Fashion is an ever-changing, innovative, and creative industry. Season after season, new trends hit the media and magazines, and our closets simply can’t keep up. Arguably one of the most strategic and creative seasons for fashion is fall.
While the weather is cooling down and the leaves begin to change, it’s imperative that our fashion choices not only reflect our style but also protect us from the newfound briskness. Now, we must add another challenge: ethical, sustainable, and budget-friendly shopping.
The fashion industry is bursting at the seam, full of innovation and creativity. However, it has some issues that have consequential effects on our health, our planet, animals, and workers. One of the largest issues to date is the environmental impact. According to Sustain Your Style, water pollution, water consumption, microfiber pollution, chemicals, greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, rainforest destruction, and major waste problems, are all factors in the environmental hurt done by the global fashion industry. To combat current environmental damage and prevent further damage it’s time to start advocating for and work on finding ethical and sustainable alternatives. Not only to the production, but also to the manufacturing, transportation, and consumption of fashion.
As college students, we often think there is little-to-no wiggle room when it comes to shopping. So we choose fast fashion (cheap, stylish, mass-produced clothing that hurts the environment) without taking a second to think about how our consumption impacts the world. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. We can stay up to date on the trends and adhere to sustainability without breaking the bank, but it’s going to require work.
1. Do your research. Many fast fashion brands lead their customers to believe that they are eco-friendly by greenwashing us into thinking they are releasing “conscious” clothing lines. Greenwashing is when a company or organization spends more time and money on marketing themselves as environmentally friendly than on minimizing their negative environmental impact. We must learn to recognize the difference between brands who market themselves as sustainable, brands who are working towards sustainability, and sustainable brands. It’s also important to do our research to understand why sustainability is so important.
2. Invest in quality, not quantity. Although many sustainable clothing brands have quite the cost to them, ethical and sustainable shopping can save you money. Many fast fashion items are made of cheap materials that don’t last long, which in turn requires consumers to purchase more in a shorter time. Ethical and sustainable clothing is made of higher quality, eco-friendly materials that are made to last.
3. Shop off-season. We typically see sweaters worn in the fall and winter months, but many are on sale and sold at cheaper prices in the spring months. Buying clothes off-season allows you to get the same pieces for a fraction of the price. This way you stay in line with the trend and your wallet stays full.
College is a financially difficult time for many of us. Keeping up with the current trends and finding clothes that reflect who we are does not have to compete with staying conscious about how our actions affect the world around us. Both can be done simultaneously as long as we are willing to put in the effort to make it happen. Start now, and start small.