Sustaining Our Future Through Sustainable Fashion
There’s a reason it’s called a fashion statement: what we wear is objectively the most eye-catching form of expression. We use it to express “I support this cause” and “I agree with what this brand stands for”, but what will streetwear become when there is no longer a street on which to wear it? It’s time to make the statement “I care about our planet”, and this message is achieved through the use of sustainably made clothing.
When we wear sustainable clothing, we don’t just wear products of better quality clothing, but we also directly support the betterment of the environment. Eco-friendly fashion practices minimize their negative impact on the earth by utilizing pollution-conscious processes as well as using materials like recyclable fibers. Such materials are undeniably favorable to wear on our bodies over chemical filled, cheap fabrics, and even hold potential to one day become an article of valuable vintage.
In addition to the undesirable fabrics and unethical environmental practices, fast fashion companies practice unfair working conditions. Such companies exploit workers who are statistically already underprivileged. They are underpaid, subjected to long work days, and put under dangerous working conditions. For the sake of humanity and the planet we have to share with the future of humanity, the very least we can do is abandon these companies. Companies like Soho Youth Club that produce items domestically and pay all factory workers an extremely fair wage will be the future of fashion. Supporting sustainable fashion is ultimately contributing to the greater good.
Luckily, we seem to be heading in the right direction: I have noticed it becoming increasingly taboo to show off clothes from fast fashion companies. It is definitely in good taste to support the earth as we dress, so continuing this initiative should be an individual fashion priority.
Everyone knows looking good and feeling good go hand in hand, so in addition to these two, society can include doing good: For ourselves and our world. Instead of wearing out the earth, let’s wear the solution.
