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Sustainable Style – Choose Eco-Friendly Fashion

^ special thanks to writer Eve for her take on how to be ‘fashainable’ in this guest post:

Anyone with an ear to the fashion grapevine will know that sustainability is totally on-trend right now. Medical advancements mean that infant mortality rates have dropped hugely and we are now living longer than ever before – with the result that our clothing consumption has hit an all-time high. This means higher production rates, an increase in the number of designers wanting to break into this tough industry and, above all, a need for more and more materials.

Sustainable fashion, also known as eco fashion, has begun to infiltrate local chain stores as well as the catwalks, with designers from the top down using fair trade workers and non-toxic dyes in order to make a sustainable statement.

Understanding Eco Fashion

Many people assume that eco fashion is all about recycled fabrics and clothes made from leaves, but this is not true at all. There are a number of different ways you can make a difference to the way you shop without changing your style at all – in fact, you could already be eco-shopping without knowing it!

For example, if you choose faux fur over the genuine article or avoid leather like the plague, you are already following a vegan fashion pattern. Vegans will not wear (or eat) any animal by-product, therefore keeping fur and leather well away from their wardrobes. Or maybe you prefer your fashion one of a kind and therefore buy handmade items? In doing this, you are helping to cut down on waste which is created by mass manufacturing, whilst also ensuring you are buying a quality product which is created to last for years. This cuts down the need to constantly replace worn or damaged clothing, and thus saves the planet. Easy, huh?

There are plenty of resources out there which provide information on sustainable fashion, and once you understand how many ways there are to adopt a sustainable wardrobe, making the switch is a piece of cake.

How You Can Help

So you’ve already decided to cross-check every label for toxic dyes and sworn off anything which isn’t made from organic materials – excellent! You’ve taken a huge step forward and are definitely doing your bit for sustainable shopping. Yet the part many people forget is what to do with the clothes once you’ve finished with them. Shockingly many people forget that clothing and textiles are just as recyclable as plastics, cardboard and glass, and as a result tons of unwanted clothes end up on landfill sites every year. However, it is estimated that up to 95 per cent of these items could be re-worn, re-used or recycled. In that case – why not get creative?

Donating an unwanted sweater to charity or shredding up and old shirt to use as a cleaning cloth is a good place to start, but hardly the most inventive use of the materials at hand. An old pair of jeans with a hole in the knee could be turned into a cute pair of Daisy Dukes or a new purse, while the unused bottom half could be cut up, dyed or redesigned and turned into patches to customise other items. Sometimes, of course, things are too damaged to be saved or re-used, but this is where the true meaning of recycling comes in. Textile fibres or insulating materials can be created from these garments in an ideal example of preventing waste.

Smart Stores

Fortunately, fashion chain stores are now beginning to realise the impact our massive demand for new clothes is having on our planet. Last year, Zara announced its commitment to going toxic-free by reducing the number of hazardous chemicals used in its garment production, while H&M has recently launched an ethical fashion range called Conscious. As well as cutting down on the amount of water used in denim production and committing to using only organic cotton, the retailer is also rewarding customers for dropping off bags of recyclable clothing by giving them money off vouchers for each bag donated. It is very clear that the fashion world is embracing sustainability in a way few other industries are – while clothing manufacturers are making an attempt to use non-toxic dyes in clearing our waterways, the pharmaceutical industry continues to dump harmful materials in the system, for example.

As consumers, we dictate the trends, the styles and the way things are produced; or to put it more simply, if we don’t buy it they won’t make it. By raising awareness of the need for sustainability in all industries, we truly can change the world.

Celebrate Earth Day, Everyday! The Today Show Goes Green with Modavanti.com

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What’s the “new crop of eco-friendly clothes?” NBC News’ the Today Show says it’s “eco-chic” and doesn’t look quite like it used to anymore thanks to retailers like Modavanti.

Chassie Post from Gilt Groupe joined Today Show host Natalie Morales this morning to show us that yes, eco-fashion can be stylish. A family-friendly floral print from H&M’s Conscious Collection flounced down the outdoor runway—on a pair of women’s pants and on a dress for young girls made out of recycled polyester and organic cotton—setting the scene for what it means to be green.

Another eco-fabric showcased was Tencel, as seen on a model in a maxi dress by ecoSkin. Weary of water usage? The vest in that ensemble is from Levi’s Water<Less denim line which uses 90% less water in production. A vegan leather peplum top from Tinley Road followed and was paired with Edun jeans.

Edun will be on our site soon and joins our recently-added brand, Olsenhaus, which was featured in the next look of the Today Goes Green segment: the brand’s purely vegan sandals and a chambray shirt (by Kut from the Kloth) complimented our fairly-traded Peplum Skirt in Yellow by Afia. Help support a women’s cooperative in Ghana just by shopping the stylish skirt at Modavanti.com. Fahertybrand.com wrapped up the show with an eco-swimsuit and beach wrap.

The models looked great and you can, too, since Modavanti is moving #fashion #forward. The two fashion-forward hosts highlighted our philosophy—that eco-conscious means many things—so many, that we empower the consumer to design their own style philosophy and encourage users to shop what’s important to them. Wear our set of Sustainability Badges with pride as you decide for yourself what it means to be green.

Eco-fashion has evolved. Will you? #Jointhefuture

“A recent New York Times article confirms Kline’s observation. In the article, trend
experts and style leaders admit that trends are no longer the all -powerful dictum
they once were. Thanks largely in part to the internet, consumers now have access
to an unprecedented wealth of style information and are beginning to trust their
own interpretation and personal taste rather than mimicking select trends diffused
via fashion advertising and shop windows.”

BSR report leads the way in encouraging us consumers to define our own sense of sustainability

One size fits all.

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Can’t find your size? I’m not surprised.

Maybe the tag reads a certain number, but why do I feel so uncertain? An 8 in one store is a 4 in another. Some jeans fit like a glove while others in the same size hang loosely.

I hope that I’m not coming off as though I’m complaining, but isn’t it ironic that we have a retail industry producing clothes into which we’re trying to fit? Instead of us trying to fit their models, shouldn’t businesses change their models and make clothing that fits us?

In today’s ‘globalized’ world, as clichéd as that term might be, retail brands’ customers’ sizes aren’t just a culmination of national demographics. Now, there are more multinational identities—and shapes and sizes—which need to be accounted for when going forward in determining product guides and size charts.

The current model is unsustainable since we don’t fit one certain mold. Retailers need to follow suit and provide us with better-fitting sizing options. Luckily, the innovative intersection of fashion and technology means we as consumers don’t have to wait around for big-box retailers to change their look.

These fashion-tech firms are a good fit for those who want to self-sustain:

Why should we be the ones struggling to find our size when corporations have the budget to customize their assortments? Or, better yet, why not adopt a virtual mannequin? Whereby an online user has the ability to input their measurements and upload a digital dress form upon which items in one’s shopping cart can be tried.

And, cue Fits.Me—a virtual fitting room of replicating robots—finally, clothes that fit me to a “T” instead of me trying to fit into a letter!

Pinterest via Fits.me.com

Too often it seems that garment racks are littered with over-projections or misfires from the season’s “hottest” and “coolest.” Instead of gauging tempered trends, retailers could measure consumer taste by examining what we actually need, not what we presumably need as dictated by the latest issue of a fashion magazine.

Oh, hello JustFab—a fast-fashion delivery, yes, but this well-backed firm has a “subscription model” which makes the business “much more predictable.”

I’ll try it on.

After all, isn’t it about time big-box retailers and fast-fashion chains service our needs? Forget about what we want—we 21^st century Conscious consumers can not afford such a luxurious choice—it’s not a matter of dollars and cents, but a matter of common sense. Even the high fashion world has taken note of this shift in style with guerrilla shows and blog rolls.

Of course, there’s Garmz—another game-changer that turned heads by making fashion a thing of the future.

Isn’t it about time big box retailers calculate their turn-over rates based on bettering society? Commonly-sensed by merchandising professionals is a need to replenish and re-stock, but as based on mathematical algorithms generated by a computer running past sales data. While advancements in technology have allowed Buyers and Planners to calibrate exact formulas and analyze past trends with software tools, it’s about time we use social tools to advance from mass production as we forecast for a future of less consumption.

Ah, yes LookMazing—this site is well, uh-mazing—it’s transforming street style into social style by taking the offline revolution online and back again with uploaded user photos.

Pinterest via LookMazing.com

What are social tools anyway?

Resources like Pinterest, Twitter, Polyvore, Tumblr, Wanelo, and of course, Facebook are some examples. Resources like customers’ sizes, consumers’ tastes, and workers’ voices are more examples of social tools since they do make-up our society. Regardless of your personal stance on the whole climate change issue, if we don’t change our personal consumption patterns, the fashion climate is sure to be disastrous. By tapping into these resources, retailers could waste fewer natural resources like oil, cotton, textiles, and people’s spirit. Companies could analyze social metrics and provide us with less options and more taste.

Isn’t it about time retailers dressed us instead of us addressing them?

All’s I’m sayin’ is, this ill-fitting industry needs a make-over.

Lower quantities.

Higher quality.

And of course, it starts with us; I can always take up this issue myself by going to a local tailor; this way, I can give back to the community by enlisting their fitting expertise.

That’s a good fit for us all.

Don’t judge a garment by its label.

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Or is it don’t judge a book by its cover? Childhood phrases and parental teachings aside, there is general encouragement to not judge others or the unknown based solely on outward appearances. As human beings, favoritism exists for the ism “don’t judge a book by its cover.” But as consumers, do the same rules apply?

All labels aside, it is of course up to us to educate ourselves as buying customers and to get involved as is the case with all issues of civic engagement. However, isn’t it up to “them,” or companies, providing us with a product or service to provide awareness, especially since we are after all, all potentially buying customers?

I don’t like to say “us” versus “them” as though we are in a dueling match, for it is a dual obligation when it comes time to be our own judge. Companies, though, are required to label products and advertise services in accordance to signed laws and corporate activities are monitored by assigned authorities; these rules and regulations have been established so as to protect the consumer while also providing a fair playing field for all parties involved, including competing small businesses, SMEs, and corporations.

Our needs are changing and new rules and regulations must naturally evolve. We see this need to evolve in the Big Food revolution with past legislative failures in states like Oregon and most recently with Proposition 37 in California as well as opposition to the Just Label It movement. ”You are what you eat” is often practiced by medical professionals, mindful mothers, and even our own conscience coach when making personal food choices.

If we are what we eat, then shouldn’t we care about what we wear? Many of us do! As seen in the variety of outlets and in the diversity of support for conscious consumption when it comes to one’s purchases, fashion and apparel is an expression in demand. Whether one is cutting down on the industry’s intake, incorporating more mindfulness when making purchases, or choosing to buy environmentally and socially sustainable fashions from retailers and organizations with a mission and values closely related to one’s own individual beliefs, there is a need for an upgrade in rules and regulations when it comes to labeling our clothes.

Of course, as clothing consumers, we can research a retailer’s practices and uncover more about a brand. We can of course read the item’s label, but is “Made in Bangladesh” or “Manufactured in China” enough? Some prefer to buy local or only shop certified Fair Trade items. Some might not even read the label’s contents. Similar to a content person in a label-less relationship, some might not even need a label at all. What do you look for in a label? Share your shopping criteria @fashainable with the hash-tag #mindfull.

And beyond the mindset of the consumer, what about the other side? Turn the label over and you might find that big box retailers and their suppliers may voice the same argument as those in the business of Big Food: any additional labeling would be too cumbersome resulting in excessive regulation and ultimately, higher end prices for the consumer.

Refreshingly, some brands have taken it upon themselves to make note of the ingredients used, processes infused, or related #brandaid news as seen in the faces of “The People Behind the Product” by One Mango Tree. It’s inspiring initiatives like these and like this image of an imaginative label shared by Dress Up Cycle highlighting a probable product’s positive points that can help point us in the right direction. Don’t like what you see? No sweat. Send your labels back or sign a petition and get dressed.

Informative labeling of existing practices—which claim to be safe and workers conditions which claim to be humane—is less of an issue of red tape and higher costs along the supply chain and more of an issue regarding lifelong lessons taught at an early age in that one shouldn’t judge what one does not know. If we don’t know exactly what it is that we as consumers are buying, than how are we to judge?

Cereal boxes have managed to evolve over time as 3-D crossword puzzles and our shampoo bottles and conditioning counterparts are now accompanied by trivia Q&As. Surely the commerce community with business models built on principles of efficiency and effectiveness can manage to invest the necessary resources into a more exemplary labeling system without placing the burden on the paying customer.

But, who am I to judge?

Make 2013 green with a fashion cleanse.

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The Zone diet. Grapefruits galore. Paleo or Vegan. From Low-fat to Atkins and more. Last year it was just juicing. The newest diet craze? A fashion cleanse. Shed the pounds from your closet hangers and dresser drawers by discarding leftovers from years’ past. Improve your wardrobe’s well-being with a design detox by recycling looks or investing in high-quality, people and planet-friendly outfits.

To ring in the New Year why not wring your wardrobe of its extra garments and give away any unnecessary items? For a guaranteed way to lose the weight of worrying about the latest in-thing just look inside yourself. “Buy a new coat to make you feel better!” the guy from “What Not To Wear” exclaims for Macy’s BIGGEST-EVER New Year’s Sale; he screams this declared diagnosis for mental health issues on the television screen. His backdrop? Shiny beginnings bright with promise as images of impeccably-trimmed figures pretend to lift weights or jump high with glee as they reach for the impeccably-timed figures denoting 70% off, the BIGGEST-EVER markdowns to sell-through the retailer’s full stock.

No, Clinton Kelly, I don’t need that new coat to make me feel better. No, Macy’s, I won’t rush to the store or fall for you online, even with your hook of free shipping, to gobble up what you’re throwing out. Just as we have become empowered as consumers to fight the fast food epidemic, confidently opting not to pick the ketchup red and mustard yellow Big Mac, so, too, can we fight our Fast Fashion fix, confidently opting for fresher, green picks. Like many readily-available conveniences in our fast-paced world, big box retailers have capitalized on our changing times—take the “H&M effect” of churning out unhealthy choices—tossing out the season’s projections quicker than a batch of the day’s deep-fried selections. But the times they are still a changin’ for now we have evolved social tools to fight the big retail chains’ advertisement reels telling us how we should look and feel.

Whether you believe that technology has advanced to meet our needs or that we’ve evolved because of an advancement in technology, social media is arguably an online reflection of an offline social revolution. There are political and economic influences, too, with increased government transparency, the rise of B Corporations, and CSR incorporation; this has created opportunities for genuine sustainable development initiatives, for inauthentic “greenwashing” tactics, and for brands like H&M to highlight their conscious actions.

Marketers know that time is of the essence, perpetually flooding our senses with urgency and stuffing us with overwhelm. But guess what: the world did not end. We made it this far; we were able to sustain. Now, it’s time for a come back in order for our culture to maintain. So, let’s welcome the year 2013 with open arms and embrace the 2013 collections with a full mind. As our eyes feast on the latest and greatest fashion statements off the runways and in window displays, let’s #DoItOurselves and make a shared fashion resolution to consume fewer, mindless trends and produce a more mindful, timeless mindset.

West: meet East; it’s for the best.

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Perhaps we shouldn’t treat our clothes as replaceable representations of self-expression, as a slew of one-night stands. Perhaps instead we should treat our clothing with special care, selecting what we wear as carefully as what we say or eat while on a date. Courting rules and marriage arrangements vary across cultures and treatment of one’s search for “the one” varies cross-culturally. Furthermore, a society’s relationship to its culture is a natural indicator of its people’s relationship to its preservation of one’s culture.

The Hmong of ancient China do not believe in symbolism of fate; they believe that a person is born into this world wearing a jacket, that its placenta is its soul mate, “ones’ first and finest garment.” The Hmong people are known for their direct connection to nature and appreciation for rituals. For matters of life and death, they dress their children in elaborately-embroidered garments that communicate with evil spirits and one’s availability to the opposite sex.
The nakshi kantha stich of Bangladesh and West Bengal is not a symbol, but rather a language: a sewed circle design of four parrots does not merely represent the idea of love. When one sees that particular pattern, the embroidery is actually speaking the innermost dialogue of ever-lasting love. Another popular phrase, the tree of life is more than a motif; it tells the story of community as it’s stitched by women into collections of wearable art.

Speaking of which, the art of nakshi kantha and other hand-crafted items were re-introduced as a community development solution to sustaining the fashion industry in Bangladesh by Aarong and helped solve the problem of rural women’s market access. If only we treated our clothing’s livelihood as a sustainable fashion solution, we could help solve the problem of our shopping excess—it’d be a match! If we make a commitment to be fashainable, then maybe we wouldn’t take sustainable fashion for granted. Maybe we would learn that it’s not just the latest version of luxury or the newest fashion trend, but that like healthy codependency, it is a necessary step in deepening a lasting connection.

Such consciousness of resources is a pillar of Aarong’s foundation. Having repeatedly survived nature’s fatal forces, people in the South Asian nation of Bangladesh are forced to be resourceful and innovate. Bangladeshis themselves, including my former colleagues, are a force to be reckoned with; they are among the bravest individuals I’ve ever encountered. Aarong’s artisans are no exception as it is their heroic dedication and whose proud conviction speaks loudly as they face daily adversity in working to sustain fashion.

Conversely, we Americans don’t face such harsh hardship, so our relationship with sustainable fashion development has been somewhat symbolic of our disconnectedness with the dire nature of the whole situation of sustainability, unlike the intimate interconnection that Aarong has restored. Part efficient retail, part effective development, Aarong has a unique relationship with its founding partner, BRAC, as a social enterprise.

When it comes to relationships, outward appearances are often the first characteristics we as individuals notice in a partner, sometimes including one’s outfit choice; this criticism exists in Bangladesh’s culture, too. However, the shared individualistic nature of American and Bangladeshi culture also coexists with a sense of community as we often ask our friends and family’s opinions when it comes to matters of decision making, like choosing a mate. Now, I’m the first to admit that I have commitment issues, often saying “I can’t” be at the same job indefinitely or “I can’t” imagine being with someone forever, but after seeing a toddler steering a motorcycle atop his father’s lap or a blind man crossing the busiest of streets, the words “I can’t” disappear from one’s vocabulary quicker than an exit from a bad date. I soon realized the disrespect I’ve shown in my treatment of the ones I love, for some aren’t as fortunate to have a choice in such matters and would give anything for never-ending assurance.

Similarly, it dawned on me that we demonstrate disrespect as a nation when we take for granted our relationship to the garments we don. As united citizens, we can easily take the plunge and update our relationship status from fashion-fling to being in it, full-fledged. Free from impossibility and inspired by fearlessness, the other hemisphere has reminded me that actions speak louder than words and when it comes to direct correlation and co-dependence, the other side of the world has influenced me to say that we are together; I am what I wear. Do you dare to care about your wear? Let’s arrange for a marriage between our mindful thoughts and items to be potentially bought.

Sense and sustainability.

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While explaining my seemingly “new” concept of sustainable fashion to my uncle in response to his question of why I was moving to Bangladesh, he questioned, “Sustainability?” and shared with me that, “Sustainability starts with your neighbor.” Flabbergasted at the simple complexity of his statement and tempted to attest, I shut my mouth in preparation for a trip to open my mind and thought: surely, it can’t end with that! There must be a more complicated model of development economics outlining in charts and graphs how sustainable development of the fashion industry is to start?!

Listening closely to him and to others I met during my time as a ‘bideshi’ in B-desh, I soon realized that indeed, sustainable development does begin with your neighbor—whether they live next-door or on the other side of the world. During my first month as an intern at Aarong, a BRAC social enterprise, I had the honor of meeting Chandra Shekhar Shaha, a creative connoisseur, master of product development, and oracle of handicrafts. Only after speaking with him and especially after reading this insightful passage on page 75 from his book Behind the Products: A Study on Crafts of Bangladesh which reads:

“Culture is not static; it moves on towards betterment.”

did I finally began to understand the resonance of my uncle’s send-off statement that “sustainability starts with your neighbor.” Now on my last day as an intern, soon to say farewell to Dhaka, I think I fully comprehend my uncle’s words and have attempted to interpret Shekhar Dah’s wise words as I try to be more mindful in my consumption choices.

We each define our own personal style as a

uniquely

wearable

presentation.

We all express ourselves differently, the most uniform way being through our fashion choices. In a similar sense, we each outfit our personal outlooks, often voicing these opinions through our own choice of words

leaving space

for creative

interpretation.

Naturally, not everyone associates the word sustainable with the same definition and logically, we all have our own representation.

Translation please?

The idea of sustainable fashion, like the terms sustainable and fashion themselves, to me means to re-examine the current thought processes behind existing fashionable operations with a mindful eye of everlasting execution. A more sustainable approach to fashion is more than green-washed terms like “environmentally-friendly” or marketing taglines like “eco-chic.” While these associations are rightful catalysts in the exciting mainstream movement of “going green,” they are wrongful to deter you from forgetting that the true source of change lies in our minds: we must first think individually about our personal consumption choices (myself included!), then collectively change our purchasing and production patterns as consumers, suppliers, and manufacturers, and finally, organize ourselves as citizens who practice conscious consumption, ultimately demanding a less unsustainable industry; we merely need to evolve as a species in order to sustain a new culture.

Think about it: a product changes over time because our needs change, too, so the improved version better suits us. Perhaps this sounds like a whole lot of rubbish, so forgive me for recycling the obvious, but only once we break the cycle—until we “strive towards progress and perfection” (Shaha, 75)—only then will we see a real revolution, in every sense of the word. In order for fashion to fully evolve into its final stage, we must define our needs as a generation—“the source of energy has to change” (75)—no matter how you wear it.

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