Sustainable fashion is not just a trend. In fact, it’s a way of life we need to embrace if we want our planet to survive and thrive. The good news is that there are more and more designers working on creating clothes that make us feel great about the world, but also keep Mother Earth safe for the future.
The first step in doing so is understanding what exactly “sustainable fashion” means. It’s much more than just using organic cotton or hemp. Sustainable clothing has to be made from materials that don’t harm nature – like not using any harmful dyes or pesticides.
Are you planning to choose the y2k hoodie from the online store? A person needs to be really careful in choosing the best one. In the long run the option will prove to be a best one. The varieties of the hoodie are available. A person can choose the option that will be a favorable one.
It also means avoiding excess use of water during the process of making the clothes. And when you buy them, they have to be made by people who work in an ethical manner and are paid fairly. So how do you know whether the clothing you’re buying is actually sustainable? Here are seven ways to spot it!
- Fair Trade
Fair trade is one term you should look out for when shopping for clothes. This basically means that the workers involved in the production of your favorite pieces get fair wages and benefits, as well as opportunities for education and training. It’s important to note though that this is a relatively new concept for many companies.
Many brands now offer products that come with certification marks, which shows where their clothing was produced (for example, Fairtrade Certified). Another thing to look out for is the Fairtrade Foundation logo, which indicates the company has committed to the principles of Fairtrade.
- Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is another key piece of sustainable clothing. When you purchase this type of fabric, you know you’re getting a lot of environmental benefit. Not only does organic cotton require less water while growing, but it doesn’t require any chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides.
That said, it’s still important to understand that not all organic cotton comes directly from farms, as some is grown in places that aren’t certified organic. To ensure you’re buying authentic organic cotton, always check the USDA National Organic Program label.
- Recycled Materials
Another big part of sustainable fashion is recycling. By choosing to buy recycled fabrics, you can help reduce waste in our landfills. While most people think of plastic when thinking about recycling, it turns out that textiles are the second-largest category of trash generated in America.
Recycling old clothes can be tricky, especially since there’s often no guarantee that the fabric will be good quality once it’s been cleaned up. Some brands provide instructions on cleaning old t-shirts, which makes it easy to reuse old items.
- Eco-Friendly Dyes & Pesticides
There are plenty of other ways to make sure your clothing is environmentally friendly. For instance, avoid using colors that are toxic to both wildlife and humans. You may already be familiar with the names of these dyes – they include Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 3, and Blue 2.
To find more eco-friendly alternatives, try looking at the list of ingredients on the packaging for each product. If you see anything on that list that sounds dangerous, then chances are you shouldn’t be using it.
- Water Footprint
If you care about the environment, then you’ll want to focus on reducing your overall water footprint. How can you do that? Well, for starters, take shorter showers. Showering takes up more water than washing your face and body. Plus, the longer you leave something soaking, the more likely it is to become moldy.
- Green Energy
We’ve talked about how you can reduce your carbon footprint by switching over to renewable energy sources. But did you know that you can also reduce your electricity bill by purchasing clothing that requires minimal air conditioning? Many clothing labels offer light styles that don’t need AC units to stay cool.
- Recycle Your Old Clothes
One of the best things you can do for sustainability is to recycle your old clothes and accessories. If you wear clothes every day, then you probably don’t give them much thought – but chances are, they were once brand new.
So why should you care about them being recycled? Because even if you haven’t worn something in a year, it still has value. Think about it: if you owned a pair of pants that had never been worn, would you throw away $25 instead of selling them for $10?
Of course you wouldn’t! That’s why clothing shops are full of people picking through piles of clothes to find those few items that still have value. There’s nothing wrong with selling secondhand clothes, either; you can donate them to charity, sell them online, or simply toss them into a bag to bring along to Goodwill.
With sustainable fashion, it’s not enough to just buy the right kind of garments. You have to buy the right kind of garment within a certain size range. A lot of people end up wearing the same style and size multiple times a season because they can’t find clothes that fit perfectly.
This is why buying secondhand is such a win-win situation. Not only will you save money, but you’ll also be helping someone else’s wardrobe grow fuller and healthier.
Have you ever bought a dress online only to regret it later? That’s because you didn’t know its true price before you ordered it. Luckily, these days, there are so many websites dedicated to telling you how much an item is going to cost you upfront.
For instance, if you want to learn how to buy clothing ethically, start with Ethical Fashion Guide. They explain the difference between fast fashion and slow fashion, and tell you everything you need to know about sustainable fashion.
