3 Reasons Why Sustainable Fashion is the Future
Given the collective pause due to COVID-19, it’s a good time to think about our behaviors as consumers. Let’s face the facts, it’s easy to make a quick impulsive buy from a targeted fashion ad on Instagram or turn to Amazon to get anything we need, delivered straight to our doors with a simple click. But have you ever stopped to think about the impact your impulse buys have on the environment?
Let’s get right to it, a good starting point is understanding why sustainable fashion will become the future and in order to do that, we need to talk about what sustainable fashion means to us. Our view on sustainable clothing comes down to how brands utilize their resources and the impact the clothing they produce will leave the future of our beloved planet earth. It is practicing the most ecological and ethical and decisions possible, leaving a minimal carbon footprint on the environment.
Right now is THE PERFECT TIME to start educating yourselves and become more aware of your clothing purchasing habits. Every fashion purchase has an impact on this planet from the 700 gallons of water to produce one cotton shirt to the millions of gallons of water being polluted from the textile dyeing process. Making more conscious decisions on your fashion consumption will start to add up and leave a more positive impact on the environment and its future.
As more of us become more aware of the environmental impact we have on this Earth (which is probably why you’re reading this post in the first place), we are heading towards a movement to make sustainable fashion the “new norm”.
Rise of the informed customer
Climate change is happening and it’s hard to ignore the fact that the fashion industry has negative impacts on the environment. To put it in perspective, Business Insider quotes, “The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of humanity's carbon emissions. That's more emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.”
As some consumers have started becoming more aware and educating themselves on how to purchase more “eco-friendly” goods, we have seen a shift in buying trends where shoppers are now leaning towards sustainable, natural and ethical brands. People want positive change and they are going to start by supporting businesses that want to change with them.
It all comes down to the rise of the informed consumer.
Consumers don’t want more products, they know they can get them. Instead, consumers want transparency. In fact, they demand it causing a shift in the overall buying habits of consumers and the fashion industry will need to evolve.
2. Technological Advancements
With the impressive advancement of technology over the last few decades, not only do we have access to more information, but sustainable fashion is more accessible through various new platforms and channels. For example, from peer-to-peer shopping platforms like Poshmark and Thredup to innovative ways in which companies like Stella McCartney and Patagonia are able to use technological advancements to develop fabrics using recycled materials.
Technology has allowed us to recreate and manufacture clothing using clean and natural materials and processes such as “upcycling”, which gives us more choices to consume responsibly.
Additionally, technology has fueled the rise of rental clothing. Through platforms such as Trvl Porter, you can rent clothing that is personally styled for you with just a few taps on your mobile phone. Consumers are able to stay stylish and on trend without having to ever dispose of them in a landfill.
According to the World Resources Institute, up to 85% of textiles go into landfills each year. That's enough to fill the Sydney harbor annually.
Rental clothing has minimal impact on the environment because it’s part of a sharing economy and the items are continuously getting reused.
3. Environmental Impact
Fashion has a big connection to the natural environment, which needs to be protected. We need to move towards making a positive environmental impact in order to preserve our precious natural resources. The answer to this is sustainable fashion.
The pursuit of trendy, inexpensive clothing comes at a high cost for people and the planet. For instance, synthetic fabrics like polyester require vast amounts of energy to produce, and the chemicals used to make them are often very toxic and harmful to the environment.
Switching to eco-friendly fibers will have a positive impact on healing the planet. While sustainable clothing may be considered a luxury and a little expensive, you can look at a purchase as an investment into pieces you will love for decades, while also knowing you made a positive choice that contributed to the future of the planet.
Additionally, there are other inexpensive options such as thrifting, swapping and vintage clothing shopping that are easily available for the conscious yet trendy consumer.
These types of outlets play such an important role in the future of sustainable fashion because the more we are able to reuse and recycle, the less products are made which in turn helps reduce waste and pollution.
We’ve only just touched the surface of the positive impact sustainable fashion can have on the environment. Let us leave you with this thought, “Are you open to the idea of sustainable fashion? Why and why not?”
Check out our Sustainable Style Pinterest board featuring our favorite sustainable US fashion brands.
If you’re a sustainable clothing brand and want to hear more about how we’re incorporating more sustainable brands into our assortment, please contact info@trvlporter.com.
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