A little intro to eco-fashion

You can pretty clearly split conscious business practices into two facets. On one hand, you have the environmental considerations. On the other are social practices. In order to have a truly sustainable business, you must have both, but finding this balance is tricky and expensive. For this post I'm going to focus more on the environmental considerations, because there is nowhere close to enough room to write about both.

Environmentally conscious practices will come up in many different areas of running a business, from shipping choices to packaging materials and every step in between. For the fashion industry, one of the largest footprints is left by the materials. Between farming and producing the fibres, dyeing, processing and washing the materials, textiles are one of the most destructive industries for our planet.

As technology moves forward, there are increasingly more choices we can make to lessen our environmental impact. As consumers, knowing what these options look like will allow you to vote with your dollar and show producers the public is interested. A recent study showed the majority of consumers are willing to spend up to 25% more on goods with a lower impact, such as organic cotton fabrics. The most evident aspect in fashion is which fibre the textiles are made of. Linen and cotton are only a couple natural fibres available these days - materials such as tencel, modal and hemp are now available in apparel goods. There are also legislations and certifications in place that improve the conditions in which these goods are produced. Peace silks and natural wools are farmed, spun and woven in better conditions than before using less toxins and softer dyes. With new organic classifications and major companies opting for eco-certified materials, options are opening up.

While these improvements are more accessible, there are still many factories, mills and countries where these certifications are of no concern. It lands on the designers and labels to stay educated and transparent so their customers know where the products they are purchasing are coming from and under what circumstances they are produced. We too want to share the news and developments we come across. So when we read about Ikea increasing their organic cotton usage or China passing legislation to clean up chemical pollution in their textile industry, we're going to let you know. And if you have any questions or comments, please let us know - there is so much to talk about!