Consumers are becoming more conscious about the origin of the products they buy in order to ensure that they can minimise their impact on the planet. The fashion and clothing industry is having to adapt to the demand for eco-friendly products by revamping the way their garments are manufactured, whether that be through sourcing sustainable materials, using clean electricity to power their factories, or by taking another step to ensure their clothing can be seen as ‘Greenʼ. Today we will look at what sustainable fashion is, how important it is to the industry moving forward, as well as examples of sustainable fashion.
What is sustainable fashion?
Sustainability in fashion refers to the way in which brands manufacture their products using environmentally friendly methods in order to reduce their impact on the planet, while also considering the wellbeing of their workforce. In short, sustainable fashion is clothing that is ethically produced and eco-friendly.
Brands can incorporate sustainability into their manufacturing process by adopting a greener approach. This can be by reevaluating the working conditions within their factories and offices, and ensuring their workers are paid a fair living wage, by considering their impact on the wider community and making efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, or by switching from man-made materials that are harmful to the environment to natural organic materials that can be regrown by future generations. For example, in the garment printing industry, we can use water based inks and soy based inks, as well as solvent free vinyl, which are all eco-friendly, rather than PVC based inks, which contain plastisol, which is known to cause harm to both the environment and humans.
Examples of sustainable fashion
Now we have a better understanding of what sustainable fashion actually is, we will now look at some of the most common examples of sustainable fashion in 2023.
Upcycling
In fashion, this term refers to the method of repurposing old clothing thatʼs no longer useable in its current state, so it can be worn or used again. With a little bit of imagination, almost any item of clothing can be upcycled. For example, by sewing up the sleeves of a t-shirt, you can create a handy shopping bag, or by cutting the lower legs off trousers or jeans, you can create a pair of shorts for the summer. If your heads in the game, the opportunities for upcycling fashion really is endless.
Using natural/organic materials
Materials such as organic cotton, linen, and hemp can all be naturally grown, and are therefore more sustainable than made-made materials such as polyester, as they can be grown by future generations without reliance on manufacturing plastics.
Implementing ethical labour practices
Companies can ensure that they are becoming more sustainable by evaluating the working conditions within their offices and factories. A sustainable fashion company must pay their workers a fair living wage and provide them with ample breaks and holiday allowance. By doing this, the local community will benefit economically, and so will be able to develop for the future.
Benefits of sustainable fashion
Sustainable fashion is extremely important in ensuring that the fashion industry can be enjoyed by future generations. As the second most harmful industry to the planet, after oil, the fashion industry must make the move to be more sustainable in order to prevent the damage done through the harmful chemicals used in dyes and the plastics used to manufacture clothing. By implementing sustainable measures, such as using natural and organic materials, brands can minimise their impact on the environment, however this isnʼt the only benefit of introducing sustainability into their production process. There is a growing demand from young consumers for brands to make the move to sustainable, therefore, those brands that are perceived to have made an effort to ensure that they are using sustainable methods may see a financial gain.
How we can support you with sustainable clothing and garments
Here at My Personalised Clothing, we’re committed to reducing our impact on the environment. Weʼre doing this by reducing our use of single use plastics within our packaging (you are now given the choice to save on packaging during checkout), by making a move to exclusive use of solvent-free, water-based vinyl, and by increasing our range of natural & organic eco-friendly clothing.
If your business or brand is looking to become more sustainable, you can make a start by checking our our range of eco-friendly t-shirts & ethical hoodies, or by getting in touch with us via our contact page so you can explain your needs, enabling us to help you to create sustainable clothing, which is fully customisable to your taste.
