Sustainability... a la mode

Sustainable fashion? I know what you’re thinking… Patagonia hiking pants and weird shirts made of fashion scraps. But, thinking about modern sustainability is way more a la mode. To understand the question of environment-forward fashion, it is first important to understand the current fabric problem that we face.

A culture of fast fashion has taken hold. Dana Thomas, author of Fashionopolis, describes globalized fashion as the “fast food” model. She implies that economies of scale are to blame for the cheap shirts and clothing surpluses that we purchase. Thomas estimates that the average American will wear an article of clothing only seven times before discarding it and buying more. In the United States, an American will discard over 37kg of clothing, contributing to the 92 million tons of textile wastethat make their ways to the landfills each year.

“By 2030, we are expected as a whole to be discarding more than 134 million tonnes of textiles a year.”

Why not just donate the clothes that we want to throw away? Easy, right? Most people think this, because donating your clothes feels like you are helping others. It is an easy win-win situation where you don’t have a cluttered closet, and children will have clothing to wear. Unfortunately, we have donated too much.

In 2019, Rwanda banned the import of used clothing. TheRwandan President put it this way:"We are put in a situation where we have to choose - you choose to be a recipient of used clothes... or choose to grow our textile industries." With millions of clothes being dumped into his lap, Rwandan textile and clothing manufacturers were being put out of business. East African countries alone hold over 13% of the global market for used clothing. Imports of cheap clothing, and exports of donated “used” clothing have made Africa a solution to a waste problem as Western countries believe it to be a not so bad place to dump unwanted items.

The problem with clothing today is that it needs to be thrown away. According to a study by theRobin Report, Polyester exists in 60 percent of garments sold today, which represents over 21.3 million tons of polyester, or a 157 percent increase from 2000-2015. Everyone always talks about microplastics leaking into our water, but these plastics are an increasing problem as polyester is one of the main contributors. Produced with means that create a massive carbon dioxide impact, Polyester also takes a much longer time to decompose in landfills. While it breaks down, it releases even more fibers in the environment, contributing even more microfibers than the average of 1.7 grams of microfibers released from washing machines. 40% of said microfibers will also enter the lakes, rivers and streams through the water cycle.

What is there to do? Fiber waste represents an insurmountable ecological problem and an even greater equality problem. Sweatshop labor aside, the consumers of fast fashion look extremely different than those tasked with producing clothing.

Hope lies ahead. Three new fiber technologies have entered the market. Their names: Rayon, Modal, Lyocell.

Rayon is a recycled material similar to cotton or cellulosic fibers. It is created from wood pulp or plant material from which you can extract cellulose. Tencel and Lyocell are brands which have created different strands of Rayon that are more resistant to wrinkling. The new Lyocell can be created without using toxic chemicals to extrude the cellulose, simply by using nontoxic production facilities. What is special about these textiles is that they can take old clothing and extrude the cellulose back into its natural states to recycle clothing and reweave the textiles to be used again through regeneration.

These materials are new, but do not have to be scary. In fact, you probably have already seen them on the runway. Designers are recognizing a push for sustainability, and have begun designing accordingly. Below are just several of the high fashion looks designed by Connor Ives (left), Germanier (center), and Vivienne Westwood (right).

Source: Vogue

What does this mean for consumers? There are always things that we can do to help.

First, understanding how your clothing is a part of a larger waste issue. Participating in clothing swaps, or helping reduce how many new clothes are purchased each year will drastically cut down on your waste and consumption. If you see that new fashion trend on TikTok or Instagram, consider trying to make it yourself, or think strongly about how many times you will actually wear it before discarding it. Educate yourself on the clothing problems to better become an active part of the solution.

Next, look at what your clothes are made from before you buy them. Looking through my closet, I already had some clothes made from Rayon and recycled materials. It was easy, however, for me to google sustainable fashion brands and look directly at the materials and their clothing sources even before purchasing online. If at the store, you can also pull up a quick Google search to help make the decision of whether or not the shirt is really that cute.

Finally, start thinking smarter about your closet. Nobody is saying you need to throw out your closet because it isn’t sustainable, but consider purchasing high quality items that are made to last. Consider buying basic pieces that are extremely versatile. This will help you always look your best while giving a nod to the planet.

No matter what your impact, you can make a difference for yourself and the planet. Buying sustainably will give you the buyer power that five hundred dollars from Shein never could.