Sustainability in Fashion: Is It Possible?

Have you shopped at fast fashion clothing stores like Shein, Forever 21, or Zara? Maybe high fashion ones like Gucci or Louis Vuitton? Although these two branches of fashion are different in price and accessibility, they both share the same process: they start from one point, from a fiber, further dyed, stitched, and shipped to a store and to the customer, you. Though this process seems simple and benign in writing, the process of making a garment is very detrimental to the environment and people.

The fashion industry is one of the most harmful industries to the environment. The fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of carbon emissions globally, for 20% of water pollution from textile dyeing, and for 35% of microplastic pollution. Though sustainability is usually discussed as a counterpart of fast fashion, the luxury fashion industry is not excluded from sustainability efforts. Both share ethical issues like the exploitation of factory workers, the use of animal products like fur and leather, and the creation of waste and chemicals into the environment.

Ways that people can help combat these environmental issues is by buying clothes for personal style rather than shopping for trends. To do this, make sure that you are treating clothes as an investment rather than as a disposable. By changing buying behaviors, this will cause the fashion brands to change their supply cycle and will lower the amount of waste created that damages our planet.

Fashion brands also can help in sustainability by being more transparent about their practices, paying their workers a fair wage, and using natural and recycled fabrics. By not telling their consumers about their business practices such as the amount of money they pay their workers per month or the amount of waste such as pollutants created, customers are not knowing of the true impact of the garments that they may purchase.

Goods created from Pinatex Leather

Though some businesses have more sustainability practices than others, such as using organic fabrics and efforts towards human rights and fair trade, how helpful are these initiatives? For example, the issues with vegan leather. Though most brands are applauded for having this option, they are not good for the environment. Faux fur is usually made of petro-chemicals and are non-renewable and not biodegradable. Faux fur does not last as long as their fur counterparts, creating more waste and can continue to maintain the fast fashion model because of this rapid turnover.

Though we celebrate ethical and eco-conscious brands, the sustainable efforts and initiatives they have are not always helpful. Consumers need to change their buying behaviors to enact change and brands need to place their priorities on protecting Earth and its people, but how far is enough? With new technologies being explored every day such as that Pinatex leather, time will tell.