Sustainable Clothing
What is Sustainable Clothing?
According to, Green Dreamer
​Sustainable fashion refers to clothing that is designed, manufactured, distributed, and used in ways that are environmentally friendly.
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Below, I first go over why most of fashion is not sustainable today, and then I offer simple tips you can keep in mind to support a more environmentally friendly fashion industry.
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Why most of fashion today is NOT sustainable
The word sustainable is defined as “capable of being sustained.” Therefore, a sustainable fashion industry is one that must operate in ways that can continue working for years and decades to come.
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Unfortunately, this is not true of today’s dominant ‘fast fashion,’ which refers to clothing that’s intentionally designed to be consumed quickly at cheap prices, leading shoppers to view clothes as being disposable—wearing them just a few times before throwing them out or moving on to newer and trendier cheap clothes.
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The fast fashion cycle is far from sustainable, because it depletes the Earth’s natural resources at exponential rates, exploits workers around the world, and results in an overwhelming amount of waste.
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In contrast to traditional fashion houses that only have a few seasonal collections per year, fast fashion brands may churn out as many as one new collection per week (or more) in efforts to drive continuous, mindless consumption.
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“In contrast to traditional fashion design houses that only have a few seasonal collections per year, fast fashion brands may churn out as many as one new collection every week, in efforts to drive continuous, mindless consumption.”
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My recommendation for you is to think about which social or environmental concerns you feel most passionate about and then to first prioritize those focuses as your entry point into sustainable fashion.
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The industry is still learning how to best elevate its social and environmental standards, and because the movement is still evolving, it definitely helps for us to focus on continuously doing better, rather than striving for and expecting perfection right now.
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In light of this, below are some simple things you can look for to slowly green your wardrobe.
What to look for to support sustainable fashion
Low impact natural and organic materials:
Natural materials such as hemp, linen, cotton, silk, wool, leather, and cellulose fibers (i.e., synthetically made fibers originating from plant sources, including viscose, rayon, lyocell, etc.) are generally preferable over virgin, petroleum-derived synthetics like polyester, acrylic, and nylon.
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This is because natural fibers are biodegradable and can compost cleanly back into the soil (assuming there are no harmful chemical residues left in the fabric), unlike synthetic fibers that will not biodegrade and instead sit in landfills, continually leaching toxic chemicals and fumes.
That said, some natural materials are more sustainable than others, with hemp, linen, and organic cotton generally being among the most environmentally friendly. Some wools and plant fibers can even be grown in ways that are regenerative, meaning able to regenerate healthy soils and sequester carbon (which helps to combat climate change).
Locally made clothes and ones made in renewable energy run facilities
With all of the dyeing, sewing, and shipping involved, the fashion industry has a high carbon footprint.
Some brands tackle this by making clothing closer to where it will ultimately be sold, rather than having to ship from overseas. Others lower their carbon footprint by installing solar panels and wind turbines to provide renewable power to their offices and factories.
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Durable clothes:
Instead of opting for fast fashion that is cheap and meant to be thrown away quickly, you can be a more sustainable fashion consumer by also responsibly caring for your clothes to prolong their lives or buying secondhand, which keeps clothes out of landfills for longer.
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Buying higher quality, more durable clothing that you can envision yourself wearing again and again throughout the years (even if it’s a little more expensive) helps as well, as it means that it may last in your wardrobe for longer.
Finally, taking good care of your clothes can make a big, positive difference as well, since much of the environmental impact (e.g., water and energy use) from our clothes’ life cycles may come from this care-taking stage.
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Pro tip: Prioritize durable, high-quality clothes you know you’ll wear throughout the years, wash clothes in cold water, and hang them to dry. Mending holes, spot cleaning stains, and making simple alterations are other ways to keep your clothing out of the landfill for longer.
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In summary…
Sustainable fashion focuses on clothing that’s designed, manufactured, distributed, and used in ways that are environmentally friendly.
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To green your wardrobe, in addition to letting impulse desires pass, you can prioritize:
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Purchasing clothes made locally or in facilities run on renewable energy or clothes made with low impact, natural and organic materials.
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Prolonging the life of your clothes by taking care of them well, mending and tailoring as needed, and making alterations to modernize their looks to match your current tastes.
*While green dream makes other recommendations, we only address some. We are pleased to be a part of sustainable clothing.
5 Ways we are Sustainable
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Durable
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High Quality
Timeless / Longevity & Care* we inform, educate and promote the care of our clothing
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Locally Made
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