Ethical Clothing Brands, what is it?
Ethical Clothing
I'm sure you've seen the headlines. Fast Fashion is bad for the enviornment. With so much emphesis on this, shopping sustainable fashion is on everyones minds. But being told that we need to stop buying fast fashion leaves many to question... Where do i shop?
Well, firstly lets start with a few questions many of you have to understand what this all means.
What is ethical fashion?
Ethical Fashion is an umbrella term to describe ethical fashion design, production, retail, and purchasing. It covers a range of issues such as working conditions, exploitation, fair trade, sustainable production, the environment, and animal welfare.
Is sustainable fashion the same as ethical fashion?
No not exactly, Sustainable clothing refers to fabrics derived from eco-friendly resources, such as sustainably grown fiber crops or recycled materials. It also refers to how these fabrics are made.
Fabric manufacturing and the effects on the environment are hot topics at the moment. Experts say textile supply chains are among some of the most complex in all manufacturing sectors around the world. For starters, we have the fibre, which is either obtained from a plant, animal or crude oil. The technique required to bring about fibre is both energy-demanding and pollutant-intensive. Then, the fibre undergoes processing until it can be spun into a yarn. Subsequently, this is knitted or woven into the fabric. Somewhere along the line, bleaches as well dyes are used. And the fabric is finally made into a garment, which could be your favourite shirt, sweater, blazer, suit, or other fancy wears you possess.
Every one of these stages possibly takes place in various factories and probably in various countries. And all of these steps have environmental impacts that should not be undermined.
Shopping brands who claim to be sustainable will mean you are purchasing fabrics made with less enviornmental impact
What is the difference between slow and fast fashion?
Fast fashion is classed as inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. But what does that mean when comparing it to ethical fashion?
Well, the main aim is to keep costs down. This means cheaper materials (more cost to the environment) and harsher working conditions, labour exploitation, and low salaries for those making the clothing.
Even here in the UK, Leicester is “a country within a country”, as one factory owner puts it, where “£5 an hour is considered the top wage”, even though that is illegal. And while some retailers blame unethical factory owners, the factories say retail’s relentless push for cheap prices makes it impossible to improve. This is the working conditions expected to achieve such low prices, and a quick turnaround for customers used to getting items immediately. There is no love and care in these garments, it's all about profit margins.
Slow Fashion is a more sustainable approach to the design and production process. Slow Fashion is an awareness and approach to fashion, which considers the processes and resources required to make clothing, particularly focusing on sustainability. It involves buying better-quality garments that will last for longer and values fair treatment of people, animals and the planet.
Slow fashion also helps with left over fabric and unwanted, manufactured items. This covers "made to order" items. Items made in this way ensures that items are only manufactured when the items are sold.
Can I shop sustainable items on wildthing.com
yes, you can. With over 150 brands on Wild Thing, many of them consider themselves as slow fashion, and sustainable.
