Sustainability has become somewhat of a marketing gimmick for many companies in the fashion and apparel sector, claims are made to bring more attention and sales but are not executed on the ground. In this article, we shall learn about sustainability in depth, the meaning, investigation, regulations, etc. There are many brands – truly sustainable, few of them are also listed herewith.
What is sustainability?
In simple words, sustainable fashion means using eco-friendly materials or practices in the fashion industry. Sustainable fashion means, reducing your environmental impact during each production stage i.e. designing, weaving/spinning, cutting, sewing, washing, dyeing, packaging, etc. that respect the planet by causing very little or no damage, and therefore sustaining the environment. Many brands across the world are practicing honestly and seriously sustainable fashion and thus have established themselves as the best eco-friendly fashion or clothing brands and green fashion brands of 2024.
One of the biggest threats to the environment is fast fashion, it is low priced and stylish and thus rotates fast in the market with multiple collections each year, thus affecting the environment due to the production process and also short shelf life and thereby throw-away on landfills. The latest addition here is micro-trends or ultra-fast fashion, that further increase the impact on the environment.
As a consumer, the best way to practice sustainability or eco-friendly is to reduce the shopping for new garments, or purchase clothing only re-cycled/re-used/second-hand/refashioned, so the manufacturing of new clothing is reduced and the old garment is not thrown away on landfill, in other words, a consumer should be serious or aware about eco-conscious clothing lines and eco-friendly wardrobe.
How to track sustainable brands?
With so much noise at the moment and various marketing campaigns being run by various clothing/fashion brands, it is difficult to identify genuine and authentic sustainable brands. As a consumer, the most important is to find the brands that emphasize transparency and traceability in their supply chain. Although there is no regulation of sustainability there are a few standardized certifications that check and support the sustainability claim of any brand, such as The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Recycled Standard (GRS), LEED certification, Bluesign, certified B Corporations and more.
Top sustainable fashion brands of 2024
The good news is, that there are tons of fashion/clothing brands practicing or taking initiatives for sustainability by either using eco-friendly materials reducing carbon emissions paying fair wages to the workers, or emphasizing transparency in their supply chain and any other ways.
>> Outerknown, USA.
One of the best brands for simple clothing such as shirts, shorts, jeans, sweaters, and many more. 90% of the fibers the brand sources are organic, recycled, or regenerated. 100% of their trunks are made with recycled or renewable fibers. 1800+ garments are kept out of the landfills through their Outerworn platform, US$133k went to improving workers’ livelihood through the Fairtrade Premium, constant improvements in their sustainability goals, and by 2030 they are planning to become fully circular.
Outerknown works with two B Corp Certified suppliers and has 8 facilities running on renewable energy. In partnership with Bergman Rivera, they have committed to supporting farmers’ implementation of Regenerative Organic CertifiedTM (ROCTM) practices, creating a positive impact on their farms and resulting in 10 tons worth of ROCTM cotton from the 2022 harvest. Together, they have converted 28 acres of farmland to ROCTM.
1818 pieces of Outerknown clothing have been kept out of the landfill and in the loop through Outerworn—our resell platform for pre-loved styles.
>> Patagonia, USA
Since 1985, Patagonia has pledged 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment, they have awarded over US$140 million in cash and in-kind donations to domestic and international grassroots environmental groups making a difference in their local communities. For almost 40 years, Patagonia has supported grassroots activists working to find solutions to the environmental crisis.
Over 85% of the products in their line are made in Fair Trade Certified™ factory. 75000+ workers benefit from Patagonia’s participation in the Fair Trade program. Since 2021, Patagonia has kept 1419 tons of plastic waste out of the world’s oceans by turning discarded fishing nets into gear. 100% of the virgin cotton in Patagonia’s clothes is grown organically. 2000+ farmers are part of Patagonia’s Regenerative Organic Certified Cotton™ program.
>> E.L.V. Denim, UK
Founded in 2018, the luxury label specializes in timeless, yet statement designs made from 100% upcycled materials, meaning garments don’t end up in landfill and harm our planet. E.L.V. Denim challenges convention and provides another way to enjoy fashion, fabric, is sourced from preloved garments, there is plenty of life left in garments destined for landfill, especially denim, each piece is unique, stylish, and has sustainable designs that last a lifetime.
>> Stella McCartney, UK
Stella McCartney is a pioneer in sustainable luxury fashion and one of the most well-known luxury brands committed to environmentally friendly fashion. Their garments are made from planet-friendly materials, such as grape-based alternatives to leather manufactured from 80% recycled raw waste, the brand is known for cruelty-free designs and dedication to using vegan materials. They are committed to avoiding leather and fur, showcasing their unwavering dedication to animal welfare.
Stella McCartney, with blockchain technology that tracks the lifecycle of materials, is committed to reporting and tracking its ecological goals, helping shoppers feel more empowered in purchasing decisions. Since 2012, all of their handbags have been lined with material made from recycled plastic bottles. Stella McCartney has been partnered with SÖKTAŞ since 2019-Restoring our planet with SÖKTAŞ: Regenerative cotton. Stella McCartney has never used animal fur since day one. Savian: The first 100% plant-based, plastic-free fur alternative. NATIVA™: Regenerative, traceable wool, works closely with each of their breeders to produce wool that is certified to the highest standards of sustainability in the world.
>> Everlane, USA
Everlane being named Sustainable Brand of the Year by Glossy and earning an EPA Green Power Player distinction, Everlane is one of the most popular sustainable fashion brands. 97% of its apparel materials containing polyester and nylon are now made from certified recycled fibers, 100% of its virgin plastic shipping bags are now made from either 100% recycled plastic or FSC-certified paper, and its jeans are made in a LEED-certified factory that recycles 98% of its water.
Everlane’s sustainability pillars
They use a three-pillar framework to guide our environmental and social efforts, which are aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Keep Earth Clean: Focused on fewer inputs and cleaner outputs—reducing natural resource consumption, minimizing waste and pollution, and prioritizing safer chemistry across our value chain.
Keep Earth Cool: Committed to climate reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative, to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50% per product by 2030, and achieve Net-Zero emissions by (or before!) 2050.
Do Right By People: Working to enhance worker livelihood, achieve gender equality, and promote fair living wages. We’re also supporting community impacts at the intersection of social and environmental needs through our Black Friday Fund.
All the brands mentioned here have adopted various strategies to ensure continuous efforts for even better sustainability results in the future, they also have adopted various certifications and regulations for genuine sustainability practices. This list can go longer as there are many brands working to help our planet, thanks to the conscious consumers who prefer responsible fashion rather than fast fashion, and conscious brands who prefer responsible production.
Why is sustainable fashion important?
Fast fashion is often made from cheap materials to make the garment more fashionable while at the same time keeping costs lower, cheap synthetic materials such as polyester, and microfibers pollute the local environment and are harmful to our planet, end up in our oceans, and impact marine wildlife. As per the estimation report, if we continue our current trajectory, we will dump more than 150 million tonnes of clothing in landfills by 2050.
Summary
There are plenty of brands trying to make a difference and showing us that fashion can simultaneously be on-trend and good for the environment. As a consumer, it is our responsibility to shift our values away from affordability and instead find real value in durability, comfort and environmental impact. Consumers have the power to make a change by supporting brands that care about the environment and future sustainability, switching to a more sustainable way of shopping and being mindful of our clothes’ environmental impact is now critical.
Thank you for reading this article.
