Sustainable and Eco Friendly Fashion

While environmentally conscious consumers have looked for ways to clothe themselves without having a negative impact on the planet, fashion designers and the fashion industry as a whole have only joined the green movement in recent years. There are now several fashion designers who create only eco friendly or sustainable fashion lines, and several runway show that are entirely environmentally friendly have appeared as well. While there are still many controversies over what materials are the safest for the environment, safest for consumers, or the most natural, the truth of the matter is that you do not have to be a fashion fanatic or an environmental activist to help the environment by making eco friendly and sustainable choices in clothing.

Sustainable and Eco Friendly Fashion: What does it mean?

There are a few different schools of thought on what the best and most ecological approach to fashion is. Sustainability refers to the impact that an item has throughout its life span, on people and on the environment. Sustainable fashion is therefore the creation and manufacturing of clothing that do not hurt people or the environment. Many designers who are interested in sustainability are also interested in fair trade, which furthers the cause. Fair trade means that the people who are creating a part of the product share in a fair part of the profit that the product gets in the marketplace, rather than relying on sweatshops or low paid factory workers.

Sustainable and Eco Friendly Fashion: Materials

Organic materials go hand in hand with sustainable and eco friendly fashion. That is because organic materials are not treated with pesticides or other harmful chemicals. In addition, manufacturers of organic cloth avoid chemical dyes while processing the fabric. This has a huge impact on the environment, by halting the pollution of natural resources, reducing human exposure to chemicals, and using less energy and consumption in creating a product.

Sustainable materials are typically naturally occurring or recycled. This can mean a fiber, such as organic cotton, hemp, or wool, or a recycled product. Natural fibers are either plant fibers or animal fibers. They have less impact on the environment than synthetic fabrics, like nylon and polyester, which are petroleum based. Materials that are used in eco fashion are the most hotly debated topic in the green fashion movement.

While many celebrities have jumped on the green fashion bandwagon, the true measure of a person's effect on the environment is a measure of their total consumption. Adding organic and eco friendly fashion can help you in your overall effort to reduce waste and be a friend of the environment. Going out and buying new eco friendly fashions may not be as smart as recycling, buying used goods, or making do with what you have.