SUSTAINABLE FASHION, A GUIDE TO ECO-FRIENDLY CLOTHING

Commitment to the environment and concern about the impact that the fashion industry, with each of its supply chains, has on the planet, has recently led to a new trend in sustainable fashion. Fashion that cares as much about the environment issue and the future of the planet as the well-being of consumers, and so tries to minimize the damage caused to the environment through the implementation of an ethical and eco-sustainable production policy. This renewed sense of responsibility that gave rise to the issue of sustainability in the fashion industry, also led to a new culture of greener design - which later translated into the use of sustainable materials, doing away with plastic and fur even by the big brands, a greater attention to green energy sources, a reduction in the products included in the various clothing collections and, above all, in the idea of a more ecological, inclusive fashion economy and especially one with certifications and controls.
To better understand how sustainable practices work in fashion, we have compiled a list with three examples of sustainable brands and the practices they implement that can teach us how to adopt a more environment-friendly lifestyle.
1. Barbour and repairing clothes Right from its beginnings, Barbour provided customers with a repair service for damaged garments: customers could send their jackets to Barbour or re-wax them themselves with the Beacon Oilskin Dressing provided by the company. This practice teaches us that repairing a garment, or buying a longer-lived one, can significantly reduce waste of materials, consumption and the quantity of clothes that end up in landfills every year. 2. Clarks and water saving Clarks has recently implemented a process called LITE, created to limit and control the use of water and energy in production, as well as reducing the amount of chemicals used, decreasing their impact on the environment and helping to save millions of litres of water. The brand has also installed solar heating systems and wind turbines for energy, and bamboo walls to regulate the temperature in its factories that also use solar energy. This type of practice reminds us that sustainability also passes through production processes in factories and from saving resources and avoiding waste. 3. Blundstone and vegan materials This year Blundstone presented its first vegan boots: eco-friendly versions of the iconic Original # 2115 and # 2116. Both are made with a water and abrasion resistant vegan microfiber upper. The onSteam breathable microfibre lining has a superior wicking ability to enable foot health. All these materials have been certified with the Vegan Verification Mark - certifications are in fact essential in the process of verifying the practices and tracking of each company. Commitment to sustainability also becomes innovation of materials that can be developed synthetically without causing damage to natural ecosystems.