When you shop you mostly think about the numbers, for instance, the price of the shirt, the percentage of discount, the number of pairs you should by to get a good deal, and so on. But there are other numbers that people hardly ever think of. Production of one tee-shirt requires the usage of over 2,700 liters of water, which is the same amount that an average person drinks in 900 days. Now consider that over eighty billion clothes are made all over the world and you will get an inkling of the severity of the situation. The shocking facts do not end in here: three out of four clothes that you discard reach the landfills or get incinerated. After petroleum oil, the apparel industry is the second largest polluter all over the world. Your fashion choices not feeling so cool now, is it?
However, it is not like the fashion industry has been turning a blind eye to the situation altogether. Several attempts have already been made by the top fashion brands and style icons of the globe. Read on to find out more about the eco-friendly green fashion.
The top three benefits of eco-friendly fashion products
The number of environmental concerns currently plaguing the world, right from global warming, ozone layer depletion, to rising pollution, naturally makes you rethink your choices. Here are a few more reasons for you to turn to sustainable fashion products.
- It is good for the animals. You might be in love with that new fur jacket of yours but when you consider the life of the animal that had been taken away to make the jacket, it does not feel so amazing anymore, right?
- A thought for the Mother Earth. You are contributing to reducing a part of the huge environmental footprint left by the fashion industry when you pick up eco-friendly choices.
- It is durable and long-lasting. There is a wrong notion in the minds of the people that sustainable goods do not have the same longevity as synthetic choices. However, in reality, renewable fibers last longer while not polluting the Earth.
The celebrities and the fashion brands seem to have realized these advantages as many of them have picked up eco-friendly fashion choices for quite some time now.
The initiatives taken by the top brands and fashionistas
The red carpet initiatives by the top names of Hollywood have helped in providing the much needed impetus to green fashion. Actress Natalie Portman is perhaps the biggest endorser of this as she regularly wears vegan shoes. Emma Watson, a foremost supporter of women rights, is also very vocal about making eco-friendly choices. Her black chiffon Ricardo Tisci dress at the promotions was made of organic, sustainable materials. She paired it up with faux leather heels. Gwyneth Paltrow has been raising her voice for cruelty-free and gluten-free products for quite some time now and her fashion choices are a reflection of the philosophy that she believes in. Her website Goop paired up with Amour Vert to create a range of shirts made from wood-pulp fibers and non-toxic dyes.
Designer Stella McCartney has become synonymous with green fashion by rejecting the use of leather and fur in her high-end couture collection. The sportswear giant Nike came up with the technology for 3D shoes in a bid to reduce the use of synthetic and non-renewable material in product design and manufacturing. Besides, the “red-carpet” isn’t really red anymore! It is green carpet now to encourage environmentally sound choices among the glitterati.
Incorporating green ideas in your fashion choices
You need not give up on fashion in a bid to turn environment friendly. Fashion and eco-friendliness can go hand in hand provided you take the right steps. The following are some of the ideas on incorporating green concepts in your fashion choices.
Give your clothes a second life: An average American trashes out over 65 pounds of textiles in a year which ultimately adds to the landfills of the cities. So instead of throwing out your clothes, consider donating or recycling your accessories and clothes. The brands like Patagonia and Nike accept their own goods for recycling. H&M has taken this a step further by declaring that they will take in any garment for recycling, regardless of the manufacturer.
Be an informed shopper: Do not be afraid to ask questions about the brand and its products. Research a brand well to know if they are actually into sustainable fashion. The thing that you see advertised as faux leather might not actually be so. Thus, instead of shopping on a whim, be an informed and well-researched shopper.
The thirty-time rule: A rule of thumb advised by most manufacturers is that you should wear a cloth at least thirty times before thinking of giving it away. The current culture of buying new clothes just because you are bored with the old ones or maybe they are a bit loose at the sides adds to environmental waste. Try swapping wardrobes with friends instead of thinking of a complete wardrobe reshuffle.
Look after your clothes: The point is to make your clothes last longer than you normally make them. Read the instructions about taking care properly and follow the steps diligently to ensure that a piece of cloth lasts you longer than usual.
Eco-friendly green fashion is not a passing trend and it is rather a need of the hour. So, join the bandwagon and choose wisely.
