Sustainability Is Sexy
- Angela Dawson
- Oct 18, 2019
- 6 min read
The secrets behind what you wear and the power of consumption. Who knew fashion could be environmental activism?
In the age of Whole Foods, over nine non-dairy milk alternatives, vegan meats, and cashew cheese, it’s about time the movement of veganism merged with that of the fashion world. Who knew the clothes off your back could lead to environmental activism?
What is vegan fashion?
Vegan fashion revolves around textiles and clothing made without the use of animal products. That includes no fur, leather (made from animal skin; commonly cow), suede (the underside of animal skin; usually lamb, goat, calf, or deer), wool (derived from sheep or goat), cashmere (a version of wool derived from goats or alpaca), silk (made from insect larvae), snakeskin, down (created from the feathers of fowls), or any other material acquired by an animal.
Plant-based textiles such as linen, cotton, hemp, and recycled materials are the more safe and sustainable fabrics to stick to.
Emmanuelle Rienda, creator of Vegan Fashion Week—which commenced on October 10th-15th, 2019 in Los Angeles, California with the theme “Fashion is Activism”—truthfully explains the stance on vegan fashion:
Despite this, it’s of importance to note that even if clothes are man-made rather than derived from animals, it may not be sustainable. Yes, vegan fashion is meant to protect the mistreatment of animals, but this term does not guarantee using collective eco-friendly resources in its replacement.
First, let’s answer some common questions:
Is wool sustainable?
The process of gathering animal materials for textile manufacturing is more complex than we realize. Although wool is a sustainable material, as it is able to decompose naturally by causing no harm to our precious Earth, there is still somewhat of a double-edged sword with how it’s obtained.
Shearing is a process of removing the wool coat from the sheep, a practice that has been going on for decades—so much so that people claim sheep have built up a reliance. Without it, their coats will overgrow, causing mobility and hygiene issues. Sheep have been purposefully bred to produce this unnatural abundance of wool, so it’s told. But when sheep start producing less wool, they are likely sold to be slaughtered, and factory farms are the number one cause of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere.
The treatment of these animals in this industry is a factor that plays into whether this is an ethical practice. Shearing, if done, should always be done carefully and by experienced individuals so that no harm comes to the animals involved.
With all this in mind, when you are making a decision on what to put your money towards, being informed of both sides of the story is a key factor.
What are your clothes made out of?
Often times we do not pay close attention to what our clothing is made of.
Take a moment right now to look at the label of the piece of clothing you’re wearing. What does it say? Maybe it’s 20% one thing, 50% something else, and 30% an entirely different material, or in the same vein. You may even be thinking, what the heck is polyester anyway?
There are countless man-made fabrics that put our health, the health of employees, and the health of the planet, at risk. Synthetic materials, which are made through chemical processes, include, but are not limited to, Acrylic, Nylon, Polyester, and Rayon (to name a few).
Rayon: attained from plant fibers, in other words ‘cellulosic material’—oftentimes coming from bamboo—and treated with a highly toxic chemical called carbon disulfide. Yes, such material is able to decompose, but meanwhile will disperse these synthetic, chemical substances in the surrounding area.
Polyester: created during a process with coal, air, water, and petroleum. Long story short, without getting into the boring details of long complicated chemical terms, it’s basically melted plastic spun into fibers.
Nylon & Acrylic: also plastic.
Most of these synthetic products take from 20 to 200 years to decompose. When they do, the fabrics release the chemicals they were made with in the process, and thus polluting our beloved Earth. And I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather where natural materials rather than plastic (unless it’s recycled, of course).
When you buy a product, you are buying into the company, supporting them and what they represent: the process in which clothes are made, and the conditions in which the employees work under, are principal components in the fashion industry. Basically, you vote with your dollar.
Fast Fashion V. Slow Fashion
The ugly truth: our society is very materialistic. We always want the next best thing, hardly ever stopping to think, what is the story behind this product?
Fast fashion is the quick development of designing the clothing, from getting it made, to stocking it in stores in front of consumers as soon as possible. Fast fashion is a way for the average buyer to afford cheaply made, inexpensive products that mimic those on-trend. Examples include Forever 21, H&M, Zara, ASOS, and Topshop.
Though, some of these big companies, such as H&M and Reformation, are taking slow steps into reducing their waste, such as implementing recycling programs.
Slow fashion is quite literally the opposite of fast fashion. They focus on the quality of the products they create so that they last longer for the consumer buying them. Slow fashion implements fair trade elements, which includes appropriate working conditions, fair wages, benefits, and overall less of a carbon footprint impact as a company. They strive for an eco-friendly impact. Quality over quantity, am I right?
Patagonia, although a fair trade company, still uses animal products in their clothing. However, the have ethical standards, and even encourage those to return any Patagonia clothing, promising to recycle the materials into their new products.
Slow fashion, including the use of safe textiles, is a sustainable, ethical alternative to the non-biodegradable and non-renewable textiles dominating the fashion industry. When you go to buy a product, ask yourself, what process did it undergo to get there in your hands? Or rather, just ask an employee and see what they say.
When we shop consciously, we are showing the fashion brands what we think our money is worth, what we are worth, and what our planet is worth.
There are companies starting to take notice that this stylish, sustainable, and ethical fashion is in high demand:
1. Stella McCartney is a designer brand promoting vegan silk made from yeast.
2. Matt & Natt produces chic vegan leather bags from recycled plastic.
3. Girlfriend Collective takes your plastic water bottle and transforms it into beautiful, ethical activewear for all sizes.
4. Dazey LA aims to promote zero-waste while empowering women through conversations sparked by their one-of-a-kind clothing. Each of their pieces—ranging from graphic tees to overalls to phone cases—are handmade to order from their Los Angeles location.
5. MUD jeans focus on zero-waste through ethically and sustainably sourced denim. They recycle, upcycle, and even lease their products for a more environmentally friendly impact.
6. WAWWA is yet another ethical, fair trade clothing brand pushing forth the importance of an affirmative influence on the planet.
Vegan fashion is environmental activism. The more ethically conscious the brand is, the better quality your products will be, and the longer they will last. It’s a win-win-win—for the brand, the world, and you!
Last-minute tips for the sustainable fashionista novice:
1. Check the label. You might as well know what materials you’re wearing.
2. Ask the employees or company if they are fair trade certified—it’s all a matter of conditions, wages, and benefits.
3. Shop local! Support small businesses and independent entrepreneurs.
4. Purchase second-hand clothing through your local thrift stores.
5. Recycle your own clothing. Pass them down, donate them, or see if the brand has its own upcycling program.
6. Double-check your denim, not all are made with 100% cotton.
7. Stick to fabrics such as cotton, linen, canvas, bamboo, hemp, or recycled material.
8. Lastly, strut your stuff, because the planet (and the vegans) with thank you for it.
*Article also featured on Cohorted Cult.
Sources:
“Animals Used for Clothing.” Animal Cruelty Exposure Fund, https://www.animalcrueltyexposurefund.org/animals-used-for-clothing/.
“Circular Denim: A World Without Waste.” Mud Jeans, https://mudjeans.eu/.
Crouch, Dorothy. “Vegan Fashion Week Returns to Los Angeles: California Apparel News.” Vegan Fashion Week Returns to Los Angeles | California Apparel News, 5 Sept. 2019, https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2019/sep/05/vegan-fashion-week-returns-los-angeles/
“Dazey L.A. Art Apparel & Accessories.” Dazey LA, https://www.dazeyla.com.
“Farm Sanctuary.” Farm Sanctuary, https://www.farmsanctuary.org/vegan-fashion/.
“FAST FASHION VS. SLOW FASHION.” Study New York, http://study-ny.com/slow-fashion.
“Girlfriend Collective; More than Clothes for Women Who Care.” Girlfriend Collective, https://www.girlfriend.com/.
Murray-Ragg, Nadia. “10 Designer Brands That Are Vegan, Eco-Friendly and Ethical.” LIVEKINDLY, 11 Apr. 2019, https://www.livekindly.co/10-designer-brands-vegan-eco-friendly-ethical/.
“Recycled Polyester.” Patagonia, https://www.patagonia.com/recycled-polyester.html.
“Sheep for Meat and Wool.” Sheep for Meat and Wool – Woodstock Sanctuary, http://woodstocksanctuary.org/sheep/.
“VEGAN FASHION WEEK.” VEGAN FASHION WEEK, https://www.veganfashionweek.org/.
“What's Wrong with Wearing Wool?” PETA, 7 July 2010, https://www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/whats-wrong-with-wearing-wool/.
Wicker, Alden. “Is Rayon Biodegradable? Here's What Happens When Rayon Goes in the Compost, Trash, or Ocean.” Ecocult, 22 Mar. 2019, https://ecocult.com/rayon-viscose-modal-lyocell-tencel-biodegradable-compostable-microfiber/
Super informative and love it
Great article and one that we all should carefully and logically consider. Amazing research !🌺