It has been a while since I have been talking about sustainable fashion. One thing that I missed out on is explaining what sustainable fashion really is. This blog is all about the basics of sustainable fashion.
Sustainable fashion is the fashion that is able to sustain for generations to come both environmentally as well as socioeconomically. Anything that consumes too much from nature and gives back huge amounts of waste is unsustainable. Fast fashion, with its short-lived product lifecycle business model, is a major contributor toward unsustainable and destructive fashion. It not only harms environmentally and socially but also has an adverse effect on the mental health of individuals.
To understand sustainable fashion and its importance we need to understand the impact of the current fashion industry. Let's have a look at the impact in the section below.
Environmental Impact
The fashion industry, being the second largest pollution generator, makes it important to utilize it, be it clothing or accessory, responsibly. It is not the job of one person or a group but requires a common effort from both the producers as well as the consumers.
The total water consumption in growing cotton alone is equal to 85% of the water requirements of the entire Indian population. Around 1.5 trillion liters of water is used by the fashion industry per year in harvesting, treatment, finishing, dyeing, etc.
1.5 trillion liters of water is used by the
fashion industry per year
Textile is a major contributor to water waste and constitutes around 20% of total industrial water waste. Pollution is not created only in the production phase but continues in the consumption phase for synthetic fabrics. With every wash, it releases microplastics that get mixed with the water bodies, eventually introducing plastic into our food chain.
With the fast-changing trends and low-quality products, huge amounts of fashion waste are generated of which only 15% gets recycled and the rest ends up in the landfills. The average number of times a cloth is worn has decreased by 36% between 2000 and 2015 which is an alarming situation as the amount of waste generated is going to shoot up to an unmanageable amount soon.
Social Impact
Do you know who makes the garment you wear or where does it come from? Most of us have no clue and honestly speaking we don't even care. How bad can it be? The truth is that the people who make your garments are mostly underpaid and work in a poor and unhealthy environment.
They are harassed by the factory managers and owners but they have no way out. Most of these factories are located in developing countries like Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, etc. where job opportunities and literacy rates are low and people are unaware of their rights.
With the onset of the power loom and fast fashion, thousands of weavers have lost their livelihood and don't want their children to carry forward the age-old craft. Many arts have died, many of them are on the verge of extinction and we cannot save them.
Now the question is, do you want to look great for a few hours knowing that the one who made it cannot afford the basics?
This was all about the workers, let's discuss what fast fashion is doing to you and me. As soon as a new trend is out we get FOMO and we rush to the store or login into the website. We buy clothes that we wear two to three times and soon the process is repeated. It's not only hard on our pockets but leaves us feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfied.
The current fashion industry focuses on “style defines You” rather than “You define Style”
Many fashion enthusiasts like me, face the issue of going with the trend and not discovering what their style quotient is and what they wanna look, feel and express. If you wanna express yourself with fashion, fast fashion is definitely not the answer.
The current fashion industry focuses on
“style defines You” rather than “You define Style”
Sustainable fashion
Why sustainable fashion? How is it going to help? Sustainable fashion is all about bringing circularity in fashion, which means nothing but keeping the material in use for as long as we can; through recycling, reusing, and upcycling.
Sustainable fashion will bring quality products back in the market that can be used for a longer period and once it is utilized to its maximum it can be recycled to keep it away from the landfills.
It will make sure weavers get their jobs back and the factory workers will get fair wages and a healthy work environment. Sustainability is all about reducing waste, using ethical production practices, and using natural biodegradable raw materials that will not harm the environment.
Sustainable fashion is not a trend but a way of living that creates an environment that is positive for nature and its biodiversity, workers, and artisans who produce them and people who consume them. It will also help in building a positive fashion in terms of body positivity and fair consumer practices.
Reducing waste, using ethical production practices,
and using natural biodegradable raw materials
Since it is not a trend, we must beware of green-washing practices that are being followed by many brands. Through greenwashing brands are trying to build a wrong impression of their brand by launching a line of sustainable and organic garments. It is nothing more than a marketing gimmick and it is not going to help the environment or the society in the long run.
If you really wanna make a difference, it will start with you. Keep a track of your purchases and utilization by practicing mindful shopping. You can also start buying and promoting clothing from the local producers and weavers to give them a reason to continue their age-old craft. There are many other benefits of buying local that I have talked about in my previous blog.
It is not only about the brands producing fast fashion garments, it's also about the high demand and acceptance of the same. As long as we are happily buying fast fashion and not questioning our purchase we cannot bring a change. A change that is the need of the hour, a change that will make the earth a livable place for our generations to come, a place with fresh air to breathe water to drink, and land to play and harvest.
Very well written. Got to know many things. Keep posting