What Does Sustainable Fashion Mean And Why Should You Go For Them?

Posted by Viridy UK on December 12th, 2019

Sustainable fashion starts with the design and with you, the fashion wearer. A sustainable approach to making, buying and using clothing is key to protecting the planet, as well as the lives of those involved in the creation of garments.

Sustainable fashion is created by those designers or brands that follow sustainable practices when producing their collections. Therefore, a commitment to sustainability is a commitment to balancing the short and long-term supply and demand for resources.

In this context, creating sustainable dresses means the movement and process of creating clothes, dresses or textiles that take into account environmental, social and economic implications- also known as the three bottom line pillars. Therefore, sustainable fashion is beyond the product and fabric waste, taking instead a holistic approach to fashion and its interactions with all other systems- social, cultural and financial.

When it comes to fashion, sustainability takes much expressions-sustainable fashion, ethical fashion, and fair trade fashion.

Why the sustainable term is important in fashion design?

Fashion is one of the biggest industries worldwide, accounting for about 2% of the global GDP. As it is still a growing industry, it's important to take measures to minimize the negative impact on the environment.

There are many fabric production techniques such as fabric dyeing, which is very toxic to the environment. According to a survey, the fashion industry is one of the top-3 water wasting industries in China. It is the second most polluting industry in the world after oil- making it necessary to design only sustainable dresses and opt for eco-friendly alternatives.

How can the fashion industry become more sustainable?

As of now, only a few communities have textile recycling programs. This means about 85% of the textile goes to the landfills and occupies about 5 % of the space. Since 95% of post-consumer textiles are recyclable, there should be enough reason to take action in this direction.   But, before reaching the end of a garment's useful life, other methods can help the fashion industry become more sustainable. It is not necessary to start sustainability at the end of the garment's life cycle but must be applied at every step of the design process. The best green and sustainable fashion companies pursue this goal from the starting. Like planting trees for every piece of sustainable dress they make at their fashion house.

Here are a few ways that can lead you towards Eco-friendly and sustainable clothing.

On-demand and custom-made clothing

Green & Clean (Having an Eco-friendly approach in all stages of the product's life cycle)

High-quality & timeless design

Fair & ethical

Repair, redesign and upcycle

Rent, lease & swap 

Secondhand & Vintage 

If you are also looking for some sustainable wrap dresses and be a part of the cause of sustainability, it is important to educate yourself to buy less and buy better. There are many sustainable and Eco-friendly brands offering garments at affordable prices. However, if you find them expensive for any reason, remember that they will last longer and in the long run.