The 411 on Sustainable Fashion

Fashion

Apr 30

The 411 on Sustainable Fashion

All You Need To Know About Sustainable Fashion

What is “sustainable fashion”? It is a movement and process of fostering change to fashion products and the fashion system towards greater ecological integrity and social justice. So, what does this mean for people like you and me? How can we make a difference? Well, I am going to give you some insight on both of those important questions but first, let me address what makes fashion more sustainable or eco-friendly. In a nutshell, it is clothing (encompassing all facets of it) that are manufactured and marketed in the most sustainable manner possible taking into account both environmental and socio-economic aspects.

Shopping in a way that is 100% good for the environment, animals, and people is essentially impossible. Let’s say you buy a sweater that is made from good natural fibers and the company you bought it from is in good standing, it doesn’t mean that maybe the dye that was used for the sweater was dumped in some river or ocean someplace in the world that endangered the sea life as well as the people who depended on that water as a resource. I don’t want to use this example to bring you down but just to show that we can try and make wise and informed decisions and then from there just do our best. Just like it’s easy to fall down a rabbit hole with food and cosmetics, the same is true in fashion. If we each take some responsibility and are mindful of the choices we are making, we are all helping and doing our part. It doesn’t mean we always do it perfectly but we do our best! For example, polyester is not a good fabric for our environment but it is a very inexpensive material to use therefore is used often in more budget-friendly stores like Zara and Target, both of which I am a big fan. I think the key is balance and also what we do with these clothes once we are done with them. Are we giving them to others to use so they do not go to waste or just sit in our closets collecting dust? Handing down to others prevents them from having to go and buy new clothes themselves allowing your used clothing to be refurbished. Also limiting the amount of these unsustainable products that we purchase will make a difference, so maybe not buying everything in the new spring collection at Zara and just buying a handful of pieces;-) I do appreciate that some people do not have many options when it comes to purchasing clothing because of budget. It is the same reason so many people rely on fast food over Whole Foods….price. It isn’t always that someone wants a big mac over a fresh piece of seafood it just is their reality. The same applies to clothing. So anytime we can pay it forward with our clothing we definitely should!

What this means for us is by shopping wisely we can help our planet and ease our conscious. Many of these more eco-friendly products are oftentimes also gentler on the wallet as well if you think of buying vegan leather versus real leather for example. Think of words like organic cotton, vegan, fair trade, vintage stores, shopping locally, recycled materials....these are all words associated with sustainable fashion. They are all things that help our world!

So how can we make a difference? It is actually very simple, we can be wise in our fabric choices, pass down clothes to friends and neighbors when we are done with them, shop locally when possible, reuse materials, pay attention and do some research. Being intentional about where we are shopping and who we are buying from. Based on some research, I have compiled a list of stores that can ease your mind for guilt-free shopping ->

And if you ever have questions or concerns about a specific company or brand do your homework. As our world continues to evolve and be more mindful of the planet and all its inhabitants, I believe that fashion will continue to change as it already has begun to do. And this past February we really started to see some shifts on the runways in each of the four major fashion weeks. When something is affecting the fashion world at the highest level of designers it really is beginning to make its mark. For what seems like forever the high-end designers have not done their part for our environment at all! And when I tell you this, I am telling you from first-hand experience. You would not believe the waste! It has been shocking to see some of what I have seen. So, I applaud some of the smaller brands out there who have been doing their part to make positive changes. Oftentimes the change comes from the bottom and works its way up which is what has been happening in fashion. So now these big designers are starting to feel the pressure to do their part. It always amazes me that the ones who have the platform and always talk the talk about change, equality, and environment are usually the last to actually do something about it. You all know the politicians that preach “environment” and then hop on their private jet to go to their next meeting. But change is happening and it’s time for us, the consumer, to put forth the effort. As is with all things if we all take responsibility then all of those individual efforts will start to make a huge impact in our world. It is all about doing our part and being a positive influence on others to do theirs.

I truly hope this has encouraged and challenged you as we work to help our environment, people, and animals.

Happy “Eco- Shopping” Friends!

XO!

~Tamara