That amazing piece of clothing hanging in your closet just goes on and on and on. Yeah! that one. Your denim jeans. It’s one of a kind and a part of every western wardrobe. It’s so easy to carry and goes with almost everything when styled properly. It comes in so many colors, washes, shapes, fits and finishes that no one can have enough of.
So, many good things, right. But are denim jeans sustainable? Are these environmentally friendly clothing? The truth is that denim is one of the textiles that hurts our planet the most. It’s a well-known fact that a pair of jeans alone requires more than thousands of liters of water in its making. And if that was not all, it goes through several chemical treatments, multiple washes, and consumes a high amount of energy that harms the environment and makes denim an enemy to sustainability.
Not only does it harm the environment but is unethical too, as the factory workers are exposed to strong chemicals, oxidizing agents, and hazardous blue pigment dust. Prolong exposure to these leads to respiratory, skin, and eye-related problems.
So, what should be done? Should we get rid of them? Or just stop buying denim jeans at once? Or find an alternative for it. Let’s discuss.
How to use Denim sustainably?
It is clear that a traditional pair of denim is not sustainable. Now, the question is what to do with our unsustainable pair. Should we throw it away? Or give it to donation? Or keep it in the farthest corner of the closet.
Throwing away is just not an option coz you will generate waste out of a usable piece of clothing. Here are few options that you can consider.
Normalize Second-hand Denim
Buying and using second-hand clothes is not an act of shame rather an act of pride. You are helping in keeping usable clothes away from landfills and that’s a huge step toward green fashion and circular fashion.
It is high time; we normalize buying and selling second-hand clothes. It will help in reducing waste to a large extent. Bored of wearing the same denim for years go sell them or give them to someone in need. Denims are these amazing fabrics that do not wear out easily. It can just go on and on for years. You can sell or donate them to local retailers and promote shopping local.
So, if you want to give away your denim. That is fine. Just make sure you give it to somebody in need and someone who will not throw it away after a few uses.
Use for a longer duration
Since cotton denims are one of the most durable fabrics available, you should use them for as long as you can. There is a lot that you can do with your existing pair of jeans to keep up with the trend
If you have accidentally ripped it, that’s fine. Go grab a patch of fabric that you love and do an applique over the ripped area; Walla! your hep and trendy jeans are ready.
You can also dye your jeans with organic dyes to make is all new and fresh or rip to give is a rugged and raw look or embroider or paint it.
Mix a little bit of creativity with patience and you can turn your used jeans into a one-of-a-kind piece of clothing. You can always take inspiration from your favorite influencer when social media is at your disposal.
You can make fashion and sustainability go hand in hand.
Switch to sustainable alternatives
Another easy way of switching from unsustainable to more eco-friendly options is by buying from a brand that produces sustainable denim jeans. Some of the best alternative fabrics for environmentally friendly clothing are organic cotton, hemp & organic cotton blend and, recycled cotton and organic cotton blend. There are many brands working towards producing more sustainable and ecofriendly denims. Since organic cotton use approx. 91% less water in the harvesting process than the traditional cotton, it’s a great alternative to switch to. Hemp on the ones side uses less water and also self-replenishes the soil for the next harvest. No pesticides, fertilizers, etc. are used in producing hemp, making it a great ecofriendly fabric.
Avoid stretchable denim
I know everyone likes that stretchable super skinny jeans and has at least one pair as it flawlessly fits you in all the right places. But hear me out. If you go shopping next time, don’t buy stretchable jeans. Let me tell you why.
The stretchability of these jeans is achieved by blending polyester and cotton. The first thing here is polyester fabrics are difficult to recycle and takes a very long tin to decompose. That is gonna generate a huge amount of waste. The second thing to keep in mind is that whenever you wash your stretchable jeans it is going to release microplastics that get mixed with the water bodies and pollute them.
It is a part of mindful shopping ,it’s a small change but it can make a huge difference.
Choose classic styles over washes
This one is the easiest and the best of the lot. Buy classic pair of jeans with no fancy washes. These jeans go with many different looks when paired with the right top-wear, outwear, accessories and shoes. You can use the same pair of jeans and style them to look chic and elegant and trendy and cool. Just play around with different styles and pick what suits you the best.
Now that you have a fair about denims, their impacts, and how to use them better; go check your closet and grab the denims you were planning to give away and try to use them better. It’s a foe but can be a friend to sustainable fashion if you let it.
It’s a long journey till we attain complete sustainability in fashion and circular economy, so the early we start the faster we’ll get there. By knowing your jeans better, utilizing them better, and cutting on waste generated by it you can contribute towards building green earth.
I’ll be sharing a list of sustainable denim brands in my next blog. STAY TUNED!!
It was such a good read!! Totally gonna follow the way!