How to Know if a Clothing Purchase is Sustainable

The fashion industry is the second largest polluter on our planet after the oil industry. Fast fashion in particular has significant negative social and environmental impacts, like the use of toxic chemicals in manufacturing, high energy consumption, poor working conditions, and much more. But fashion is a beautiful and necessary artform – so what can we do to make it less harmful to our world Thankfully, there is a better way than what the conventional fashion industry wants us to believe: sustainable fashion!

Everyone who wears clothes (aka everyone) can make a change in the fashion sector by focusing on more sustainable consumption. Every purchase you make is a vote towards a more eco-friendly and social fashion industry. By purchasing preloved goods from consignment stores like Current Boutique and new goods from ethical fashion brands who use nontoxic dyes, eco-friendly fabrics, and safe social practices, you’re telling the fashion industry that you’re not okay with how things have been done. Your dollars demand change.

But we know shopping for sustainable clothing can be overwhelming. To make shopping for sustainable fashion easier, we created a list of the six questions you should ask before buying any new piece of clothing. Even if you remember or use just one of these tips, you’ll be on your way towards a more sustainable lifestyle and closet! 

Want to learn more about sustainable fashion? Read our article: What is Sustainable Fashion?

1. Which materials are in this clothing piece?

The fastest, easiest way to take a step towards more sustainable clothing purchases is by learning about eco-friendly materials and fabrics. Look at the label of your clothing to see the percentage of each material used in the garment. At first, this might feel a little daunting, but with time you’ll feel more comfortable determining which materials are eco-friendly and which you should pass on.

Avoid synthetic fabrics.

Polyester and nylon are made from petroleum and coal, along with massive amounts of water. They’re basically oil-based clothes. (Think fossil fuels.) Not only are they wasteful of a limited resource, but these synthetic fabrics are highly energy-intensive, utilizing massive amounts of energy and water while releasing significant chemicals and toxins into the air and waterways. In fact, the production of nylon emits nitrous oxide, which is a greenhouse gas 300x more dangerous to the ozone layer than carbon dioxide!

Furthermore, when these fabrics are thrown out, they are not biodegradable. Because they don’t decompose, they can sit in landfills – emitting carbon gasses as they attempt to biodegrade – for decades, if not centuries.

Examples of synthetic materials to avoid on clothing labels:

• Polyester
• Nylon
• Acrylic
• Spandex
• Microfibers
• Rayon (although it is made from wood pulp, it is semi-synthetic because of the harsh chemicals used in the production process)

Wear recycled synthetics. 

Some clothes “require” synthetic materials to serve their purpose, like spandex is used in workout clothing to give it the necessary stretch, and polyester or nylon is used in bathing suits to make them waterproof. If you need to wear synthetics, try to purchase synthetic clothing that is either: 1) secondhand, so you are not wasting more materials or contributing to additional harmful production or 2) recycled fabrics. Polyester is pretty easy to recycle, so more and more brands are coming out with recycled polyester clothing as a sustainable alternative.

Focus on organic cotton.

Cotton is one of the most popular clothing materials because it is highly accessible, easily grown, soft, and versatile. And cotton is a natural product, so it’s a good option, right? Well… not always. Conventionally grown cotton requires a lot of petroleum-based pesticides and GMOs, which means lots of chemicals are being put into the soil, into the air, and into the clothes you wear (and then transferring to your skin). Moreover, conventional cotton requires an enormous quantity of water in production. It takes 1,800 gallons of water to produce one pair of cotton jeans!

But you can (and should) still incorporate cotton into your wardrobe! Instead, purchase organic cotton when you can. Organic cotton uses no pesticides or GMOs, so it’s much better for the environment. It also requires less water during production than conventional cotton. While it still uses a lot of water and energy consumption compared to other natural fibers, organic cotton is still preferable to conventional cotton or other synthetics. You can also look for recycled cotton, just like other recycled synthetics.

Choose natural fibers.

Instead of synthetic materials that are highly damaging to the environment during production and post-life, opt for renewable and natural materials instead. Organically-grown hemp, linen, and silk are high-quality fibers with little to no petrochemical inputs. They also use the least amount of water during production. Not only are these more sustainable, but they’re also so soft, comfy, and gorgeous! Silk is effortlessly classy, linen is always summer-chic, and hemp is incredibly versatile all year long.

There are some high-quality, natural synthetic materials out there too! Tencel is a light, breathable, airy fabric similar to cotton, but it’s made from wood pulp. Piñatex is made from pineapple leaf fibers and is often used as a vegan replacement for leather. More and more companies are coming out with new natural synthetics, so keep your eyes peeled for more options hitting the fashion scene.

Take a deeper dive into natural clothing fibers here.

With all that said, no material is perfect. Even natural fibers have been linked to over-consumption of water, pollution, greenhouse gasses, deforestation, and habitat loss. Still, you can feel confident knowing that purchasing natural fibers is taking a step in the right direction towards using your purchasing power to make a change in the fashion industry!

Not so natural?

You want to be mindful of seemingly sustainable products that are actually doing more harm than good. Bamboo-based fabrics are becoming increasingly popular as well because bamboo is easily accessible and renewable, and it uses less water during production. However, the process of turning bamboo fibers into thread requires a lot of nasty chemicals that you don’t want on your skin or in the environment.

Another myth of fashion sustainability: clothes made from recycled water bottles. During the manufacturing of clothes made from recycled plastic bottles, microparticles are released that pollute waterways, kill marine life, and enter our drinking water.

What about leather?

Although leather is technically “natural,” that doesn’t make it sustainable or eco-friendly. Raising cows requires a lot of land, food, and water, and then producing leather from their hides utilizes even more energy, resources, and dyes. Some people believe that leather is sustainable because it’s a byproduct of the meat industry, but that’s rarely the case since fine hides used in clothing production typically need to be raised differently than cattle that is raised for food.

Vegan leather is generally more sustainable and ethical than regular leather goods, as long as the faux leather is not made from plastic or petroleum-based synthetics. Some of my favorite vegan leather alternatives are natural cork and pineapple fibers.

If you’re going to buy leather goods but want to stay sustainable, buy them secondhand! This helps reduce the number of new leather pieces being manufactured while also contributing to more environmentally friendly cyclical fashion.

2. What kind of dyes does this brand use?

Clothing dyes are one of the least sustainable parts of fashion production and manufacturing. Most textile dyes are made with harsh, toxic chemicals that pollute rivers and soil when rinsed out. Plus, these dyes are absorbed by your skin and may have negative health impacts. Learn more about the dyeing process and toxic clothing dyes here.

It’s not always easy to tell what kind of dyes are in your clothes, though. So, the easiest way to take a step towards greater sustainability is to purchase from brands that promote natural dyes as a selling point.

I particularly love naturally dyed clothing garments because they tend to have a neutral, earthy, timeless look, so they’ll last in your closet for years to come. Here are some sustainable brands that utilize more natural dyes and safer environmental practices to get you started.

3. Where is the clothing manufactured?

See where the clothing is manufactured. A lot of companies, including high-end designers, will manufacture their clothes overseas to keep costs down. This isn’t bad in it of itself, but it can become problematic when the brands are putting profit before people, caring less about how their clothes are being manufactured (and the associated social and environmental impacts) and more about how much the production of the clothing costs.

It’s hard to do your research on every manufacturer and factory of every brand you buy from, though. To make your job easier to ensure you’re aren’t inadvertently supporting bad practices:

• Avoid those countries that are known to exploit laborers and have poor environmental processes,
• And purchase from those brands that focus on true sustainability and social awareness (more on this below). 

What about buying local?

Locally made garments and materials can be a great option for sustainable fashion because buying local lowers the carbon footprint of the supply chain. You’re buying something that was crafted a few miles away, rather than traveling thousands of miles using gas, boxes, plastic, and more to get to you.

However, just because something is made locally doesn’t mean that it’s ethical. It might be locally crafted, but their source materials might come from unethical or environmentally unsafe suppliers. Make sure you ask your local artisans where they source their materials and dyes to make sure it’s truly having a positive impact on the environment. 

If you really want to reduce your carbon footprint, shop at a local secondhand store like Current Boutique! We buy merchandise from local women near our shops, and then we resell that merchandise to other locals! We love having a community of fashionistas in our area who want to cut down on the waste that ends up in landfills, while also reducing their carbon footprint. Even if you buy from our online boutique, we dramatically reduce our carbon footprint by not utilizing warehouses, extra packaging, or new materials. Plus, our badges like “organic cotton” and “timeless classic” on our online store make it easy to find the most sustainable options in a flash.

4. What kind of care does the clothing require?

This might be our easiest tip to make your closet even a little more sustainable. Take a peek at the care label of your clothing. How easy is it to care for this piece? Does the garment require hot washing? (Hot water uses more energy than cold water.) Is it dry-clean only? (Dry cleaning is incredibly damaging to the environment.) Does it require handwashing? (If you don’t hand-wash your clothes frequently, you’ll likely end up never wearing these clothes, so they might just end up in the trash.)

When in doubt, you want clothes that you can wash in cold or cool water with other like colors, so you’re not wasting water, detergent, or energy.

Some of my favorite designer pieces are dry-clean only. So, I’ve been on a mission to find eco-friendly dry cleaners I trust. More and more alternative dry cleaners are popping up, so you can still invest in your favorite structured and high-end pieces without doing damage to the environment. Get some tips on how to find eco-friendly dry cleaners here.

5. What do you know about the brand?

Is the clothing brand known for being eco-friendly and taking extra steps towards greater social and environmental responsibility? Or have they made some headlines doing some unsustainable and questionable things, and they haven’t shown much growth since then?

Unfortunately, it can be hard to tell if a company is truly sustainable. A lot of companies use sustainability as a marketing buzzword, hoping to appear “green” while not necessarily doing what they say they’re doing. A lot of unethical companies will market themselves as sustainable by donating profits to a charity, for example, but donating money is sometimes just hiding bad practices behind the scenes, like if they’re not paying a fair wage to their employees, they’re sourcing damaging goods and dyes, or they’re manufacturing with unethical or unsustainable practices. The International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network found that 40% of businesses’ websites (not just fashion) are misleading customers about their sustainability commitments using vague claims and unclear language.

Here are some ways to figure out if a brand is eco-friendly or all talk:

• Use the Good on You app to see brand ratings and discover more ethical fashion brands.
• Check out the Fashion Transparency Index report, which reviews and ranks over 250 brands based on their disclosed social and environmental policies and practices. Fun fact: Gucci, YSL, Balenciaga, Adidas, and Zara have rated high on this report in recent years because they’ve taken strong initiatives to make their eco and social impacts more transparent.
• Look at the brand’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports. Ethical companies tend to go into more detail about how they’re going above and beyond in their sustainability and social efforts. Be wary of companies that use vague phrases and buzzwords like “natural products” without adequately explaining their processes.
• Check out our list of some of our favorite sustainable brands here.

6. Are you buying secondhand?

We’re about to give you the easiest, simplest way to know if your clothing purchase is simple… Are you ready? Shop secondhand! When you buy clothes from a consignment shop, you’re keeping used clothes out of landfills while reducing the need for materials, energy, water, and toxic chemicals to produce new clothes. Plus… buying secondhand clothes costs less than buying high-end designer clothes!

Simply by not buying fast fashion and instead purchasing high-quality preloved pieces on consignment, you are instantly and easily reducing your impact on the environment. And you’re telling the fashion industry that you’re not going to be spending your hard-earned dollars on clothes that are damaging the environment and having negative social impacts. It really is that easy!

Learn more about shopping on consignment (and why it’s sustainable) with the following resources:

• 5 Ways Shopping and Selling on Consignment Is Good For the Earth
• Answering All Your Questions about Consignment Shopping
• 11 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Consignment Stores
• 7 Websites to Shop Secondhand Designer Clothing
• What’s the Difference Between a Thrift Shop and Consignment Store?

Is the clothing purchase sustainable?

• Avoid synthetic materials: polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex, microfibers, and rayon.
• Whenever possible, purchase recycled materials or synthetic materials secondhand.
• Purchase organic cotton in place of conventional cotton when you can.
• Choose natural fibers like organic hemp, linen, and silk.
• Purchase secondhand or vegan leather instead of traditional leather.
• Wear clothes that are naturally dyed.
• Take note of where your clothes are manufactured.
• Buy clothes that are easy to care for and clean.
• Do research on the brand before buying.
• Support your local secondhand shop.

Even if you just use one of these tips whenever you make a clothing purchase, you’ll make huge steps towards a more sustainable closet – and a more sustainable world! Thanks for doing your part in our fight for sustainability.