Recently, many clothing brands have started to promote a sustainable concept. This concept is believed to be more environmentally friendly and is also the answer to various global problems. For example, in the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report, the fast fashion industry (which produces clothing in massive quantities) contributes around 8-10% of world carbon emissions. This number is even greater than emissions from the global aviation and shipping industries.
Therefore, based on awareness of protecting the environment, several figures have come forward to develop sustainable fashion concepts. In Indonesia itself, for example, there is Chitra Subyakto who developed the As Far as the Eye Can See brand, Denica Flesch with the SukhaCitta brand, Novieta Tourisi who developed Cinta Bumi Artisans, and many more.
So, what exactly is meant by sustainable fashion?
In simple terms, sustainable fashion is the practice of making or selecting clothing that prioritizes the principle of protecting the environment. Although in reality no fashion is 100% sustainable, both use and business operations can be designed to leave as little impact as possible on the environment, economy and society.
Furthermore, the goal of sustainable fashion is to unite designers, producers, distributors and consumers to work together to change clothing items produced and consumed in a better direction. Then, what is the concrete form?
Starting from producers or designers, they choose to use environmentally friendly materials, such as natural clothing materials cotton and linen. Apart from that, viscose or rayon is also a material that supports sustainable fashion because it is made from regenerated cellulose from acacia wood, eucalyptus, pine and bamboo. These materials are much better than synthetic materials, such as nylon and spandex, which are more difficult to break down. These synthetic materials also release microfibers when washed which can harm the environment and society.
Apart from choosing natural materials, the use of recycled materials is also a concrete manifestation of sustainable fashion development. For example, the As Far as the Eye Can See brand uses recycled textile basic materials from pre-consumer waste which is processed into new materials for their various clothing products. These recycled materials are processed into slow fashion products that have long-lasting quality and durability.
It doesn't stop there, sustainable fashion also includes the process of use and care by consumers. After choosing environmentally friendly materials, consumers also need to care for them well, such as by using sufficient detergent. Because if there is too much it can actually damage the fabric. By applying good care, clothes will last so that someone will not need to buy clothes too often.
In the next process, consumers can also recycle the clothes into new products so that the waste does not pollute the environment. You can do this by mixing and matching old clothes to make new clothes or redesigning them into certain accessories.
Tips for Implementing Sustainable Fashion
From the explanation above, are you starting to be interested in using sustainable fashion? If yes, you can follow these steps:
When buying new clothes, you should choose slow fashion brands. This type of clothing has gone through a long production process involving high quality materials so that the finished clothing will last a long time. In short, slow fashion prioritizes quality over quantity.
Many people say "there is a price, there is a form." This sentence is true. To get high quality clothes sometimes we have to dig deeper into our pockets. However, it would be better than thinking about buying clothes at cheap prices that, even though they are not comfortable, we can change again and again to give the impression of having a large collection.
That is inaccurate thinking. This is because clothes that are too cheap are sometimes uncomfortable to wear and can affect our activities. We also think twice about wearing it and if we can't stand it, it will end up in a pile of wasted clothes. On the other hand, comfortable clothes will give a good impression so that we will be interested in wearing them more often.
That's everything about sustainable fashion which is currently becoming a trend in society. By consciously using this fashion, it means that we have contributed to protecting the environment and saving the next generation from the threat of various problems.