Eco-Friendly Fashion
Green has been the new black for a few years now. In a world where our natural resources are diminishing, eco-friendly fashion is a hot topic and an important trend. Sustainable fashion is part of a larger movement called “ethical fashion”.
In the past, designers and fashion houses alike simply donated a portion of their proceeds to the charity of their choosing. But more recently, with the idea of reducing our “carbon footprint” gaining notoriety, many have begun to use more environmentally-friendly materials and methods of clothing production. The key of course is to include these new earth-friendly practices in the current style rather than feeding the notion that such ideas are only for the granola-chewing, Birkenstock-wearing crowd.
While many celebrities work to bring attention to and support the need for eco-friendly fashion, it is still a newer concept gaining momentum. Stella McCartney was raised vegan by her father, music legend Paul McCartney, and has designed her line in an animal- and earth-friendly manner. Bono, lead singer of rock band U2, is a supporter of the cause. Clueless actress Alicia Silverstone, a famous and strict vegan, is an advocate as is actress Natalie Portman.
When you have success behind you it might seem easier to put your morals ahead of your business. But there are things you can do as a designer just coming into the industry or even as a consumer to promote earth-friendly fashion.
You can:
- Choose “green” fabrics like hemp, organically-produced cotton (produced without pesticides and chemicals), bamboo, recycled cashmere, tencell or lyocell (a man-made fabric produced without chemicals), and soy or alpaca.
- If you are a designer, seek the approval for your clothing line from the Fair Trade Association. The FTA is a group that seeks to build equitable and sustainable trading partnerships and provide resources to alleviate poverty. Their approval means you are meeting their product standards and bears weight with the eco-conscious consumer.
- Create or purchase garments that do not need dry-cleaning. Dry cleaners use chemicals that are known to be cancer-causing when released into the environment. By creating or purchasing garments that do not need to be dry cleaned, we can cut down on this type of pollution.
- Do not buy garments that are advertised they have been pre-treated with wrinkle-free treatments. While these treatments may seem like time-savers, it is the use of chemicals like formaldehyde that creates wrinkle-free, permanent press clothing. Yep, that’s formaldehyde. The one that embalmers use to preserve dead bodies. While common sense tells you this isn’t good, there are logical reasons as to why this chemical should be avoided. From respiratory problems to burning and watery eyes, formaldehyde and other chemicals used to help you avoid the iron only create bigger problems for your health.
- Use low-impact yarn for knits. This probably sounds like a term more suited for the gym; however, low-impact yarn simply means that the threads are dyed with a substance that causes less harm and releases fewer toxins into the environment.
Sustainable fashion counts at least 500 designers worldwide that use eco-friendly fabrics though some might not market themselves as an eco-designer. From the up-and-coming Uluru to the Barney’s commissioned green lines from Philip Lim and Stella McCartney to the new Target/Gregory Rogan partnership, green is available at all price points. And while creating an eco-friendly fashion line is gaining importance in today’s market, it is a commitment and an undertaking.
Designers who seek to use the term green or eco-friendly find it challenging to find comparable, quality fabric produced without the harsh chemicals that make higher-end textiles easy to work with. While organic and non-organic cotton are virtually impossible to tell apart, they are available in limited quantities. Designers also find that other more luxurious fabrics are more difficult to find natural counterparts to.
While eco-friendly, natural, and organic clothing lines are growing, it is still a small piece of the fashion pie representing about 1% of the industry. And while a majority of consumers may be unaware of this growing trend, large mass-market retailers like Wal-Mart and Target will make sure they soon will be.
