I've got style: sustainable fashion

7/4/2018

I'm sure you're wondering, "Hey, Melissa, what does fashion have to do with keeping our planet green?" Well, amigx... everything! For example, did you know leather-making can take up to 16,000 litres of water to produce just 1 kg of it? Or that China supplies 90% of the world's angoras - that's more than 50 million Angora bunnies! Don't even get me started on how many countries are at 'extreme risk' in the Forced Labour Index - about 49 countries where regulations are either poor or just don't exist!

The fact of the matter is that most of our fashion is low quality and has a high turnover. This means unsafe workplaces (including human right violations - like child labour), chemical pollutions, HUGE carbon and water use footprints, and more. So what can we do?

Easy - be better consumers. But it's hard to do that when you don't know what you're looking for! Here are some certifications and standards eco-labels that are credible usually have...

FAIRTRADE
Does your garment have the FAIRTRADE mark? If so, score! That means it has met the Fairtrade standards and principles that aim to avoid child/forced labour and discrimination, promote good working conditions (such as good pay), and have a good relationship with the environment.

ETHICAL CLOTHING AUSTRALIA (ECA)
Aussies this one's for you- an ECA accreditation means their production complies with labour laws! This is specific for textile, clothing, and footwear industry workers, including home workers. Hooray for annual independent audits, amirite?

Hey, Australia and New Zealand! Did you know we have an app that allows us to make better choices when it comes to fashion? The Good On You app is FREE and provides an ethical rating on thousands of fashion brands (e.g. people, planet, animals) and allows you to send feedback to your favorite brands... or those who can do a little better. Download it on the App Store today or get it on Google Play!

GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD (GOTS)
Do you GOTS this label on your item? It's one of the most recognised organic standards for textiles- globally! They have a high environmental criteria and complies with social criteria as well - meaning the process is fully traceable and there are various, annual inspections across their supply chain. Win!

SUSTAINABLE TEXTILE PRODUCTION (STEP)
STeP is one of my favourite standards because of how much it covers throughout their supply chain: acceptable working conditions, chemical management, health and safety policies, high standard of environmental management, efficiently using their resources (and disposing of the nasties responsibly like waste, wastewater and emissions) and aims to reduce their carbon emissions. A gold star in my book.

ETHICAL TRADING INITIATIVE (ETI) and WORLDWIDE RESPONSIBLE ACCREDITED PRODUCTION (WRAP)
ETI: This one was a new one for me- because it's a full on alliance of companies, trade unions, organisations and more wanting to improve the supply chain of various consumer goods! There's a base code of labour practice all must adhere to, as well as each member must submit annual reports on how they're progressing on the implementation of labour and social rights.

WRAP: Another independent initiative, this non-profit organisation focuses on lawful, humane, and ethical manufacturing in their factories in various sectors (footwear, apparel, sewn products, etc). There are 12 WRAP principles all must follow in order to get the certification.

BETTER WORK
We've all heard of the United Nations, right? How about the UN's International Labour Organisation? Well Better Work is a collab between that and a member of the World Bank Group called International Finance Corporation. Basically, it's all for improving working conditions and respecting labour rights and workers. Booyah!

Other certifications & standard to keep an eye out for...

What are some you look out for?

If you've been following this blog for a few weeks, you'll notice I'm moving towards more sustainable, ethical, and eco-friendly brands lately. This starts with my wardrobe!

Some Basics

I'm going through a few thought processes as I re-do my wardrobe, wanting to invest in high-quality pieces:

Think: What kind of wardrobe do I want? For me, I'm all about the timeless, classic pieces with some "trends" thrown in. I largely like neutral colors (ecru, white, black, pastels) with some bright pops for summer. I'm designing a "capsule wardrobe" around this vision - more on that in a future post. As I get rid of things, I also ask myself, "How many times do I use this? Can I donate it?" Some things have been in my wardrobe that I've rarely worn (thankfully that has gone down with the amount of times I've moved).
Natural + good quality: I'm trying to have my new clothes be of high-quality materials such organic cotton, linen (made from flax), silk, wool, cashmere, hemp, and sometimes bamboo (depending how it was made- it must be a closed loop lyocell process known as Tencel to be good). Leather? I either get recycled leather items or those from sustainable alternatives. Synthetic fabrics should basically be considered plastic fabric (think polyester, rayon, modal, spandex and nylon) and is bad for our environment.
Local: Can I support local shops, artisans, organisations and more when I want to buy a product? If yes, that's more incentive for me to get it!
Care Instructions: Do the materials I've bought have special care instructions that will allow me to use it for longer if cared for properly? Sometimes hard when all you want to do is throw it in the wash and be done with it, but essential if you want your goodies to last! Also, invest in good coat hangers as plastic ones can stretch out your sholders.
Few: Less clothes the better... no more time staring at a closet wondering what on Earth to wear! Big thanks, capsule wardrobe.
DIY - make, adapt, revive, salvage: Thrift shopping or making things for myself is always a bargain!

Before I reach for my wallet, I ask myself, "How much will I wear it? Do I already own something similar? How long will it last?" I am definitely an impulsive buyer and sometimes use retail therapy to cheer myself up- yikes! I have this taped by my card so I always see it before I buy anything.

Melissa Cristina Marquez