The world of sustainable fashion can be overwhelming, with new materials, new terminology and new concepts appearing every day.
Excessive consumption in the fashion industry is a serious problem. We all own more clothes than we actually need, and brands keep producing, and producing, far more than the planet can carry. It is estimated that the number of times we wear a piece has fallen by around 36% over the past two decades, and yet the clothes still end up in landfill.
There is nothing wrong with buying in the sales. What is wrong is buying without needing to. Which is why I would argue it has never mattered more that we buy less, buy better, and buy things that last.
But how do we do that? How do we know we are on the right track?
When I decided to move towards a more conscious way of living, one of the first big changes was my wardrobe. Obviously I was not going to throw out what I already owned just because it was fast fashion, but when I did need something new, the aim was to go to brands I identified with and that lined up with my values.
As a customer I like feeling informed, because that is the only way to avoid greenwashing and to be sure of a good choice. It is the only way to end up with brands that are taking real steps for the planet, and taking into account the people who make our clothes.
Fast fashion vs slow fashion
Did you know fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world?
The textile industry is responsible for 20% of wastewater and 10% of greenhouse gas emissions globally, according to the most recent figures from the United Nations.
The industry grows at an exponential rate, and unchecked clothes-buying habits are accelerating the degradation of the planet. Encouraged by low prices and new collections every fortnight, the way we consume is excessive: we buy more than we need and wear each piece fewer and fewer times before discarding it.
What fast fashion is
The best-known and most affordable shops (Zara, Mango, Primark, H&M, Topshop, or in Brazil Renner, Riachuelo and Pernambucanas), invest in pieces that follow the trends of high fashion, at a low cost to the customer and, as a consequence, with a short life. The formula quickly became a worldwide phenomenon, for obvious reasons.
The fast fashion model brings several threats, on account of premises that are ecologically wrong:
- It sits behind only oil production in the ranking of most polluting industries;
- It increases the quantity of natural resources and raw materials extracted from the planet;
- It encourages and feeds precarious work, major brands have been caught out over illegal hiring, poor working conditions, derisory pay and excessive hours.
All of which happens because brands want to deliver fast and keep up with the trends, while always guaranteeing low prices.
What slow fashion means
There is a long way to go on changing minds, but happily there is more and more awareness of the problem. The proof is that slow fashion (the opposite of fast fashion), has been gaining ground in the market, giving us the possibility of consuming consciously, in a way that benefits the environment.
More and more brands are adopting sustainable management and production methods, which makes it possible to believe the future could be better for everyone. The concept arrives as a more sustainable alternative in fashion, and it plays a central part in raising awareness, since it draws attention to the consequences of mass production.
“Sustainable” and “ethical” are words used more and more, and becoming better known. They refer to how the value chain gets rethought, and how people are treated throughout the process, from those growing the raw materials to those sewing or selling a piece. A brand that considers itself ethical puts workers’ rights first: maximum working hours, health and safety, freedom of association and fair wages. All things that are (or should be), taken into account and respected.
Other things slow fashion stands out for:
- it considers protecting the environment at every stage of production, so as to reduce polluting chemicals and the quantity of raw material taken from nature;
- pieces made locally, to reduce the carbon footprint;
- pieces designed to be more durable and to be worn for longer.
Important concepts in fashion sustainability
Our choices define us, but they also affect what is around us. So if we choose to buy a particular piece from a particular brand, we are contributing to that market, whether it has a positive or a negative impact. Joana Campos Silva gives a good example in her article “Zara as the solution”, where she describes an unusual and rather good practice in the Nordic countries: not buying clothes made in Turkey, on the grounds that it is a country that deprives women of their freedom, and they do not want to endorse that market.
In my view we can and should make our position clear through the way we consume. To help you make the right choices, here are some terms I think each of us ought to know:
- Carbon offsetting: in fashion, greenhouse gas emissions need reducing, and so many brands are rethinking their value chains and investing in projects that do not emit CO2 (reforestation, for instance), as a way of offsetting the emissions they do produce.
- Greenwashing: the use of green marketing in a misleading way, to promote the false perception that a company’s policies or products are more sustainable than they actually are. Which is why it matters so much to look further than what the label tells you: terms such as “natural” and “organic” are broad, meaning the regulation is not always specific, and can be easily worked around.
- Upcycling: brands that are becoming more conscious place more and more value on the raw materials in their products. Which is why upcycling is a growing trend, transforming and reusing material that would otherwise count as waste. A good sign is that brands such as Balenciaga and Miu Miu have already taken it up.
- Transparency: increasingly demanded of brands, meaning they should be able to trace their products and communicate openly. Companies should be able to publish information about the whole value chain, and about their sustainability policies.
- Biodegradable materials: materials that break down naturally through microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. A number of conditions are needed, though, temperature and nutrients affect how well these materials decompose, not to mention the dyes and washes applied to them.
- Microplastics: as the name says, plastic in small particles, not always visible to the naked eye, with synthetic materials the main culprits. It is a growing problem and a large contributor to marine pollution. There are simple things any of us can use to reduce it, starting with microplastic filters for the wash, the Guppyfriend bag, or the Cora Ball.
Brands that stand out in conscious fashion
Capitalism gave us habits of consumption and production that now need countering and rethinking, which is why you see more and more brands either adapting or arriving with a conscious purpose already built in. Here are some, Portuguese and international.
Sustainable fashion brands in Portugal
ISTO
ISTO is a byword for transparency and commitment to sustainability. The pieces, made in Portugal, are timeless and simple, and the great majority use certified organic materials.
What genuinely sets this brand apart is how openly it communicates its value chain: for each piece you can see the production costs, from the buttons through to the labour, along with details such as the real cost of production, the retail price, and the price an identical piece normally sells for.
Sienna Inspo
Sienna Inspo is a Portuguese brand founded by Marisa Matos. A brand with a character of its own, it found an answer in the fabric offcuts that had been piling up over the years. In that pile Marisa saw the chance to create a Zero Waste line that both dealt with the surplus and produced unique, exclusive pieces.
Ethical Legend
Ethical Legend works with recycled materials, from the fabric through to the packaging. There are multi-use scarves made from PET plastic bottles, along with hats and tote bags made from cotton and linen reclaimed from old factory collections. Best of all, the pieces are excellent quality, made by hand and with care by Portuguese seamstresses.
The pieces are hugely versatile, original and, of course, kind to the environment.
ALMA capsule collections
ALMA is a 100% Portuguese slow fashion brand, with clothes that are simple, sophisticated and timeless. The fabrics are remarkable and extremely comfortable, and as the name says, the collections are built on the “capsule” idea, where every piece works with every other. Clothes like that let you build a wardrobe for any occasion, from a formal working day to a wedding.
The pieces are made locally, with organic materials and with fabrics reclaimed from old factory collections. The capsule concept itself is there to produce a limited number of pieces, cut waste and encourage conscious consumption.
International sustainable fashion brands
Pangaia
Pangaia is not only one of the best sustainable fashion brands but a movement. It launched in 2018 and works at solving the industry’s environmental problems through technology.
Recent Pangaia collections use materials such as grape leather, seaweed fibres, recycled materials, plant dyes and flower petals, among others. The brand’s main source of inspiration is unmistakably the natural world, and each collection brings elements of it in one form or another. The most recent launch was a footwear line in grape leather, made with zero waste.
Ganni
Ganni is a Danish fashion brand that argues it is not a sustainable brand, because it takes sustainability seriously enough to be honest about what still needs improving. That shows up in workers’ rights, in the value chain, and in transparency about where materials come from.
It is actively reducing its use of plastics and is committed to recycling clothes, accessories and deadstock fabrics to minimise waste. It has launched a take-back programme and a rental platform to extend the working life of its clothes.
Patagonia
Patagonia, known for its adventure and outdoor clothing, has as its mission to “build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis”. That mission reflects the brand’s long road on sustainability; at COP26 it announced that it does not want to be called a “sustainable brand”, recognising that despite its efforts it is still part of the problem.
The brand uses mostly recycled materials and runs a lifetime take-back and repair programme for all its products. It still uses animals in its value chain, but tries to do so as responsibly as it can. Beyond that, it intends to shrink its footprint further by reducing emissions across its whole supply chain.
Brands have the power to move the customer. Just as they shaped our behaviour into something extremely consumerist, they now have a part to play in rethinking that consumption. Our help, our knowledge and the options we take contribute to those brands feeling the pressure to rethink their business models and their value, and to become brands that treat sustainability as a competitive advantage.
