Image: Project Stop-Shop
The meaning of the term ‘sustainable fashion’ is not always clear cut. Here our head of sustainable fashion and textiles Charlotte Turner explores the challenges with this term, and how people can decipher the good from the greenwashing.
Earlier this week, CNN Style published this article titled ‘The problem with ‘sustainable fashion’’, which focused on a challenge we often debate here at Eco-Age. As more and more people become invested in sustainability and protecting the future of our planet, fashion choices are increasingly coming under the lens, and it feels like the term ‘sustainable fashion’ is everywhere. But what does it really mean?
At first glance, the term ‘sustainable fashion’ seems fairly straightforward. However, when you dig deeper you realise that there isn’t really a globally agreed definition of sustainability in the context of fashion; and at its core fashion is centered around the constant production and use of new items, which is inherently unsustainable.
This creates a bit of a dilemma, as we want to make more responsible choices, but how do we know what the right choice is if nobody can actually agree what that looks like? It’s becoming increasingly confusing, particularly as more and more people are talking about ‘sustainable fashion’ whilst likely having their own definitions for what this means.
That said, there are a few things we can do and look out for – starting with understanding the personal principles that we want to guide us in our choices. For us, the Eco-Age Principles set out some of the key areas we want and expect brands to address – from fair work and diversity and inclusion, to environmental management, corporate governance and ethics and more. Using personal principles as a guide is a good starting place for identifying the brands we want to support, and understanding which ones really need to do more.