for the fashion industry. You’ll have the opportunity to facilitate significant change across the sector, potentially improving the lives of workers, and ultimately, contributing to the well-being of the planet. Pexels
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