If you want to understand what sustainable fashion is, it shows that you are truly dedicated and responsible.
Those who wish to improve their consumption habits, even though everything around them encourages buying more fast-fashion clothing without question.
Well done, you!
However, at the same time, we recognize that this may cause confusion: What does sustainable fashion actually mean in practice?
After all, you have likely encountered many terms that sound quite similar, ranging from sustainable clothing to ethical fashion, and beyond.
Therefore, we have written a clear and easy-to-understand article to help you learn what sustainable fashion is, why it is important, and how you can get started.
Sustainable Fashion Explained in Simple Terms
What is sustainable fashion?
In simple terms, sustainable fashion refers to the creation of clothes, bags, and accessories in a more environmentally friendly and responsible way.
It’s not just about “using some eco-friendly fabrics the entire process—from design and material selection to production, transportation, sales, wearing, and the disposal of old clothes—aiming to minimize harm to both the Earth and people.
What are the common sustainable practices in the fashion industry?
There is no single standard for making environmentally friendly and ethical clothing, but the common approaches mainly include the following:
1、Choose fabrics that are more environmentally friendly.
The most commonly used materials in fast fashion, such as conventional cotton and polyester, cause significant environmental harm.
Sustainable fashion prioritizes the use of environmentally friendly materials such as organic cotton, recycled cotton, linen, hemp, Tencel, and recycled polyester.
2、Upcycling of old clothes / Recycling and reuse
Redesign and repurpose old fabrics, worn clothing, and discarded materials to create new products.
No waste, and no new resources are exploited.
3、Follow the “circular economy” path
Make clothes last longer by designing them to be repairable when damaged and recyclable when worn out, rather than discarding them after only a few uses.
Many brands offer services such as old clothing recycling, trade-in programs, and repair services to extend the lifespan of garments.
4、Slow Fashion: Buy Less, Choose Quality, Wear Long
Slow fashion and sustainable fashion are highly related.
It does not encourage impulsive consumption or following trendy bestsellers. Instead, it suggests:
Buy less, buy better, and wear longer. Reject the fast fashion habit of “buying and discarding”.
Sustainable Fashion vs Fast Fashion: Key Differences
In simple terms, sustainable fashion is the opposite of fast fashion. From design and production to sales, sustainable fashion considers the environmental impact throughout the entire process and genuinely cares about the well-being of garment workers.
The business model of fast fashion is essentially as follows:
- Constantly following trends, constantly introducing new products, constantly stimulating you to keep buying
- Using the cheapest and most environmentally harmful fabrics, not caring about pollution
- Cutting costs, squeezing workers, only to lower the price to the lowest level
- Poor quality of clothes, deforming or breaking after just a few wears, forcing you to keep buying
In most cases, maintaining sustainable clothing production and paying fair wages to all workers results in higher clothing costs.
Now that you understand the true cost behind the low prices of fast fashion, we encourage you to consider the following point: the cost per wear.
If you purchase smaller quantities of higher-quality items and can wear them repeatedly for many years, you will actually save money in the long run!
So, why is sustainable fashion so important?
The reason why sustainable fashion is important is that… Fast fashion is fundamentally unsustainable!
It has had a devastating impact on the environment, exploited garment workers, and trapped consumers in a vicious cycle: they feel compelled to constantly purchase new clothes to achieve happiness.
On the contrary, this is the true essence of sustainable fashion and what it encourages you to do:
Choose clothes that are produced in a responsible manner.
Support brands that care about the environment and the workers in the clothing industry.
Select a few items that truly suit your style and keep them for a long time.
Much better, right?
What is the difference between ethical fashion and sustainable fashion?
Many people tend to confuse these two words. In fact, it’s quite easy to understand:
Ethical Fashion: Places greater emphasis on whether workers are treated fairly, if their wages are adequate, and if the working environment is safe. It also includes vegan clothing that does not harm animals.
Sustainable Fashion: Places greater emphasis on the environment
Focuses on whether the fabric is environmentally friendly, whether the production causes pollution, and whether resources can be recycled.
But in Greendimple’s opinion, these two should not be separated at all.
An organic cotton garment, no matter how environmentally friendly it sounds, if it is produced by child labor, with low wages and in harsh conditions, then it cannot be considered truly sustainable.
Being good to people + being good to the earth is what constitutes truly good fashion.
5 Steps to Embrace Sustainable Fashion
- Please remember, this is a process – it won’t happen overnight, and it’s completely normal to still be attracted to fast fashion. So, keep this article in mind and refer to it whenever you want to forget about it.
- The first step is to change your mindset – the key is not to switch to a sustainable brand and buy something new, but to buy less! Don’t follow the trend and stockpile, just buy what suits you and will last for a long time (maybe you can first figure out your own unique style?) .
- Eliminate distractions – Remove the shopping apps, unfollow those fast-fashion accounts and influencers who always urge you to buy more, and reduce impulsive buying.
- Learn how to determine if a brand is sustainable – Look for eco-friendly materials, third-party certifications and transparency.
- Fall in love with your clothes – Don’t treat them as disposable items anymore. Take good care of them and make them last longer.
So, you already know what sustainable fashion is, but… where exactly can you find it?
Good news: Right on Greendimple!
We have gathered hundreds of fair trade brands here and added a filtering function to help you narrow down your choices.
Therefore, finding clothing and accessories that not only match your style but also align with your ethical values will be effortless!
Now that you have understood the meaning of sustainable fashion, you will also notice… that it is constantly evolving! The most visionary designers and companies are always exploring new methods to better protect the environment.
Embracing sustainable fashion is a journey, not a one-time task. At Greendimple, you can explore hundreds of eco-friendly and ethical brands that match your style. Start your sustainable fashion journey today and make choices that are good for both you and the planet.