...educate yourself.
The label might say it's organic and
eco-friendly, but was it made in a sweatshop?
...follow a garment's life
cycle-from inception to finish.
When engaging the process, find out all you
can about the materials used to create your garment, the people involved in its
manufacture and how you might recycle it when you are finished wearing
it.
...recreate an old garment.
Why give up an article of clothing
when you can re-use the collar or sleeves and create something new? Repairs can
be decorative or functional, so go ahead and "upcycle" those old clothes.
...buy second-hand. Or try ‘swishing.'
Consumerism is so out. Invite
your friends to a "swish" party and swap usable clothes and accessories.
...avoid garments that need dry cleaning.
Enough
said.
...redefine clean. Embrace wrinkles!
The consumer-use phase of
everyday clothes often impacts the environment much more than the pre-consumer
phase. Be sensible about what gets tossed into the hamper. Wash clothes with
cold water, air dry or tumble warm. Forget your iron ever existed.
...get distracted by trends.
Shop as if buying heirlooms for future
generations.
...think that all fibers are the same.
Organic
alternatives are usually best, but do your homework. Ecofashion reveals that
bamboo fabrics sold as "natural" sustainable alternatives sometimes were
processed in the same ways as the most polluting fibers, like viscose rayon.
Technological advances are quite fashion-forward these days: There are
human-made, biodegradable fabrics that feel as soft to the skin as natural
fibers.
...buy clothing colored with synthetic dyes.
Synthetic dyes
can produce environmental disasters, both in their production and application.
Be aware, too, that some natural dyes get sourced from unsustainable resources
or are used along with toxic chemicals for setting the color.
...throw away
old clothes.
The average American consumes 70 pounds of textiles
annually. Most of this ends up in landfills. Consider recycling or donating the
clothes, accessories and shoes that you no longer wish to keep.
...obsess
about mistakes.
We all learn from them. Artistic and scientific
innovations respond to them. Rise to the ethical fashion challenge-use your
creative agency to experiment with passion and purpose.