The fashion industry is no stranger to environmental issues. In fact several have even called the textile industry one of the biggest polluters in the world. Fast Fashion retailers and trends have contributed to the industry's environmental footprint in recent years. Americans are estimated to throw away around 12.8 million tons of clothes per year according to an article from the Yale school of Forestry and Environmental studies. That amounts to approximately 70-80 pounds per person which, according to some reports, is double what an American would have thrown away two decades ago. Many Americans don't realize that their donated clothes often end up in landfills thereby contributing to added waste. When donated are sent overseas, it can negatively impact the local economy. Industry standards for quality and wearability have also declined across the board from fast fashion to luxury brands.
The textile industries in places like China and India who produce the majority of the western world's textiles also contribute to waste as regulations are lax leading to the pollution of rivers and low cost dyeing processes overtax the water supply in these regions. Places like the FIDM institute of textile sciences in Los Angeles are constantly researching new and more environmentally friendly processes for producing textiles. Several startups around the US have already begun processes for breaking down recycled textiles to create even stronger and better materials such as Seattle based Evernu. In some cases companies are even growing their own textiles using chemical processes and organic materials like grapes. Designers have also been experimenting with bioprinting a process that uses bacteria to create pigments that are less damaging to the environment.
Retail giants like Target and Macy's have also contributed to the decline in industry standards by enforcing increasingly strict return policies on last call discount items online and in store that encourage consumers to throw away clothes that they don't like or that don't fit rather than return them. Another problem that contributes to the throw away clothing culture is the decline of tailoring services and the one-size-fits-all retail mindset. Many stores that used to offer tailoring in store with the purchase of items like a dress or a suit no longer offer these services and local tailoring shops are few and far between. The ones that do exist are inundated with orders during busy times like prom season and can barely keep up with the demand because most dresses and suits still need some work after they have been purchased. Since many younger consumers don't have the skills to mend clothes that tear or replace lost buttons and tailoring isn't readily available their clothes end up in the trash even if they are still wearable.
Several companies including fast fashion giant H&M have introduced recycling programs that give consumers discounts for donating old clothes, but so far the programs have only returned a fraction of the millions of clothes sold by these retailers every year. Consumer behavior still seemingly favors the fast fashion mindset of buying new clothes all the time rather than just a few times a year, making it hard for traditional brands to compete. However trends have also recently shown an increasing interest in more quality pieces and vintage or upcycled finds. Rather than trying to convince consumers to recycle their old clothes, brands that stand behind their products while still delivering stylish pieces are attracting attention from consumers tired of keeping up with the ever expanding retail calendar.
Several American companies including Levi Strauss and Co., New Balance, and Misfit have also been working to create more sustainable processes for their products as well as use recycled or organic materials in their designs. Misfit, a company that creates fitness trackers and other wearable tech, partnered with Swarovski in 2015 to create an affordable solar powered activity tracker that eliminated the need for harmful lithium batteries. As fashion and technology continue to overlap, companies like Misfit are thinking about ways to reduce e-waste while still making stylish products. Creating and selling sustainable fashion seems like a good idea for brands looking to improve their image and increase sales, however often times the investment doesn't pay off as many consumers are still reluctant to purchase items marked "eco-friendly" or "made using recycled materials."
The problem isn't that consumers don't want to purchase eco-friendly products though, but rather they fear a decreased quality or lifespan for the pieces as environmentally friendly products have a bad reputation of wearing out quickly. Consumers who are already tired of clothes that wear out after one or two washes are reluctant to purchase items that look more like a PR stunt than a product that will hold up to a brand's reputation. Unfortunately style and sustainability are still two competing concepts when it comes to the fashion industry and many brands that have a reputation for being eco-friendly also have a reputation for being boring and ill fitting. Brands that rely on environmentally conscious products as their only selling point lose the ability to appeal to a mainstream audience because they look more like a passing trend than a company that will make it in a competitive industry. Price is also a barrier to sustainable products and consumers are reluctant to pay more for a product that isn't personalized or stylish and doesn't look like it will last even if it is environmentally friendly. Sometimes the way sustainable brands are portrayed in the media also contributes to their lack of success and talking about eco-friendly fashion as the new norm rather than an exciting fad that could quickly go out of style can contribute to more mainstream popularity for green fashion.
Frances Kozen, Associate Director Cornell Institute Fashion & Fiber told the New York Times that her overall mantra was to "buy less and wear more (or longer)" in an interview last month. Ultimately the best way brands can work to reduce their environmental impact and help the fashion industry to become more sustainable is by conducting thorough research when sourcing materials and creating quality products that are meant to last. Consumers are looking for brands they can trust and standing behind a product will not only help to reduce waste but also create customer loyalty for struggling companies. To learn more about the future of sustainable fashion read my interview with Kristine Upesleja the Textiles and Materials manager at FIDM in Los Angeles and check out her blog here .
Frances Kozen, Associate Director Cornell Institute Fashion & Fiber told the New York Times that her overall mantra was to "buy less and wear more (or longer)" in an interview last month. Ultimately the best way brands can work to reduce their environmental impact and help the fashion industry to become more sustainable is by conducting thorough research when sourcing materials and creating quality products that are meant to last. Consumers are looking for brands they can trust and standing behind a product will not only help to reduce waste but also create customer loyalty for struggling companies. To learn more about the future of sustainable fashion read my interview with Kristine Upesleja the Textiles and Materials manager at FIDM in Los Angeles and check out her blog here .
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