It is quite hard to really pin down sustainable fashion. It shouldn't be, but the term is so overused, largely by companies with one or two great initiatives that are otherwise operating unsustainably. Here is how we would break it down, and there is a hierarchy, starting with #1, which is the best. We will cover a host of sustainable practices that you can find across the fashion industry, everything from waste reduction to upcycling, to eco-friendly production.
The most environmentally friendly item of clothing that exists, is something you already own and wear and will continue to wear and repair for years and years. I have a pair of boots that I have been wearing since I was 15. They are 30 years old. I have no idea how many times I have worn them but it has to be in the thousands. They have been resoled once, and repaired twice. They work hard for me, and I am loyal to them!
Second best is second hand - if you want to refresh then swap, share, or buy second hand from sites like eBay or Vinted. This means you get some variety, without buying new. My rule is to always operate on a one out, one in model. I only buy 'new' second hand jeans when I have worn/farmed my way through a pair. I love jeans made before elastane was in everything... so sometimes I have to really hunt to find a pair that is that old, but still in great condition. This is Elvis in some very vintage Levi's...
Now, I think upcycling is very close to pre-loved, perhaps even a tie. I am only placing it in the third spot as upcycling involved the remanufacture of materials that already exist, which generally requires some cutting, trimming and sewing. So it is just this use of energy (which may not be renewable) that makes me put upcycling 3rd. Elvis & Kresse is an upcycling brand, we take materials that were on their way to landfill and give them a long and happy 2nd life - like our recycled fire hose products.
Key to upcycling is increasing the value of the materials you work with. If you turn used clothing into rags, for cleaning or car door insulation, then you are still reusing materials, but you are downcycling them. One of the chief environmental benefits of upcycling in fashion is the displaced carbon. When you aren't relying on new materials you avoid all of the embodied carbon that would have been used producing those materials. We have calculated that Elvis & Kresse, in our 20 years of production (to 2025) have diverted 461,889 tonnes of carbon which is equal to 3,301,565,403km of driving (according to https://www.openco2.net/).
These companies really have their act together. Their goods may be made from recycled or new fibres BUT every aspect of their sourcing, manufacture and distribution has prioritised making a positive environmental and social contribution. This means using certified raw materials like organic cotton or mulesing* free + high welfare wool. It means no toxic dyes and really, no polymers (they are derived from fossil fuels and shed as microplastics through the life of a garment and what happens when they die? More microplastics). It means paying living wages from the farm to the factory to retail. It means renewable heat and electricity are being used for production, distribution and beyond. It means reducing your water use and never putting polluted water back into the environment. It means thinking about the next life of the garment, and what impact it has during its life. It should be 100% recyclable or biodegradable (easy for the natural world to reabsorb it into new plant or animal life). Right now we have no real way of separating natural materials from polymers at scale (so I avoid Frankenfiber** blends like polycottons) It doesn't mean selling through Amazon warehouses. It should be easy to repair. It should be built to last. It should stand for something. Brands that are on this 360 pathway will have certifications. Here are some to look out for:
My dream is fashion that is fossil fuel free. Hopefully the biosynthetic replacements that are getting a lot of press will eventually take over. Think of this category as including everything from #4 but allow for polymers. I am genuinely very down on any kind of plastic, our use of it is totally out of control. There has been a lot of prominent press around peer reviewed scientific studies which have found microplastics in our brains, blood, kidneys etc. The evidence is in - we have totally lost control of plastics.
This category of brands are not doing much, but they have made a start. Perhaps they are increasing their recycled cotton content, or they have adopted one of the certifications above, or they have a small eco/ethical collection that they are hoping will help them transition in the future. The vast majority of brands are in this category.
Very few brands are doing nothing. However, some are manufacturing - at such a pace and volume - and with such disregard to people and planet, that we would be better off without them. The fast fashion behemoths are ALL in this category. It doesn't matter if you use recycled nylon if your supply chain is rife with modern slavery. Although the vast majority of brands are in category 6, unfortunately it is probably true that the majority of the volume is actually in category 7.
Thank you to Saturday Night Live for this Shein/Temu Parody that captures the problem
Hopefully this will help you to make better choices and buy less. Also, I really want to inspire you to relentlessly ask questions. We love questions; we love it when people drop into the workshop to see everything that we are doing. Brands that don't like questions, that won't let you visit, and rely on opaque or vague claims? They don't deserve your support. I would put Shein in this category - both Shein and Temu were called before a UK parliamentary committee and failed to answer quite simple questions. From 1:28 if you are keen on some highlights!
*Mulesing is a really awful practise, it consists of cutting strips of skin from the rear end of sheep, typically lambs, so that they don't grow wool there. It is done to prevent fly strike.
**Frankenfiber - I think I may have coined this term? It is when we create a textile that has no potential for recycling or composting. It might in the future, but it doesn't right now.
Written by Kresse!
