One truck’s capacity of textiles is landfilled or burnt every second somewhere in the world hence, it is the need of the hour to produce and opt for contemporary styles that are made from nature-based fibers, consume 3-4 times lesser water, are organic, ethically sourced, environment friendly and renewable as they are derived from renewable wood and sourced responsibly from sustainably managed forests. Supporting sustainability is the new fashion trend and rightly so as fast fashion accounts for about 10% of the World Carbon Emission and nearly 20% of the world’s wastewater.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Parul Shekhawat, Founder of RUAR, shared, “Sustainable fashion is when our conscious fashion choices impact the environment and the carbon footprint generated on Earth. It has been carving a niche for itself for many years now. It’s a trend about using regenerated fabrics that are vegan and eco friendly. We can follow the trend by simply buying less, buying better, investing in garments from brands which involve environmentally friendly production techniques. Garments which can be bought once and reused frequently. Sustainable consumers and fashion culture highlights the effects of the environment.”
She highlighted, “Eco- friendly fabrics are softer, have longer lifespan, are stronger and more breathable which are all essential attributes of a classic summer garment. The perfect fabric options are organic cotton, linen, khadi, bamboo fabric, modal and many more. There are nowadays very interesting fabric choices keeping the trend keeping the trend upbeat like pineapple leather, banana fabric, aloe vera fabric and milk fabric. Few staples to swear by are white classic khadi/cotton shirts and blue denims, linen shirts or stylish co-ord sets in modal, khadi with minimal hand embroideries like chikankari and tie n dye or sarees in linen, khadi and block printed cotton. We could accessorise well with jute bags, hats and belts. It is imperative as the “concious” and “aware” generation of our times, we must choose ethically and the leave the planet a better place for future.”
Bringing her expertise to the same, Sakshi Gupta, Founder of RAASA, said, “Fashion and comfort go hand in hand. With comfort comes your confidence to carry yourself calmly. Comfort and confidence are inextricably linked. Today, there is a huge influence of our fashion Industry on our Planet. How many times have you blindly followed a fashion trend and ended up buying unnecessary garments just because at the present moment you had the urge of needing it. Therefore, its about time to be more aware of our shopping behaviours valuing comfort and sustainability, quality over quantity. One should wear what brings joy to them .What makes you happy, confident and ready to face the world should be #fashiontrend. By valuing quality over quantity, we are indirectly preferring sustainability over quantity. This way the overproduction of garments can be controlled.”
Want to keep your summer wardrobe green? Sakshi Gupta suggested:
- Increase the longevity of wearing the garments.
- Pair up different garments together.
- Creating stylish look means creating a balance with all parts of your outfit.
- Ethical fashion: buyer before buying should be knowing where their garment is coming from. How are they stitched and by whom.
- Donate/resell your garments rather than throwing it out in the garbage.
- True sustainability comes with the entire supply chain. Entire supply chain has to be sustainable. So using just the vegan fabrics/dyes is just not enough. The whole supply chain has to be made sustainable.
- Limiting the amount of wasted fabric in production. Waste from the garment can be easily re used in constructing belts, bags, various other accessories and even a new garment for that matter.
- Laundry/dry clean in a controlled way.
Adding to the list of tips, Neerja Manju (Founder) and Meenakshi Dular (Co–Founder) of Thakurbai, recommended the following tips to stay cool and stylish this summer while also reducing your impact on the environment –
1. Shop Secondhand: Thrifting is a great way to find unique pieces while also reducing waste. You can find great deals on high-quality items that will last you for years to come.
2. Choose Natural Fabrics: Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon are made from oil and take hundreds of years to decompose. Opt for natural fabrics like cotton, linen, and hemp. These materials are biodegradable and won’t contribute to plastic pollution.
3. Invest in Timeless Pieces: Trends come and go, but classic pieces like a white t-shirt, denim shorts and a good pair of sandals will never go out of style. Invest in high-quality items that you’ll wear for years instead of fast fashion pieces that will fall apart after a few wears.
4. Repurpose Old Clothes: If you have clothes that no longer fit or are out of style, don’t throw them away. Get creative and repurpose them into something new. Cut up an old t-shirt to make a crop top or turn a pair of jeans into shorts.
5. Choose Sustainable Brands: When you do need to buy something new, choose brands that are committed to sustainability. Look for certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and Fair Trade.
