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Sustainability June 15, 2018
Because green is the new black...
Photo Via Instagram / @girlfriendcollectiveMany people today are looking to live more sustainably, from the cars they drive to the straws they use to the clothes they wear. Accordingly, the ethical fashion industry is making environmentally conscious changes. It’s only fitting since fashion is one of the most important industries involving the environment. With its extensive water usage and pollution emission, the fashion industry has a huge impact on climate change. Just to give you an idea, it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt. That’s the amount of water one person drinks in two and a half years.
In the past, the fashion industry has made “Going Green” a little bit difficult. For a while, ethical fashion brands were few and far between, not to mention, their items were expensive. However, the sustainable fashion trend is on the rise. Obviously, reducing fashion’s impact on the environment is important, but ethical brands are also making improvements to working conditions, child labor laws and recyclable materials!
The good news style-wise is that there are now so many brands jumping on the sustainability train. Whether you’re looking for a handbag, athletic wear, a pair of shoes, or a trusty old pair of jeans, you will be able to do so and to do so ethically.
We all know TOMS and Stella McCartney are champions of sustainable fashion. But here are five ethical fashion brands you might not have known about.
What are your favorite leggings made out of? Spandex? Cotton? Lycra? What about recycled water bottles? That’s what Girlfriend Collective’s eco-friendly leggings are made out of!
Girlfriend Collective started to sweep the internet after they launched their first promotion. They gave out leggings for free! This giveaway helped spread the buzz about the sustainable brand. People from all over the nation started ordering leggings. While other brands don’t always uphold their end of a free giveaway deal, Girlfriend Collective did. Every order was received, and people started to rave about them.
The leggings are now around $70, but people have said they would happily pay because of how quality the leggings are. A Pinterest graphic mentions “The Facts” about these pants: Compressive yet Comfortable Fit, Flattering Ultra-High Rise, Consistent Sizing, Body Temperature Regulating Technology, Silky Soft Feel, Polished and Slimming Silhouette, Moisture-Wicking and Quick Dry Fabric, and last but not least, Eco-Friendly.
Leggings aren’t the only thing they’re designing. They also make shorts, tops and lingerie. Not only will you feel good in this soft fabric, you’ll feel good knowing you’re helping change the world every time you wear it. Girlfriend Collective also uses recycled polyester and are transparent about how their fabrics are made, where they’re cut and sewn and the conditions of their factories.
It’s only natural that this outdoors brand would be eco-friendly. Patagonia strives to “build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” You can feel good about purchasing products from Patagonia. The brand also has a lifetime warranty on most products and will gladly repair or replace whatever clothing and equipment you’ve purchased.
If you need more convincing, then just check out their website, where they have an entire page dedicated to climate change to explain what they’re doing to help, including paying Earth tax and supporting sustainable agriculture.
Patagonia is making major moves to help the environment, and so are you every time you buy from them!
I know, you probably just raised an eyebrow. You wouldn’t think that a brand like LV to be on a list of ethical fashion designers. When we think of luxury goods, we tend to think of furs and fast fashion. However, not Louis.
Louis Vuitton has adopted the “measure twice, cut once” mentality to cut back on wasting resources. Additionally, Louis Vuitton reuses 60 percent of their leather scraps and donates other leftover textiles to material exchange workshops.
With such sustainable practices, you can be proud to rock those iconic LV letters!
If you’re looking for a great pair of jeans (when are we not?) that are both stylish and sustainable, then look no further. This classic denim brand has you covered. Levi’s is a huge advocate for reducing water in manufacturing. They are on track to using 100% sustainable cotton by the year 2020. They are already currently using recycled water bottles in their jeans. Additionally, Levi’s has banned sandblasting, a technique used to get a washed look in denim that harms workers due to hazardous particles. Go green with these classic blue jeans!
