According to the Unfit, Unfair, Unfashionable report, the most impactful lifestyle change to reduce fashion-related carbon footprint is simply buying fewer new clothes.
The report assessed five lifestyle options:
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Reducing new clothing purchases
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Increasing use time
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Reducing washing and drying
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Buying secondhand clothing
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Disposing responsibly
Their assessments stated that reducing the purchasing of new clothes would save 2.3 times more emissions than all other options combined.
In the same report, references to historical lifestyle guides suggest a minimum sufficient wardrobe size over time, ranging from 40 pieces of clothing in the ’50s and ’60s to a suggested size of 70 to 85 pieces in today’s world, which contrasts with reported real-life wardrobe sizes of up to 400+ pieces.
Source: Unfit, Unfair, Unfashionable, Sample composition and size demonstration for a sufficient wardrobe
While a large wardrobe isn’t definitive proof of overconsumption habits, unfortunately, the two have a significant correlation. The same report demonstrates how higher-income social groups contribute to larger greenhouse gas emissions through their lifestyle and fast fashion consumption habits.
Despite numerous frightening clothing waste statistics, one fact is clear: slowing down and increasing the wear of your clothing pieces is the most important step toward ethical fashion.
Wardrobe longevity and garment care
Now, please refrain from a frantic decluttering spree after reading the previous section, and remember that the most sustainable clothing items are the ones you already have. If certain pieces no longer serve you, take time to responsibly find them a new owner or repurpose them creatively. Then, prioritize taking good care of whatever’s left.
Proper garment care helps extend the lifespan of clothing, reducing the need for frequent replacements and minimizing waste in the fashion industry. Moreover, some care techniques, such as washing clothes in cold water, significantly reduce energy consumption and thus environmental impact. Basic mending skills and a fabric shaver will come in handy, too.
You can download a garment care cheat sheet from our article about fabrics and garment care, but a simple rule of thumb is to wash clothes less frequently in cooler temperatures and air-dry whenever possible.
Source: Unfit, Unfair, Unfashionable, suggestions for achieving fashion sufficiency
Surely, there will come a time when you need to replace clothing items or fill gaps in your wardrobe. If you’ve been mindful of your consumption habits and resourceful with your clothing, chances are you can afford to invest in a few high-quality, sustainable brand pieces.
Prerequisites of sustainable fashion brands
Sustainable fashion movement examples
We’ve reached a point in the article where individual and fashion industry considerations intersect, and strangely enough, they often boil down to personal values. When asking the question, “What is sustainable fashion?” the reality is that there’s no official definition.
To illustrate, here’s a list of a few product qualities that are considered sustainable fashion examples in the fashion industry:
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Made from natural and organic materials such as organic cotton
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Made from recycled fibers such as recycled polyester
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Produced ethically or following fair trade practices
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Upcycled or refashioned, meaning made from pre-existing materials
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Sourced locally or run by a small business owner
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Manufactured on demand
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Second-hand or vintage
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Transparent supply chain
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Respectful of animal welfare
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Vegan
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Hundreds of other attributes
While some qualities are non-negotiable for sustainable fashion brands, others may be conflicting or even actively practiced by fast fashion brands.
Therefore, besides factors like availability, price, and quality, business owners and customers alike have to largely prioritize based on their values.
Certification
One way brands can prove their sustainability practices is by obtaining globally recognized certificates, providing a reliable way for consumers to identify and support brands aligned with their values. These certifications verify that a brand or product meets specific environmental, social, and ethical standards, such as reducing environmental impacts or ensuring fair trade practices.
Just as common in the garment industry are certificates that prove specific material content, for example, natural and organic materials or recycled fibers.
Here’s a practical example of certifications that we, as a brand, use to ensure material content in our eco-friendly product collection.
Source: Printful
While certificates certainly play a crucial role in verifying eco-friendly claims, keep in mind that they aren’t the sole indicator of a sustainable product, particularly for small businesses. Small businesses may face barriers to obtaining formal certifications due to various factors like certification fees, administrative burdens, or process complexity.
However, this doesn’t mean their products are inherently unsustainable. Instead, small businesses can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability through transparent communication, ethical sourcing, local production, zero waste generation, and similar activities.
False eco-friendly practices
Unfortunately, it’s all too common for fast fashion brands to exploit various keywords without genuine efforts toward sustainability.
For instance, conventional cotton is praised for its natural fibers while synthetic materials are marketed as vegan. Few know that such statements overlook the environmental toll of natural resources and the use of toxic chemicals in cotton production or the microplastic pollution from synthetic fibers.
A far more sustainable approach would involve substituting conventional cotton with organic cotton and using biodegradable materials in place of synthetic fibers.
This misleading practice is called greenwashing, which is the act of giving products and business practices the false impression of being eco-friendly.
As clothing companies increasingly engage in green marketing, other misleading practices have emerged:
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Bluewashing: an exaggerated or false emphasis on contributions to water conservation
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Rainbow washing: superficial support to LGBTQ+ rights or Pride events for marketing purposes
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Healthwashing: Misleading tactics used to present products as healthier or safer than they truly are
Promoting such superficial or misleading claims of social and environmental impacts leads to a loss of consumer trust and damage to legitimate sustainability initiatives. Ultimately, these practices hinder real progress toward critical environmental and social challenges and undermine genuine efforts within the textile industry.
