If Women Ruled the World What Would They Wear?
Sustainable Fashion is eco-fashion, ethical fashion, fair trade fashion and green fashion. Sustainable Fashion is responsible fashion for all parts of the fashion lifecycle including you and me.
The demand for cheap clothing has led to what has been coined Fast Fashion and it is killing our planet. The fashion industry is responsible for 22% of the global wastewater and 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent per year.
What do we mean by Fast Fashion?
Fast Fashion is inexpensive clothes produced quickly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. It’s clothing that moves quickly from the fashion runway to stores.
It makes sense. We see a dress or outfit we like on a celebrity or social media influencer. We look online to find it, order it cheap and wear it while it is still on trend.
Why does it matter? Each year the clothing we throw away amounts to 11 million tons in the US alone. This has an impact on the environment and the carbon footprint of fashion. Statistics tell us that apparel and footwear production currently accounts for 8.1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The fashion industry produces more carbon emissions than the aviation and shipping industries combined.
In addition to the impact on the planet there is a human impact on the garment workers. The people who make fast fashion clothing are often underpaid, underfed, and pushed to their limits because there are often few other options. Remake.world includes fascinating stories, films and resources to learn more. They are committed to providing information for us all to buy better and remake our closets and clothes.
How can we all get started?
Recycle
Purchase Secondhand and Trade with Friends. Prom and formal dresses are a glaring example of one and done fashion which also adds to clothing disposal.
Reduce
Follow This One Rule: Adding One Item Into Your Closet Means Taking One Item Out of Your Closet.
This can be challenging at first but can also be combined with trading vs buying something for that one occasion.
ReUse
Shop In Your Own Closet. We tried this recently. It was an eye opening experience and eventually we uncovered that LBD that was perfect.
ReNew
Customize Your Signature Look. The first step is to define your look away from Instagram and fast fashion. The good news is that this can change and evolve over time. You do you!
GirlsTaketheLead.org will be launching a Global Innovation Challenge March 8, International Women’s Day. Hint: Sustainable Fashion is key. Check back to learn more.
How Dirty is Your Closet? Take the ThredUp Fashion Footprint Calculator and get some great tips on sustainable fashion and your closet. ThredUp is the world’s largest consignment and thrift store.