The Ultimate Guide to Ethical Fashion: What You Need to Know

If you’ve spent this much researching ethical fashion, you probably know that not all are created equal. Some are unethical ways. If you are an avid shopper who makes frequent purchases, you should be able to easily recognize poor design and unsafe manufacturing when you see them. Here’s an insider’s guide to ethical fashion to help you stay in style with virtue.

What is ethical fashion?

Ethical fashion is clothing made in a way that respects human rights, the environment, and animals. It differs from ethical manufacturing in that it aims for valuable products. How manufacturers process their products and store them affects the final product. By keeping our products away from animals and regulating the finishing of our clothing, we can ensure that our items are ethically sourced.

How to recognize an ethically sourced product.

Recognizing ethical products may be tricky, but here are some tips for identifying them.

i . The source of raw materials

Using less resource-intensive fibers such as bamboo, organically grown cotton,

ethically sourced silk, recycled fibers, and other natural fibers that require less processing and chemicals are a good step. There are better solutions than organic farming, but the environmental impact is highly dependent on the specifics of cotton farming. Recycling clothing seems like a great alternative, but recycling old fabric, investigating the treatment required and the amount of water and synthetic products.

Ii. Entire supply chain management

Being transparent about who makes the product and under what conditions are essential to a supply chain. Adopting global fair trade standards and safety regulations are guidelines when evaluating a company’s supply chain. Mapping out the manufacturing and distribution processes gives confidence in the company’s transparency principles, plus it animal free.

For example, in the United States, the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act requires “retailers and manufacturers operating in the state to commit to efforts to eliminate slavery and human trafficking from their direct supply chains of tangible goods for sale. Members of the World Fair Trade Organization, Fairtrade International, Fairtrade USA, and the Fair ware Foundation strive to comply with minimum labor standards, especially in developing countries.

Iii. Environmental impact considerations

You can control dyes, wastewater, office supplies, fabrics, buttons, thread, transportation, recycled or upcycled materials, and other manufacturing conditions to reduce the toxic substances released in the environment and the resources consumed. Not many companies state this clearly, and those who do can’t be 100% trusted, but there are tricks to knowing those details. If they don’t understand what you are talking about, they aren’t making conscious efforts, but if they give you good information, ask for details. The good ones will tell you more than you have time to process.

As you can see, there are many ways to make clothes ethically. Often time, you will find a combination of these features. No one is perfect, and there is still no way to produce anything without polluting the environment. However, when companies come up with ways to reduce their carbon footprint while trying to cut costs and build their brand, it’s a good one.

Where do I start with ethical fashion?

The best way to begin ethical fashion is to find a brand with a reputation for being standard. There are many organizations out there. Idozi collective is a great place to start if you’re interested in ethical African clothing. The Ethical Fashion Forum is a great place to start if you want a list of all transparent brands about their supply chains. If you’re interested in organic cotton and other sustainable fabrics, you’ve come to the sustainable fashion site.

Conclusion

Fashion is a great way to express yourself and your interests, but if unethical, it can harm both people and the planet. Luckily, there are many ways to get involved in the ethical fashion movement, such as buying more ethically made clothes or starting your own business! If you want to learn more about this booming industry, you can’t go wrong with ethical fashion.