Sustainable Fashion

What does Sustainable Fashion Mean? 

Sustainable fashion refers to a holistic approach to designing, producing, and consuming clothing in a way that minimizes negative environmental impacts and promotes ethical practices. Unlike fast fashion, which prioritizes low-cost, high-volume production, sustainable fashion focuses on creating garments that are made to last, using eco-friendly materials and processes. This includes sourcing organic or recycled fabrics, reducing water and energy consumption during production, and minimizing waste through techniques like upcycling and zero-waste pattern making.

Why Sustainable Fashion Matters?

Fast fashion’s reliance on rapid production cycles, cheap materials, and disposable clothing contributes to massive pollution, resource depletion, and waste. The industry is responsible for approximately 10% of global carbon emissions and is a major consumer of water, with textile dyeing alone being the second-largest polluter of water globally. By adopting sustainable practices, the fashion industry can significantly reduce its carbon footprint, conserve water, and decrease the amount of waste sent to landfills. 

sustainable fashion is crucial for improving the lives of workers within the industry. Fast fashion often relies on exploitative labor practices, with workers in developing countries facing poor working conditions, low wages, and unsafe environments

sustainable fashion matters because it encourages consumers to adopt more mindful and intentional purchasing habits. In a world where overconsumption and disposability are prevalent, sustainable fashion promotes the idea of buying less but buying better

Key Components of Sustainable Fashion

1. Eco-Friendly Materials- Eco-friendly materials are the backbone of sustainable fashion. These include organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and recycled fabrics, which are grown or produced with minimal environmental impact. Unlike conventional materials, they avoid harmful pesticides and fertilizers, conserve water, and reduce carbon emissions.

2. Ethical Labor Practices- Ethical labor practices ensure that everyone involved in the fashion supply chain is treated fairly. This means paying fair wages, providing safe working conditions, and respecting workers' rights, particularly in developing countries where exploitation is common. Brands committed to ethical labor practices often collaborate with certified factories or engage in fair trade partnerships. 

3. Transparency and Traceability-Transparency and traceability in sustainable fashion refer to the openness of brands about their supply chains. Consumers are increasingly demanding to know where and how their clothes are made, from the sourcing of raw materials to the manufacturing process.Traceability ensures that each step in the supply chain can be verified, helping to prevent unethical practices like labor exploitation or environmental harm.

4. Circular Fashion- Circular fashion emphasizes designing products with the end of their life cycle in mind, aiming to create a closed-loop system where materials are continually reused rather than discarded. This approach includes recycling old garments into new ones, upcycling, and designing for durability and easy repair. Circular fashion reduces waste and conserves resources, ensuring that clothing has a longer, more sustainable life cycle. 

5. Water Conservation- Water conservation is a critical component of sustainable fashion, as the industry is a major consumer of water, particularly in the production of cotton and the dyeing of fabrics. Sustainable fashion practices include using water-efficient processes, such as closed-loop water systems, and sourcing materials that require less water to grow. Brands may also use digital printing or natural dyes that minimize water usage. By prioritizing water conservation, sustainable fashion helps protect this vital resource, ensuring that clean water is available for future generations and reducing the overall environmental footprint of the industry.

6. Energy Efficiency- Energy efficiency in sustainable fashion involves reducing the energy consumption throughout the entire lifecycle of a garment, from production to disposal. This includes using renewable energy sources in manufacturing, optimizing energy use in factories, and designing garments that require less energy-intensive care, such as machine washing or ironing. Energy-efficient practices help to lower the carbon footprint of the fashion industry, which is crucial for combating climate change.

7. Minimal Waste Production- Minimal waste production focuses on reducing the amount of waste generated during the fashion production process. This includes implementing zero-waste design techniques, where patterns are optimized to use every inch of fabric, and reusing scraps and off-cuts. Brands may also encourage customers to return old garments for recycling or repurposing. By minimizing waste, sustainable fashion helps to decrease the volume of textiles that end up in landfills, reducing environmental pollution and promoting a more circular economy. Waste reduction is a key strategy in making the fashion industry more sustainable and responsible.

8. Local and Small-Scale Production- Local and small-scale production emphasizes supporting local artisans and manufacturers, reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation and fostering local economies. By producing garments locally, brands can ensure higher quality control, support traditional craftsmanship, and reduce their environmental impact.

Why Fashion Needs to Be More Sustainable

 Why Fashion Needs to Be More Sustainable

The pandemic slowed fast fashion to a standstill. Now as the world opens up and we are socializing and going places, we want to dress up again. But after living a confined and simpler life during COVID, this is a good time to take stock of the implications of how we dress. Fashion, and especially fast fashion, has enormous environmental impacts on our planet, as well as social ones.

Since the 2000s, fashion production has doubled and it will likely triple by 2050, according to the American Chemical Society. The production of polyester, used for much cheap fast fashion, as well as athleisure wear, has increased nine-fold in the last 50 years. Because clothing has gotten so cheap, it is easily discarded after being worn only a few times. One survey found that 20 percent of clothing in the US is never worn; in the UK, it is 50 percent. Online shopping, available day and night, has made impulse buying and returning items easier.

According to McKinsey, average consumers buy 60 percent more than they did in 2000, and keep it half as long. And in 2017, it was estimated that 41 percent of young women felt the need to wear something different whenever they left the house. In response, there are companies that send consumers a box of new clothes every month.

How can fashion be more sustainable?

As opposed to our current linear model of fashion production with environmental impacts at every stage, where resources are consumed, turned into a product, then discarded, sustainable fashion minimizes its environmental impact, and even aims to benefit the environment.

Less waste

Since 80 to 90 percent of the sustainability of a clothing item is determined by decisions made during its design stage, new strategies can do away with waste from the get-go.

To eliminate the 15 percent of a fabric that usually ends up on the cutting room floor in the making of a garment, zero waste pattern cutting is used to arrange pattern pieces on fabric like a Tetris puzzle.

Designer YeohLee is known as a zero waste pioneer, employing geometric concepts in order to use every inch of fabric; she also creates garments with the leftovers of other pieces. Draping and knitting are also methods of designing without waste.

3D printing can be used to work out details digitally before production, minimizing trial and error; and because it can produce custom-fit garments on demand, it reduces waste. In addition, recycled materials such as plastic and metal can be 3D printed.

Dutch company, has developed a dyeing technique that uses waste CO2 in place of water and chemicals. The technology pressurizes CO2 so that it becomes supercritical and allows dye to readily dissolve, so it can enter easily into fabrics. Since the process uses no water, it produces no wastewater, and requires no drying time because the dyed fabric comes out dry.

Environment Impacts of Fashion

1) Carbon Emission

2) Water Pollution

3) Chemical Use

4) Landfill Pollution

5) Animal Cruelty

6) Deforestation

Examples of sustainable fashion

1)Implementing sustainable materials

Many companies use materials that are more sustainable compared to conventional options. For example, rather than using cotton that requires the use of pesticides or water, companies can opt for organic cotton and other sustainable materials like hemp, bamboo, etc.

2)Recycling and Upcycling

Many companies use upcycling of waste materials to turn old products into new ones. It reduces waste and promotes circularity. Brands like Paaduks are leading this field by producing upcycle footwear using old waste rubber tyres to create new sustainable goods.

3)Maintain Transparency

Many companies now provide transparency about their production process and the materials used. As a result, they are allowing customers to make informed choices. For instance, a company like Paaduks uses vegan materials free of animal cruelty to make an informed decision.

4)Opt for Green Energy

Investing in environment-friendly resources such as renewable materials helps in reducing carbon footprint. Moreover, it makes it easier to take the initiative to become more sustainable and reduce the fashion industry's negative impact on the environment.

 

TIPS ON CARRYING YOURSELF WELL

1) Find your colors: - You need to know what looks excellent on you and what doesn’t. The biggest deciding factor is to know what colors look best with your complexion and hair color.

2) Consider your shape: - Knowing your body shape is another key factor in carrying yourself. Not everybody is of the same size or proportion, so dressing in ways that flatter your unique shape can help you confidently strut your stuff. Whether you’re an hourglass shape, tall or short, dressing for your shape makes all the difference.

3) Play to your strengths: -Once you get to know what looks good on your body shape, start considering your other strengths. For example, if you have a curvy body than you would probably be more commanding in a dress instead of a pantsuit.  Some features of the body should be taken into consideration like- leg length versus torso length. By playing with your strengths, you will have a coordinated outfit, no matter in what way you style.

4) Know your personal style: -To carry yourself well, dressing in a way that makes you feel comfortable is also important to consider. Styles that one feels natural may not always be conventional, but one should always adjust to some degree in their clothing to feel confident. One should feel free to show off their personal flair in daily routine. This way your outfit will still feel like you even if you are trying out a new style.

5) Occasion: - The occasion you would be attending should be kept in mind while dressing up. It’s not easy to carry well when you are over or underdressed. So make sure that you dress in an outfit that is appropriate for where you’ll be spending time.

6) Comfort level: -Nothing is worse than being caught in a situation where your outfit makes you feel uncomfortable. Consider your comfort levels with what your outfit does or doesn’t cover before you walk out of the door, and you should always feel confident in the way you’re dressed.

How to Be Stylish

1) Wear clothes that flatter your body type.

2) Stick to classic cuts.

3) Choose muted, neutral colors and bold accents.

4) Avoid busy prints and textures.

5) Buy strategically.

6) Create an interchangeable collection.

7) Take care of your clothes.

8) Get items tailored.

9) Keep it simple

10) Choose an outfit appropriate for the occasion.

11) Emphasize the accessories.

12) Don’t neglect the hair.

13) Use minimal makeup.

14) Add your favorite fragrance.

15) Have a signature style.

16) Be confident.

17) Walk gracefully.

8 Types of Fashion Styles

Fashion styles are constantly evolving, but there are certain trends that appear over and over again on runways and in street style.

1. Sporty: Sporty style, also known as athleisure, takes elements of athletic wear, like leggings, bike shorts, and oversize sweatshirts, out of the gym and onto the streets.

2. Bohemian: Also known as “boho” or “boho chic,” bohemian style borrows from the 1960’s hippie aesthetic and festival culture. The style incorporates earth tones, natural fabrics and dyes, and prints and accessories from around the world. The hallmarks of boho style are flowing maxi dresses, long skirts, bell-bottom pants, large brimmed hats, fringe, suede, and slouchy handbags.

3. Grunge: Inspired by grunge music and the subculture that originated in the ’80s and ’90s Seattle, grunge fashion features thrift-store finds like plaid flannel shirts, oversize knits, and feminine dresses styled in a subversive, disheveled way. 

4. Preppy: Preppy style is inspired by the clothing and uniforms traditionally worn at private East Coast prep schools and Ivy League colleges. Preppy style often takes inspiration from upper-class sports like polo, sailing, tennis, and horseback riding. Preps are known for wearing polo shirts, Oxford shirts, argyle sweaters and socks, cloth-wrapped headbands, boat shoes, blazers, pearls, cardigans, and khaki pants.

5. Punk: Punk fashion is inspired by the subversive punk rocker styles of the ’70s and ’80s and comprises many subcultures, each with its own specific style codes. Some overarching elements of punk style include leather jackets, deconstructed blazers, ripped fishnet stockings, skinny jeans, and chunky black boots.

6. Streetwear: Streetwear is a casual fashion style that first became popular in the 1990s. It incorporates comfortable yet trendy clothing such as logo T-shirts and crop tops, hoodies, baggy pants, and expensive sneakers. 

7. Classic: Classic style is an umbrella term for a polished everyday style that incorporates elements of workwear, such as blazers, pencil skirts, and khakis.

8. Casual: Casual style is what you might wear on the weekend. Think jeans, comfortable T-shirts, and sneakers or flat boots.

What is Fashion

Fashion is most often thought of as a global industry that is invested in anticipating what we wear and how we wish to appear to others. But fashion isn’t just a business. It’s also a cultural and social phenomenon, driven by the desire for the new. As such, the industry can never fully control fashion: fashion is all about being open to change.

The term 'fashion' originates from the Latin word 'Facer,' which means 'to make,' and describes the manufacturing, mixing, and wearing of outfits adorned with specific cultural aesthetics, patterns, motifs, shapes, and cuts, allowing people to showcase their group belonging, values, meanings, beliefs, and ways of life. Given the rise in mass production of commodities and clothing at lower prices and global reach, reducing fashion's environmental impact and improving sustainability has become an urgent issue among politicians, brands, and consumers.

Fashion in the Western world

The beginning in Europe of continual and accelerating change in clothing styles can be fairly reliably dated to late medieval times. Historians, including James Laver and Fernand Braudel, date the start of Western fashion in clothing to the middle of the 14th century, though they tend to rely heavily on contemporary imagery, as illuminated manuscripts were not common before the 14th century. The most dramatic early change in fashion was a sudden drastic shortening and tightening of the male over-garment from calf-length to barely covering the buttocks, sometimes accompanied with stuffing in the chest to make it look bigger. This created the distinctive Western outline of a tailored top worn over leggings or trousers. The "Spanish style" of the late 16th century began the move back to synchronicity among upper-class Europeans, and after a struggle in the mid-17th century, French styles decisively took over leadership, a process completed in the 18th century317–321 

India                                              

In India, it has been common for followers of different religions to wear corresponding pieces of Clothing During the 15th century, Muslim and Hindu women wore notably different articles of clothing. This is also seen in many other Eastern world countries. In the 1920s, the nationalists adopted Khadi cloth as a symbol of resistance; here, Gandhi became the face of the resistance which made people spin, weave, and wear their Khadi. Today, the salwar-kameez is recognized as the national dress of India.

Japan

For Japan, the people during the Meiji period (1868–1912) widely incorporated Western styles into Japanese fashion, which is considered to be a remarkable transformation for the Japanese vogue. They extensively adopted the style and practices of Western cultures. The upper classes wore more extravagant pieces of clothing like luxurious patterned silks and adorned themselves with fancy sashes. Women also started wearing Western dresses in public instead of their traditional Kimono. Most of the officials were also required to wear Western suits. In this way, the Japanese slowly adopted into Western fashion. Moreover, like India, different Japanese religions wear different pieces of clothing.

History of Fashion

Early Western travellers who visited India, Persia, Turkey, or China, would frequently remark on the absence of change in fashion in those countries. In 1609, the secretary of the Japanese shōgun bragged inaccurately to a Spanish visitor that Japanese clothing had not changed in over a thousand years.: 312–313  However, these conceptions of non-Western clothing undergoing little, if any, evolution are generally held to be untrue; for instance, there is considerable evidence in Ming China of rapidly changing fashions in Chinese clothing. In imperial China, clothing were not only an embodiment of freedom and comfort or used to cover the body or protect against the cold or used for decorative purposes; it was also regulated by strong sumptuary laws which was based on strict social hierarchy system and the ritual system of the Chinese society.: 14–15  It was expected for people to be dressed accordingly to their gender, social status and occupation; the Chinese clothing system had cleared evolution and varied in appearance in each period of history.: 14–15  However, ancient Chinese fashion, like in other cultures, was an indicator of the socioeconomic conditions of its population; for Confucian scholars, however, changing fashion was often associated with social disorder which was brought by rapid commercialization. 204  Clothing which experienced fast changing fashion in ancient China was recorded in ancient Chinese texts, where it was sometimes referred as shiyang, "contemporary-styles", and was associated with the concept of fuyao, "outrageous dress",: 44  which typically holds a negative connotation. Similar changes in clothing can be seen in Japanese clothing between the Genroku period and the later centuries of the Edo period (1603–1867), during which a time clothing trends switched from flashy and expensive displays of wealth to subdued and subverted ones.

Fashion

Fashion is popular aesthetic expression at a certain time and in a certain context, especially in clothing, footwear , lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle and body proportions.Whereas a trend often connotes a very specific aesthetic expression, and often lasting shorter than a season, fashion is a distinctive and industry-supported expression traditionally tied to the fashion season and collections.Style is an expression that lasts over many seasons and is often connected to cultural movements and social markers, symbols, class and culture (ex. Baroque, Rococo, etc.). According to sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, fashion connotes "the latest fashion, the latest 

Even though they are often used together, the term fashion differs from clothes and costume, where the first describes the material and technical garment, whereas the second has been relegated to special senses like fancy-dress or masquerade wear. Fashion instead describes the social and temporal system that "activates" dress as a social signifier in a certain time and context. Philosopher Giorgio Agamben connects fashion to the current intensity of the qualitative moment, to the temporal aspect the Greek called kairos, whereas clothes belong to the quantitative, to what the Greek called chronos.

Exclusive brands aspire for the label haute couture, but the term is technically limited to members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris.

With increasing mass-production of consumer commodities at cheaper prices, and with global reach, sustainability has become an urgent issue amongst politicians, brands and consumers.