Magner, E. (2019, January 22). You’re not imagining it-so many cool, sustainable fashion lines are coming out of California right now. Retrieved February 24, 2019, from https://www.wellandgood.com/good-looks/sustainable-ethical-clothing-los-angeles/
Some fashion companies and labels in California–specifically LA and San Francisco– are following a trend to produce environmentally-friendly, ethical clothing. Even though the main focus is producing sustainable clothing, stores are also working on selling more local brands and names, as well as educating people about what is going on in terms of the how items are made and where they are coming from and what is happening in the fashion industry. Stores and brands want people to understand their impact and by doing that it can really encourage people to change their shopping ways. Lots of environmentally-friendly technology goes into this such as using fabrics like “recycled cotton, deadstock, and vintage fabrics, tencel (a super-sustainable fiber made from wood pulp) and Refibra (a newer take on tencel that also includes upcycled cotton scraps from garment production.)”. Designers are particularly excited about using “bio textiles that are using food crop waste like banana and pineapple”.
This relates to environmental science because it focuses on making fashion and clothing more environmentally-friendly, ethical, and sustainable. And it’s all in a way where you don’t have to sacrifice great style and clothing for being environmentally friendly. I think that it can be a big concern for people into fashion and its industry is finding a way to be environmentally-friendly, ethical, and sustainable, but still have style. I think another important part is education because, as the article mentions, can get more people on board with shopping more environmentally-friendly, ethical, and sustainable products. Like the solar panels, cost does present problems. Lots of these products are more expensive, which could prevent people from spending their money on say an environmentally-friendly $40 white t-shirt versus a $10 one from a chain store.
I know that the fashion industry has a lot of issues not only harming the environment, but violating human rights with the use of sweatshops. It is exciting to see that a movement of more conscious brands is taking place. I agree with you and the article that education is a huge part of making a change. As we have learned in class, individuals can change their impact starting with what they buy. It is interesting to see how thrifting, which can keep clothes out of the trash and reduces the need for producing new clothes, has become somewhat of a trend for certain people. Do you know of any sustainable and ethical brands that have made it into the mainstream?
Thank you for your comment! As far as mainstream brands I have heard of Reformation, which is women’s clothing. They even rate fabrics on their website on how ethically and environmentally friendly materials are. Allbirds is also becoming popular. They make shoes (sneakers) out of sustainable materials.