You want to adopt a sustainable closet? Huh, wait an ethical fashion style? You are actually not too sure that you use the good terms and what areas it covers… Well, you will be relieved to know that you are not the only one. There is no proper definition of sustainable fashion.
Sustainable Fashion Definition
However, you can refer to the the best on the internet so far. The one provided by green strategy defining ‘more sustainable fashion’. According to this definition sustainable fashion is the general term, that regroups ethical fashion, eco fashion and many more. It makes it easy for you, it is a complete and clear definition, so it is adopted. Now, what does it mean in details?
(More) Sustainable Fashion is a fashion that is manufactured, marketed and used in the most sustainable ways, considering both the environment and the socio-economic aspects.
Thus, it is based on three pillars
Sustainable Fashion Pillars
- The product’s life cycle: how it is produced, transported, stored, marketed, sold, repaired, recycled and its component. The cycle should be sustainable.
- The environment: sustainable fashion reduces the impact of the product’s life cycle on the environment:
- No over usage of water, energy, soil, animal…
- Effort to use renewable energy
- Maximize repair, reuse, recycle
- Socio-economic aspects: everything is done to improve the working conditions of the employees, respecting strong ethic values and international regulations. This is what we generally call ethical fashion.
You will quickly realize that you have as many strategies as brands. (It is not that easy to follow up at the beginning, but at the end it will set you free to make your own decisions and set your priorities). For example some brands like H&M set up collections that support the recycling of the item. Some others choose to develop only basics that you can wear for a life time.
High quality mean from example made from organic cotton. Green and clean refers to both the materials used during the production and the way the garment is manufactured.
Sustainable Fashion includes you
It is not only about buying from sustainable fashion brands, you are a part of the process (sorry, a bit of work here…). To reach a sustainable fashion status, you need to consume in a sustainable way and try to follow the above rules. No pressure, you cannot do everything in once, just choose one to start with. Opt for the option that is the more suitable for you: If you are a fashion addict and that you cannot deal with the same wardrobe for more than a season, make sure you give them to a second hand shop for example, or that you get yourself mostly vintage garments.
So basically, sustainable fashion is a delicious menu, where you can mix and match as many dishes as you want. The little extra you will love: your bill will not be excessive and you contribute to build a better environment.
