Every year we are ready to make a pyramid of new and branded clothes in our closet but before buying a garment do we think that our obsession with the latest brands is killing our environment?
Sustainable clothing is something that fulfills your current fashion demands while keeping in mind your future needs.
Second-hand clothes shopping, a trend that is particularly popular among students and youngsters in Sweden, has also been a primary contributor to sustainable fashion. Besides that, the Swedish fashion industry, including both big and newer brands, invest a considerable amount of money and time in researching for more sustainable means of clothing.
The article is an effort towards creating consumer awareness related to environmental concerns and how urgent it is to call off for synthetic clothing to save the planet. We will also discuss a number of benefits of eco-friendly clothing that everyone must know about and how Sweden is playing a big role in it.
Sustainable Clothing
‘Sustainable clothes’ as the word signifies are meant to last for a long time. This is a step of the fashion industry towards saving the environment from the hazards of synthetic and artificial clothes. From manufacturing to transport, every step involved in the process of delivering the clothes is harmless to the environment.
There are many reasons to adopt sustainable clothing, but one major reason is to get rid of fast fashion. The brand promotes stability in clothing trends while boycotting the production of not so worthy clothes. A sustainable fashion is a need for today, as a culture, we need to look forward towards bringing a circular model in the clothing industry.
The aim of sustainable clothing, as many pioneering Swedish companies explain, is to encourage circular production instead of linear such that clothing materials are not simply discarded after one use but can be recycled or prepared to be used in other ways. This ensures that the waste is minimum. Many Swedish companies are working around such business models, which include Wear&smile, Kladoteket, to name a few.
History
Do not get yourself confused between popularity and origin of sustainable clothing. The clothing is a trend these days but since decades is rooted in the fashion market. Years ago people shifted their priorities to organic and recycled clothing to promote a healthy environment.
Sweden was one of the first to start exploring sustainability in fashion. By the 1960s, many Swedish companies were aware of the loss of nature because of the ongoing fashion trends and were considering ways to implement sustainable clothing. The issue of environment protection was even raised and discussed in the UN conference held in Stockholm in 1972.
As of today, there are hundreds of leading fashion brands and labels manufacturing and selling sustainable clothing items in Stockholm and the surrounding areas. This shows how far we have come in our efforts of promoting sustainable fashion around the globe.
Importance of Wearing Eco-friendly Clothes in the Present and Future
Eco-friendly is back in trend, which shows that people are taking the concept of eco-friendly clothing a bit more seriously, which is good for all. Statistically, 60 to 70 percent of consumers under 35 are going eco-friendly in terms of clothing, changing the whole scenario for the brands.
Sustainability is the concept based on three core activities – reduce, reuse and recycle. Sustainable clothing is long-lasting, made with the evergreen fashion and can be recycled. Eco-friendly clothing is made with care for you and the environment at the same time. Sustainable clothing is with the purpose to retain the environment so that we can enjoy each of it for a long time in the future. If you’re still wondering about the importance of wearing eco-friendly clothes, keep reading further.
How Sustainable is Better than Synthetic Clothing
We need to urgently put a brake on using synthetic clothes because clearly, synthetic clothing is a burden on the planet. Synthetic clothing is adversely affecting the environment, which in return is affecting our health. The clothes may cause skin allergies to the wearer because of the harmful chemicals used in the process, so if you are not thinking on that large level to save the planet, at least think of your own body which is getting affected by synthetic clothes. One must take into consideration wearing the clothes which allow their skin to breathe and release harmful toxins from the body.
Swedish firms have been particularly active when it comes to finding and implementing ideas for turning old clothes into new. There are multiple popular second-hand shops throughout the country.
Benefits of Eco-friendly Clothing
There is a massacre of pollution on earth which is affecting the humans residing in it. Here are points to justify your decision of switching to eco-friendly clothing:
- No harmful chemical is used in the process of making eco-friendly clothes. The fabric will not harm your skin.
- Cotton crops require pesticides in high quantities, by wearing eco-friendly clothes you ensure that the amount of pesticide used in growing the crops is less.
- Clothes are high on quality. Organic clothes are evergreen pieces which will reduce the need to re-shuffle your closet every now and then.
- The clothes are under the Fair Trade Act, ensuring the safety and comfort of the workforce involved in making clothes for you. The brands care about the employees as much as they care about the consumers.
- Many are guilty of wearing leather too much as it involves the killing of animals on large scales, for them these are eco-friendly fabrics.
Today, customers want garments that last longer and to fulfill that demand companies are even willing to compromise with their profits in the short-term. Even many big brands such as Eton, H&M, etc. are engaged in researching ways to make sure that new means for sustainable fashion are discovered and used by people around the globe.
Sustainable Fashion Statistics
The fashion industry is among the fastest-growing domains of society and within the industry sustainable fashion is all set to climb on the edge.
By extending the lifespan of our clothing through the natural fabric, we can reduce the consumption of water and carbon by up to 20-30 percent each. Let’s go deep into the statistics of the sustainable clothing sector.
About 60 to 70 percent of youngsters under 35 have welcomed eco-friendly clothing in their closets.
80 percent of the workforce in the process of manufacturing of clothes are women.
Did you know that only about 20% of the textiles around the world are recycled? The rest are discarded and end up in the garbage or landfill.
Wear&Smile – The Best Fashion Brand for Sustainable Clothing
There are many brands in Sweden that are following sustainable fashion tactics such as leasing (renting out) garments from earlier seasons, selling second-hand clothes and manufacturing eco-friendly clothes.
Wear&Smile is a Stockholm based fashion brand founded and run by Marianna Berggren. They deal in expertly tailored feminine, timeless collections for the modern woman. All their clothes are made with 100% natural fabrics, including viscose, silk, cotton, linen, wool, mohair, etc.
“Sustainability means for us ecological, ethical and transparent way of designing, making and wearing clothes.”
They design sustainable clothing articles from scratch by using completely organic fabrics and materials. Whether you’re looking to shop for tops & blouses, trousers, jumpsuits or any other dress type, I am sure you’ll be intrigued by the option available at wearandsmile.com
Author Bio (Marianna Berggren)
Marianna is the founder and lead designer at Wear&Smile. She has an MBA in economics and is passionate about creating beautiful, feminine clothes for the modern woman. She founded her fashion brand in 2018.