Sustainable Fashion

Sustainable fashion, what is it and do we need to be a part ?
Sustainability is wide concept lets shorten it up a little " ability to maintain or support a process ", fashion " is considered as a form of self express in a specific context of clothing, footwear, lifestyle etc". We have been studying the terms with it's solutions " the 3 Rs " reuse, reduce, recycle. ( does this ring any bell ? )

Fashion industry has been growing day by day and with the growth comes the waste, fashion waste is huge problem, recent example of this is Chile's Atacama desert, the desert is considered at the worlds driest one and has become a global dumping ground for fast fashion, according to lot of sources floating across social media and other news platforms  around 59000 tons of clothing arrive every year at Iquique port in Chile, generally made in China or Bangladesh. The entire lot passes from Europe, US and Aisa before reaching to Chile. These cloths are then resold around Latin American market. Out of 59000 tons around 39000 tons of it cannot be sold and end up in the surrounding desert area of the port. 

Few more facts that you need to know :
Fabric made with synthetic material takes up to 200 years to biodegrade and is as toxic as discarded plastic.
According to articles UN found in 2019 that the fashion industry was responsible for 8% to 10% of world's carbon emission basically more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. 
After these facts and examples shouldn't we take an initiative and hold ourselves accountable.

Fast Fashion brands have been trying to talk about sustainable fashion in a way like launching recycled fabric clothing lines (  join life collection by Zara ) but at the end of the day all the rejected stuff, company remains are sent out to such areas. Lately fashion brands have been getting a lot of hit because of certain reasons like labour exploitation, harming animals etc but majorly for damaging the environment. 

So what can we do at our part : Buying Less is the first step—try and love the clothes you already own by styling them differently or even    “ upcycling ” them, turn those old jeans into some trendy  raw hemmed shorts, or give your baggy old jumper new life by turning it into a crop, Creating a capsule wardrobe is also worth considering on your ethical fashion journey.

Choose well and choosing a high-quality garment made of eco-friendly fabric is essential. There are pros and cons to all fibre types, as seen in our ultimate guide to clothing materials, but there is a helpful chart at the end to refer to when purchasing. Choosing well could also mean committing to shopping your closet first, only shopping second hand, or supporting more sustainable brands like those below.

Finally, we should try and make It Last and look after our clothes by following the care instructions, wearing them until they are worn out, mend or repair them wherever possible, then recycling them at the very end of their life.

Vivienne Westwood, “buy less, choose well, make it last.”

Picture via Pinterest