Why’s this important? Fashion is seriously destructive to the planet and we need to know our threads
SHOCK FACT
9/10 items of our clothing are either incinerated or end up in landfill (yes even if you give them to a charity shop)
There’s SO many things to fix about fashion - our consumption being primary, but also everything that cascades beneath that: toxic waste, pollution, emissions, labour rights, child labour, materials, and of course landfill. It’s a major entwined MESS.
We’re all already making great strides in simply buying less and only when we actually need to, but when we do, what should we be thinking about?
Turns out quite a lot! Let’s make it simple and first get clear on fabrics so we know what we’re doing in a blink of an eye, no more head scratching. More on helping us all be clothing-savvy to come.
The pecking order:
There’s a few factors that contribute to the leader board: the raw material, water use, dyes, pesticides, toxic chemicals, ability to be recycled or degrade etc.
BEST: Organic or made from recycled materials
The reason why choosing organic is so important is because it’s effectively earth-poison when it’s not. This is especially the case with cotton which is hugely pesticide (and water) intensive. Look for the GOTS (Global Organic Textiles Standards) label and don’t trust anything else. Regenerative cotton which actually gives back to and replenishes the land is the best of all. It’s a new appearance…Patagonia are on it.
Anything made from recycled wool, cotton and synthetic fabrics get a big thumbs up as we’re not using virgin resources. It’s not perfect...recycled polyester still sheds microfibres but it’s still going to be better than ‘new’ polyester every time. Use a guppy bag to catch the fibres, available in the shop.
NEXT UP: Tencel, Lyocell, linen or hemp
All of these are produced from plant-based fibres:
Tencel is made from renewable wood, through a ‘closed loop production process, where the water is reused, the trees are managed and there’s less use of chemicals. It’s the best alternative to silk.
Lyocell is essentially the same but made from bamboo pulp.
Linen is made from flax stalks and has a small footprint compared to cotton, as does hemp both not needing pesticides and using much less water.
THIRD: Modal, acrylic, polyester
Modal is like a softer Tencel, a semi-synthetic fibre and popular cotton alternative for underwear, pyjamas etc. It goes through a much more chemically intense process though and it involves mono-cropping/ potential deforestation despite sustainability claims. Handle with beware.
Polyester is the most dominant fabric and is everywhere. Essentially plastic and made from crude oil it’s non-biodegradable. Your sweat wicking kit? That’s polyester too.
Acrylic is similar in that it’s also made from crude oil but it’s more used for it’s warmth for jumpers, cashmere substitutes etc. It’s also allegedly carcinogenic (!)
WORST: Regular cotton, non-lyocell viscose, rayon, elastane, nylon and wool
Regular cotton is terrible. Mammoth land, water and pesticide use. Don’t buy it.
Non-lyocell viscose and rayon (artificial silk) while made from plant-based fibres needs vast amounts of energy, water, and chemically-intensive processes, not to mention deforestation - all of which that horrendous environmental impact.
Elastane aka Spandex and Lycra basically like stretchy polyester, i.e plastic but not long lasting. So difficult this one as it’s in so many things, but there’s new alternatives coming on the market so there’s hope.
Nylon - Another crude oil one, non-biodegradable but it’s manufacture creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 310 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Silk - ranked higher in damaging environmental impact than any other because of it’s manufacturing process.
For those of us that care about animal welfare merino wool, cashmere, mohair, angora and silk are brutal and leather is naturally no-go. Some brands do have high welfare standards if they are they’ll be shouting about it. For silk, look for Peace Silk.
What to do in a nutshell:
As an experiment - have a look in your wardrobe at your clothing labels. We did and were pretty horrified by what we found! Total eye-opener.
Main thing. Buy less. There’s more clothes in the world than can physically be worn so its the most sustainable thing we can do. When you are buying, look for the top two categories above. For warmth, look for recycled wool or the top ethical brands like Celtic and Co. We’ll do a recommended brand directory soon, to make it super easy.
And there’s lots of innovation happening in fashion to make things better - for the planet and people - we’ll keep you updated!
With thanks to sustainable fashion expert Carrie for her counsel.
We…
Aimee: So after having researched this, I went straight to my wardrobe to do an audit…it’s not looking pretty…almost all of my tops are polyester. So the best thing I can do is to keep wearing everything I’ve got until it truly wears out. Then use these rules to inform future purchases.
Sonia: Absolute minefield! It’s clear that the rule of thumb is to seek out truly sustainable brands (we have some in the shop), buy really top quality that will last and last. I’ve made a big effort on clothes in the last two years and bought hardly anything. It’s not easy because sometimes you just want to!!! Now it’s more of a well considered treat.
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“Conscious clothes maketh the (wo)man...”