As more consumers learn about fair fashion and focus on sustainably and ethically made products, more clothing companies have taken advantage of the trend towards sustainability. Well-known brands, like H&M and Zara, have all created new “sustainable” clothing lines, but it can tricky to tell whether these brands live up to their stated values. While there are many clothing companies that truly value their workers and their impact on the environment, it can be difficult and overwhelming to sort through companies that actually live up to these values vs those that use sustainability as a marketing buzzword.
For this reason, I’ve compiled a brief guide to telling greenwashing (the practice of providing misleading information about a company’s green practices) from sustainability.
Avoid fast fashion whenever possible. It can be easy to reach to fast-fashion brands with extremely low prices and very trendy pieces, but the very business model of fast-fashion with new trends every single week is inherently unsustainable. Clothing from most fast fashion companies isn’t built to have longevity, only to be worn a few times.
Look for production processes. The most sustainable companies often have very transparent production practices and will be open about their warehouses, sourcing, worker wages, and working conditions. Whenever possible, I perform a quick google search to see if I can find any information about the production processes of my favorite companies. Everlane, for example, is very open about where and how their clothes are made.
Look for B-corps! B-corps are corporations that undergo an extensive evaluation process to be certified as a green and just company. Each B-corp has a score that highlights its social impacts and identifies room for improvement. There are plenty of other certifications you can spot as well, like fair trade certification, that signal a company is doing the right thing.
Shop locally. Some of my favorite pieces have come from local businesses in Athens - like Community and Dynamite Vintage - which have great vintage collections, and put their workers and sustainable practices first! Community, in particular, has an in-house label made by the lovely designers at the shop, and they are all more than willing to talk about their clothing!
This guide isn’t comprehensive by any means, and often the most sustainable thing to do for fashion is to redesign and trade with the clothing you already own or to shop second-hand. Whenever I am in the mood to shop or get a new staple piece that I know will last me ages, I try my best to go to the brands that are as sustainable as possible!
<3 Great post!!