3 reasons why sustainable fashion is the future

The fashion industry often tells you what you must do: buy that top, wear those pants, pair that dress with these boots, carry that purse. However, when it comes to sustainable fashion, they are pretty much tight-lipped. Sure, you are aware that a green wardrobe has some benefits that one made up of traditional fabrics doesn’t, however what exactly are these benefits? We have been analysing these reasons why stocking your wardrobe with eco-friendly clothes really makes a difference. And aside from all these reasons, here is the real key: Every time you buy fashion, you’re telling the companies in the industry what they should do. Would you like to use that power wisely?

The target of the fashion industry is usually a group of young and middle-aged females and males. With huge purchasing power, this group is also the ideal audience for sustainable fashion. A study by BCG found that half of the 4,000 thirteen to thirty-four year-olds enquired in the United States believe brands “send a message about who I am, my values, and where I fit in,” while 48% of the people in this group in the United States choose to purchase from brands that are supporting social causes. This shows that people care a great deal about where their clothing comes from, how and who it is affecting and how they can help when they buy something new.

In many aspects of our life, a bit of reasoning can bring surprising outcomes. Some of the things we do are not logical, yet we keep doing them, as a habit. However, if we stop and think for a moment, we can easily change our behaviour.

The fashion industry leaves behind it a terrible environmental footprint; a wide range of pesticides used in growing cotton as well as the leached chemicals from the toxic dyes that went into that shade of teal. Regular cotton alone requires a 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to make just 1 t-shirt. Choosing organic or sustainable fabrics can also trim the quantity of carbon you give off and the chemicals you bring into your life.

Our way of purchasing bad quality items and quickly replacing them with even more bad quality items is logically no ecological way of going forward. Sustainable fashion is set aside by the utilisation of innovative and ecological materials, such as sustainable fibres. Fashion being such an essential part of consumption, we can harm our planet much less by going for slow and sustainable fashion.

Handmade and locally-made goods are not the past, they are part of the present and definitely the future. Combined with some other reasons of choosing sustainable fashion, this means that what you purchase comes with a quality that lasts.

Purchasing organic fabrics will increase the life of your clothing. It may be cheaper to buy synthetic fibers, however in the long run, it is indeed cheaper to invest in quality since it will last longer through wear and wash. In fact, non-synthetic fabrics that are not chemically produced have a much higher lifespan than synthetic fibers. While it’s true that the initial purchase may cost you a little more, you will not have to replace your clothing as quickly as if you bought the cheaper, synthetic item.

Purchasing items labeled under the Fair Trade Act is sustainable on multiple levels: you will know it was produced under safe working conditions and the person who worked on it earned a fair wage. That’s not something to be underestimated when we are talking about an industry known for its harsh labor practices as well as the unhealthy cost-cutting; buying pieces that are considered Fair Trade shows that people and places mean as much as the company’s bottom line. Buying from brands that give back promotes a better life quality for others. Whenever you shop sustainable products from ethical brands you are buying products that are created with the environment and people in mind. You are purchasing better quality items that are created sustainably and organically.

In brief, sustainable fashion is beneficial, not only for the environment and consumers, but also for the industry itself. Consumer behavior towards fashion brands and the industry is quickly changing. You should always do some research before buying sustainable clothing; don’t be afraid to get in touch with the brand to ask more about where they source their fabrics. If you do choose to purchase and wear sustainable clothing, you will have the value and added benefit of feeling even better than you will look!