- One of the hottest terms
- The future is sustainable fashion and environmentally friendly clothing. The only question is going to be who gets to the finish line first!
One of the hottest terms out there in the fashion world right now is sustainable fashion. Not sure what it’s all about? Here’s the introduction you’ve been waiting for!
What is sustainable fashion and environmentally friendly clothing?
Simply put, sustainable fashion is changing the fashion world on its head by relying on long-term materials and textiles that helps the entire industry take a more ecological footprint. Sustainable fashion focuses on environmentally friendly clothing through both the materials used (avoiding unethical cotton, for instance) as well as the quality of the clothing itself (eliminating fast fashion professionally and in all of the big and small name brands). There is also a focus, too, on relying on natural energy that is clean and renewable to help reduce a brand’s overall carbon footprint.
What are pros and cons to know about?
Pros of sustainable fashion
- Transparency and better customer repor/morale: When brands make the switch to sustainable fashion from manufacturing to packaging to the garment itself, it brings transparency and respect to the customer as well as many of the employees along the way.
- Better customer enjoyment of the product: Not only do customers get to support a sustainable company and brand, they enjoy beautiful products that will last them a long time and have them running back for more additions to their closets.
- Part of the eco-friendly wave: Many fashion leaders want to find ways to reduce their carbon footprint, support green and renewable approaches, and also keep their business on track.
Cons to sustainable fashion
- Better construction means higher costs: As always, going with ethical manufacturing with renewable energies and better-quality materials for the garments themselves, comes with a higher price tag.
- Making the switch takes time: Completely transforming your brand to create a sustainable version of itself takes time. Every step has to be reintroduced as a greener alternative, not to mention the learning process that it takes for everyone along the way.
Why should we rely on these fashion changes?
The simple fact is that the brands to succeed will be those who create an environmentally friendly closet from manufacturing all the way to the final garment arriving with responsible packaging in the mail.
As a nation, we also need to prioritize and encourage these changes because the fashion industry is one of the most polluting ones in the entire world. It’s directly contributing to climate change and a lot of it is blind to customers who just see the final product. If we want to save our climate, the fashion industry has no choice but to change to a sustainable version of itself.
What approach can manufacturers take to promote sustainable fashion?
Firstly, find their biggest source of unsustainability and change it. Even simple changes at a manufacturing level or sourcing level can have a huge impact. It also paves the way to integrate larger changes once they see how effective the changes are from the factory to the rack. This can also help with the challenge of reducing cost.
The future is sustainable fashion and environmentally friendly clothing. The only question is going to be who gets to the finish line first!
