Create a Sustainable Style Revolution

Support designers and brands who give a positive impact—both visual and environmental.

Environmentally-friendly fashion is a concept that’s been promoted for almost two decades now, but the term “fashion” was used loosely. Eco options were limited to a beige T-shirt on a side rack, generally emblazoned with a message congratulating the wearer on his or her morality, and vegan footwear was a choice between foam flip-flops and jelly shoes. Careerwear, on-trend clothing, or anything aside from what you would wear on the weekend didn’t exist.

Finally we’re starting to see a shift in socially-conscious shopping. Designer Stella McCartney started a movement at the highest ranks of the fashion world with her eponymous fur- and leather-free line launched in 2001. Though the brand is not completely animal friendly—some of the pieces are still made with wool and silk—McCartney infiltrated a tightly-knit industry whose patrons still have little problem wrapping dead animals around them, while still competing aesthetically with little issue. The line also offers an eco collection each season, a reminder that cruelty-free and environmentally-friendly are not always synonymous terms.

The brutality of animal treatment, as well as their exploitation, for the purpose of garment manufacturing is no longer a dirty secret — it has long been exposed and documented. Types of torture include the mulesing of sheep, which involves cutting a portion of sheep’s hindquarters off in order to prevent flystrike disease; boiling and steaming live silk warms; the gassing and anal electrocution of minks and foxes; not to mention the day-to-day misery of life on a factory farm. However, even clothing that is cruelty free can have devastating effects on wildlife, not to mention other local populations. Pesticides, bleaching chemicals, metal-containing dyes, and carbon emissions from factories enter the air, soil, and water, contaminating both food and drink.

Synthetic materials such as PVC, Nylon, and polyester, are not biodegradable and can release toxins into the environment from the manufacturing process through disposal. Cotton, though a natural fiber, uses more pesticides than any other crop when not grown organically. Both synthetics and cotton blends often use chemicals such as formaldehyde, sulfuric acid, and chlorine during production.

Some vegan brands are now making a larger commitment to the environment as well as to animals. Neuaura, a vegan footwear line, produces in a Brazilian factory that recycles all material wastes and uses water-based adhesives instead toxic alternatives. In addition, Neuaura will be creating an eco-friendly line for spring 2011, in large part because the materials have now become more affordable and accessible as their production has increased.

Bahar Shahpar, an independent fashion director for channels like the Planet Green and Sundance, didn’t realize until she started researching for her own self-named fashion line how toxic each step of the textile industry could be. She relies on sustainable or recycled materials and dyes and designs patterns so the least amount of material will become scraps, which she then reuses for stuffing. She also produces almost her entire collection within New York City, which cuts down on carbon emissions of transportation. Even when marketing, she uses 100% post-consumer waste paper and soy-based ink.

Brands such as Bahar, Neuaura, and Stella McCartney owe part of their success to the fact that they don’t skimp on design or quality. Companies such as Jaan J., a vegan tie retailer, know that one of the best ways to expand their customer base is to hook shoppers on the look and feel of their products as much as on business practices. Jaan J. attracts shoppers who would otherwise wear silk ties, but like the selection or the company’s customization services. The price is also attractive—most of the microfiber satin ties run around $34, about half of the price of silk ties of similar quality.

Animal-friendly clothing that forgoes expensive materials such as silk and leather are often more affordable, but eco-friendly clothing generally runs on the opposite side of the spectrum. Although the industry is changing, organic or sustainable manufacturing is still not run on as large of a scale as conventional fabrics, so suppliers must charge more for them. Organic cotton, for example, requires more labor as a result of not using herbicides and pesticides—part of the attraction for growers who use the poisons.

That’s one of the reasons the collaborations between Loomstate and Target last year, and the previous year’s Rogan for Target, both made with 100% organic cotton, were all the more impressive. It proved that when eco-friendly products are put in front of a mass market at an affordable price, they can be successful.

Of course, purchasing high-quality items, even when they’re more expensive, can help to ensure a longer wear life, which keeps them out of the landfill. Your best solution is to keep a wardrobe of well-edited, classic basics in your closet such as organic-cotton jeans and T-shirts, wool-free blazers, vegan boots, and canvas sandals. Each season you can replace items that are worn-out, donating them to secondhand stores to get more use out of them. Then you can update with a few new eco-and animal-friendly accessories to change up your whole look. An unexpected benefit is all of the time you’ll save in the morning trying to find an outfit.

It’s consumer demand that has had the most impact on increased production in the eco- and animal-friendly industry, in turn giving shoppers a larger selection at a more affordable price. By purchasing animal- and eco-friendly brands, and contacting both designers and retailers to let them know that you want them, you can ensure that even more stylish options will be available in the future.

Fabrics to look for
Organic cotton: Cotton grown without herbicides or pesticides

Linen: Crisp fabric made from flax fibers

Tencil: Silky material from Word pulp cellulose

Soy silk: Cashmere-type fibers made from soybeans

Bamboo: Soft cotton-like fabric

Hemp: Sturdy biodegradable fiber

Recycled materials: Discarded plastics and other materials

Start shopping
www.shopenvi.com
Bahar Shahpar, Edun, Good Society, Stewart + Brown, Loomstate

www.thegreenloop.com
Lara Miller, Linda Loudermilk, Deborah Lindquist, Habitude

www.endless.com
Olsen Haus, Cri de Coeur, Simple Shoes