ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE FASHION:

A SEAM TO A BETTER FUTURE

MR. GREEN

By Abrar Hasanat

If someone asks you, what is the most pressing problem of the world at the moment? You might answer - climate change, pollutants, perhaps even global warming. Some might answer the lack of healthcare facilities or the abundance of health inequity and wealth inequality are the worst issues of the world. No matter what you think the biggest problems of the world are, it is unlikely to think of fashion or clothing as an issue or a solution. Yet Ethical Fashion and sustainable clothing might address many of these issues in ways you would never expect. What’s better is that clothing is something everyone uses and needs, so it’ll be much easier for the average person to affect change to the ongoing issues.

So, what is Ethical Fashion? The general definition of ethical fashion is fashion that aims to reduce the negative impact on people, animals, and the planet. Producing an item of clothing involves design, labor, and materials. Ethical fashion is kind to the planet and people every step of the way: from seed to garment.(1)

On the other hand, sustainable fashion can be defined as clothing, shoes, and accessories that are manufactured, marketed and used in the most sustainable manner possible -- taking into account both environmental and socio-economic aspects.(2)  In fact, sustainable fashion includes a lot of sectors including but not limited to: Eco-friendly and ‘green’ fashion, cruelty-free fashion, slow fashion, recyclable and upcycled fashion, conscious fashion, etc. 

How does sustainable fashion work and why would it be better for our environment? For instance, the fashion industry’s carbon footprint accounts for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.(3)  Alternatively, sustainable fashion reduces carbon emissions massively and is the best solution to reducing our impact on the environment and protecting animals and people from the fashion industry.(3)  Sustainable clothes and other products will last much longer than the average ones and thus, fewer waste products will be produced. On top of that, the entire production method is eco-friendly and the bi-products are recyclable. For example:  Around 70 million barrels of oil a year are used to make polyester fibers in our clothes. These plastic-based materials end up in landfills and oceans polluting and killing animals by entering their food chain. In contrast, an eco-friendly company uses organic cotton, recycled cotton, hemp fiber, materials from recycled bottles, and other low water usage materials such as Lenzing, Pinatex, Tencel. Moreover, thanks to recent advancements in materials we see the replacement of plastics with biodegradable natural fibers and plant-based alternatives.(3)

How does ethical fashion help with the healthcare crisis? The fashion industry often provides workers and laborers with improper wages; denies them their human rights like equal and fair pay, suitable work conditions, fair trade activities, and opportunities; doesn’t follow health and safety measures, among other unjust work regulations.(4)  Thus, many of the workers can’t afford any sort of healthcare facilities even in emergency cases. However, ethical fashion ensures all of these since they advocate for the ethical production of the products from the raw-suppliers to final-consumers. You’ll be surprised to know that out of the global 3.4 billion people in the workforce, 430 million work in the fashion industry. That means this relates to one out of eight working people!(5)  So just imagine how much of an overall impact it will be having on the overall healthcare situation of the world! Moreover, sustainable fashion is also (slightly) healthier for the skin as it doesn’t use harmful microplastics.(6) 

Here comes the big question - how affordable is sustainable fashion for the average person? At first glance, it seems more expensive than fast fashion price tags. A sustainable garment would necessarily cost more than a fast-fashion garment because it nurtures the supply chain—from using eco-sensitive materials to non-chemical dyes, from handcrafted elements to providing artisans with fair wages, and even storing waste fabric to be reused later adds to the cost of the garment. The only way fast-fashion companies can sell clothes at the rock-bottom rates they do is by cutting corners elsewhere.(7) 

However, we don’t see this as a sacrifice and neither should you. Rather see it as an investment. When you pay for an ethically and sustainably made piece of clothing, you are investing in each individual time you will wear it, a concept called “cost per wear”. Cost per wear describes the price you pay for a garment, divided by the number of times you wear it. For example, if you buy a garment for $100, and wear it 4 times, that garment costs you $25 each time you wear it. So, if you end up wearing this item once a week in one year you will bring the cost per wear right down to $1.92307692308—less than half of the price of your daily coffee. More often than not, the cost of a piece of clothing made within ethical processes is reflective of the money spent.(1) And remember, sustainable fashion tends to last longer than other fashion manufacturing including fast fashion!

Here is a short list of some brands that are offering sustainable clothes - in an affordable price range! 

ABLE BOODY PACT MADE TRADE  ECOVIBE

These are just some among many others, so make sure to do your own research to add to the list! Their products are affordable, have coupons and sales all year long and they guarantee you the ethical and sustainable process of their manufacture!

For more Ethical Brands click here!

So, are there other ways of supporting or engaging with ethical and sustainable fashion? The answer is, yes! You can support the cause by reading articles, listening to podcasts, doing some research on the same, etc. You can raise awareness about the sustainable fashion market and encourage others to try and support them. You can also write a strong-willed email to your fashion company of choice. If you’re passionate about ethical fashion--but cannot “vote with your pocket” to show your support in the positive fashion industry--this is an extremely easy and important way you can make a change at a deeper level. 

Email mainstream brands you wish you could buy from, but that don’t (yet!) align with your values. Ask them where their clothes are made and who makes them. Enquire about their workers’ rights, treatment, and workplace standards. If the answer is not what you would’ve liked to hear, or if the answer doesn’t come at all, then politely ask them to change their ways. If we, the consumers, team up to demand positive change, they’re more likely to listen to us.(1) 

In the modern era, there is an acute need of manufacturing fashion products in an ethical and sustainable way. We’ve talked about how the fashion industry methods are not only detrimental for Earth but also for her people. Even though there’s still a long way to go, the number of companies embarking on sustainable fashion is growing fast in the world with people getting more and more conscious regarding these. However, to actually have an eco-friendly and ethical fashion industry - there are still a lot of things to be done. But with climate change and environmental pollution increasing rapidly - we have to wonder, is it high time that we see the use of “Ethical and Sustainable Fashion” as the only fashion option? 

Works Cited

1. “What Is Ethical Fashion? The Ultimate Guide.” Ethical Made Easy. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://ethicalmadeeasy.com/what-is-ethical-fashion/. 

2. “WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FASHION?” Green Strategy Sustainable and Circular Fashion Consulting. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.greenstrategy.se/sustainable-fashion/what-is-sustainable-fashion/. 

3. Ana Alves. “What Is Sustainable Fashion – A Comprehensive Guide + 10 Must-Know Designers.” WTVOX. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://wtvox.com/fashion/sustainable-fashion/#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20that%20the,and%20protecting%20animals%20and%20people. 

4. Fibre2Fashion. “Ethical and Sustainable Fashion - Sustainable and Ethical Clothing.” Fibre2Fashion. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/7238/ethical-and-sustainable-fashion. 

5. “Faces and Figures: Who Makes Our Clothes?” Common Objective. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.commonobjective.co/article/faces-and-figures-who-makes-our-clothes#:~:text=The%20global%20workforce%20is%20estimated,the%20fashion%20and%20textile%20industry. 

6. Ellevate. “Why Sustainable Fashion Matters.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, October 7, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellevate/2019/10/07/why-sustainable-fashion-matters/?sh=11a688e371b8. 

7. “Is Sustainable Fashion Affordable?” The Voice Of Fashion. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://thevoiceoffashion.com/sustainability/responsible-fashion/is-sustainable-fashion-affordable-1719. 

IN CONVERSATION: MEREDITH CARLSON

LA BASED PHOTOGRAPHER

CULTURE RADAR

By Sam Townson

Meredith Carlson is a multi-talented photographer based in Los Angeles with a portfolio ranging from macro nature photography all the way to sports and music events. I reached out to connect with Meredith as I discovered her work as she took on the role of editor here at Earthians Care. I am a hobbyist photographer myself and so couldn’t miss an excellent opportunity to connect with such a talented professional photographer. 

Meredith gleaned her love of photography from her dad and photography was something they did together and bonded over. After getting her first camera in high school, she was able to follow the artistic process right from the vision to the finished product with the darkroom her school had hidden away in a closet sized room. It was from this moment that Meredith saw her love flourish.

In the late 1990s Meredith took a trip with her dad to Florida. Here they took part in a photography program all about documentary-based photojournalism which Meredith initially went on to study at the Western Kentucky University. Meredith felt that the projects the students were being given were too invasive with projects going as deep as asking them to document someone dying. However, this wasn’t the fit she’d been looking for as she felt that photojournalism didn’t give her enough space for artistic expression. Instead, Meredith took the bold step to switch to a fine art-based course allowing her artistic talents to shine through – her love of photography was reinvigorated.

A style of photography Meredith loves is capturing the emotion laden world of the city after dark with a focus on bands and musicians. This love flows through her into her project withthe.band which allows her to merge her loves of music, art and photography, as she transmits her own passion and the passions of those she photographs to the masses. Meredith said that some of her favourite projects were working with John Durrill as it gave her the chance to work alongside a musician she grew up listening to and hearing his stories about life and the music industry. She believes that photography gives her a space to connect with other people and a way to spread her wings and move away from her small hometown.

If you visit Meredith’s website, you’ll see that she worked alongside Meghan Markle and none other than the legend Ozzie Osbourne. She was invited by Ozzie Osbourne to photograph his daughter’s rocky horror theme party giving her the chance to trade tattoo stories with Ozzie himself and rub shoulders with celebrities.

Meredith has gained a lot of experience and her work has diversified into different walks of life. After speaking to Meredith it was clear that she is also a nature lover and photographing the natural world has always been something she has loved doing. She feels an intense emotional connection to nature -- loving the way you can capture moments forever and in a way that reflects how you connect with the subject. Nature photography is something Meredith has learned to love even more intensely since the beginning of the pandemic. Not only this but Meredith grew up with an eco-minded family teaching her to respect the natural world while spending time outside. Her respect for the natural world is evident in her most recent works in her portfolio and on her Instagram page @meredithmcarlson as they capture the fragility of nature as well as its beauty.

After finding out Meredith’s love for nature I couldn’t avoid asking her about her thoughts on climate change and conservation. Meredith said that photography was becoming a hard-to-work-in industry and she would love to move beyond photography alone and bring conservation into her work. She has been passionate about whatever changes she can make and has started to connect with nature again through being outside as much as possible as she walks, jogs and gardens, along with growing her own veg. She recognised that growing her own veg was not only a great way to connect with nature and reduce her carbon footprint, but that the process helped restore her faith in the natural world as they replicate and flourish against all adversity.

Despite her faith in nature Meredith recognises that we need to take action against the climate crisis we are faced with and conserve the natural world. It really struck me when Meredith stated that she feels that humans have a tendency to delay change that is bigger than themselves, but that we need to come together to initiate the change our planet really needs. It is here that Earthian’s Care fits in for Meredith as it brings people together to motivate change. She sees it as an excellent resource for engaging people of all ages to bring about change.

The final words from Meredith hit me as someone who is starting to try and decide what work they want to go into after finishing university. Meredith revealed that she is still trying to piece together her different passions to move forward with her career. It shows that nothing is ever fixed and that we will always be learning and adapting wherever we are in our lives. 

MARCH SELF-EXPRESSION JOURNAL

Draw, write, compose poetry, dance, play music—whatever you do to express yourself!— to each prompt below.

NEURO NASH