Hi Everyone. Happy Sunday night! Today, we delve into the basics of ethical fashion productions, such as fair wages, safe working conditions, and transparency. To understand this, we need to break down some things first: sustainable and ethical fashion.
Sustainable fashion, as defined by the UN, is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The phrase “sustainable fashion” is tossed around a lot now. Still, I think that those using it correctly are advocating for fashion practices that manage their environmental impacts and genuinely care about the well-being of all wildlife, whether it be people, plants, or animals. That sounds great, but so many designers and brands claim to be sustainable now when they aren't actually. What is so frustrating about that is that the term loses meaning, making the battle for sustainability in the fashion industry even more of a struggle.
Now, let's talk about ethical fashion. Ethical fashion is fashion production that focuses on reducing harm to people and the planet. Ethical fashion is fixated on the ethics behind a company, how they make their products, if their employees are paid fairly, etc. To sum it up, sustainable fashion advocates for ethical fashion practices. Now that we hopefully understand these two terms let’s delve deeper.
Most brands don’t even know where their stuff comes from in the supply chain. They outsource final production, and most brands don’t even talk to their suppliers about their carbon footprint. The Fashion Industry is also based on revenue. Brands are selling products to make money. Some brands like Reformation and Stella McCartney genuinely care about their impact on the environment, but most brands don’t want to compromise their profit for sustainability. Fashion’s carbon impact is 4-10% of overall global carbon emissions. That is CRAZY.
One of the most severe issues that the fashion industry creates is overproduction and overconsumption. Every year, people buy more products as trends change quickly. Polka dots are in, but two months later they aren’t anymore so all the polka dotted items you bought you have no purpose for anymore. Then suede becomes the new thing and the cycle just constantly repeats itself of wasting products. Especially with fast fashion in play, products become a lot more disposable because they are made with less high quality materials. The more disposable a product is, the less you use it and the more you buy of other disposable products. Now, people buy a dress for one dinner and then let it rot in their closet and never wear it again. This is the main issue with the Fashion Industry, we create so much waste by overconsuming products.
One of the UN’s goals for 2030 is sustainable consumption, which I would say we are a long ways away from. However, due to certain brands that are at the forefront of sustainability in the Fashion industry, we are working our way there. We just need to remind ourselves to abide by ethical fashion practices. We can all make a difference, it just starts with one person. Choose to shop at brands that you believe are sustainable, ethical, and worth it. Avoid fast fashion companies and fast fashion trends. We can fight off the fast fashion industry together by making responsible choices with our shopping.
Stay curious and don't forget YOU can make a difference! Signing off with a smile. -Savannah
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