More and more, consumers are demanding greater transparency in clothing production as the industry increasingly takes shape in an ethical consumption world. For those who want to know the kind of things they’re wearing, ethical clothing production is essential due to growing environmental awareness and workers’ rights awareness. This guide highlights underlying principles of ethical clothing production, looks at the processes involved, and what consumers can do to help make it a more sustainable endeavour.
What is Ethical Clothing Production?
Ethical clothing production is the creation of clothing that focuses on creating a more well being for workers, sustainable material and little environmental impact. Ethical production of clothing differs from any other conventional manufacturing process in which treatment of the planet and people involved are considered at every stage: sourcing raw materials, making the product.
Manufacturers that choose to be ethically minded also tend to pay employees fair wages, have safe working conditions and use chemicals which are not harmful. With this movement also fitting into the larger goals of sustainable fashion, like diminishing waste, encouraging circular fashion (utilizing recycled items as new ‘raw’ materials) and minimizing resource consumption, this is a step in the right direction.
Principles of Ethical Clothing Production
- Fair Labor Practices: Treatment of workers is one of the core principle of ethical production. Factories that practise fair labour practices guarantee their work force are paid a living wage and work in a safe environment. The good news: These companies are also free of child labor and forced labor, still rampant in parts of the fashion industry. Examples of businesses that are doing this include PACT and Girlfriend Collective making sure their factories like Vietnam also meet their highest labor standards.
- Sustainable Materials: Ethical clothing production is defined by using eco friendly, renewable or recycled materials. Brands have a choice of fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and Tencel to make the brand more ecologically responsible. One such example is MUD Jeans at the forefront of taking circular fashion by recycling denim to produce new products while Thought Clothing uses a mix of natural fibres such as hemp and organic cotton in its collections.
- Eco-friendly Manufacturing: Reducing waste and pollution during production is what many ethical brands seek to do. So this includes using low impact dyes, reducing water usage and using energy efficient technology in their factories. Girlfriend Collective, among other companies, is transparent about its eco-friendly practices and uses the plastic waste to make activewear and do things like responsible dyeing.
- Animal Welfare: The production of ethical clothes also takes in the treatment of animals. Cruelty free fashion brands don’t use materials such as leather, fur or wool from poorly managed farms. Instead of that, they choose either vegan alternatives or animal products that are sustainably sourced. From Sézane, a French brand, which prioritizes transparency and ethical sourcing, so that no animal is harmed in the process of production.
The Environmental Impact of the Fashion Industry
Naturally, the fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters in the world. The process of making traditional clothing is extremely water and chemical heavy and is incredibly carbon emitting. But the ethical production of clothing aims to counteract these dangerous effects by acquiring ethical manufacturing techniques.
Textile waste is a key issue. The reality, according to Good On You, is that an average consumer throws 30 kilograms of clothing into the trash annually, most of which ends up in landfills. Ethical clothing brands make do with designing durable garments and promoting recycling and upcycling. For example, MUD Jeans is pursuing the goal of making denim only from post consumer recycled materials, forcing a drastic reduction in new material requirements.
A huge problem is the overuse of synthetic fibers, primarily polyester, that spills microplastics during washing into the ocean. PACT uses ethical fibers which decompose naturally without leaving harmful residues behind and fight this by being an ethical brand.
Choosing Ethical Clothing Brands
For those seeking to make an ethical choice for their wardrobe, it’s crucial to find fair trade fashion labeled by trustworthy brands committed to showing how their clothes were made. Certification labels (such as Fair Trade, B Corp, OEKO-TEX) promise brands are ethical. Some ethical clothing brands are more than happy to let you know their passion to sustainability and labor practices through either certifications or extremely detailed transparent reports.
Here are some notable ethical brands making a difference:
- People Tree: This brand is a pioneer in fair trade fashion, both for organic materials and artisanal traditional production methods.
- PACT: PACT has a reputation for it casual wear and spends huge chunks highlighting organic cotton and fair trade certification.
- Girlfriend Collective: Girlfriend Collective is a leader recycler, garmenting old plastic bottles and fishing nets into a high quality activewear.
The Role of Consumers in Supporting Ethical Production
Consumers have a great deal of power to determine the direction of fashion. At the very least, by making mindful purchasing decisions and supporting brands that value ethical production, they can persuade more businesses to follow suit. Here are several ways consumers can contribute:
- Buy Less, Choose Wisely: The future of fashion is not about sourcing from ethical brands, it is also about consuming less altogether. Investing in quality pieces that last a long time alleviates some of the demand for fast fashion that is often associated with unethical practices.
- Support Circular Fashion: You should choose brands that knowingly promote recycling and upcycling. For one, products like those MUD Jeans offer for lease allow consumers to reduce waste and support a circular economy by returning products at the end of their lifecycle.
- Care for Your Clothing: Washing fewer times, air drying, and fixing rather than throwing away & prolongs the lifespan of garments & decreases environmental impact.
- Seek Transparency: When you’re looking shopping, look for brands that put out their own manufacturing practices and material sourcing. Often, they are also transparent about supply chains and working condition with the employees, for consumers to make an informed decision.
Ethical Clothing Production vs. Fast Fashion
Significantly different to the values of ethical clothing production, fast fashion exists. Mass producing cheap clothes quickly underexploits workers rights and leaves the footprint on environment for the industry of fast fashion. It so often ends up in the form of these garments, that are often made out of synthetic, non biodegradable materials, resulting in a lot of waste.
On the other hand, ethical clothing production works much slower. Its main focus is quality over quantity and sticking to quality rather than cheap disposable trend. Thought clothing is a brand that encourages consumers to move towards capsule wardrobes – small collections of timeless pieces that can mix and mingle to keep your wardrobe fresh.
Buying ethical clothing allows us to get away from the endless consumption fast fashion is using to keep us trapped, ensuring we participate in creating a kinder, more sustainable fashion future.
Conclusion
We cannot just say that ethical clothing production is a trend anymore, it’s the shift needed for a more sustainable and just fashion industry. Ethical production practices follow the increasing needs of conscious consumers by the integration of using eco friendly materials as well as fair and safe working conditions. With all the advertising andannelsicking, consumers can make a big difference if they support these values by supporting brands that let these values drive their stores, vendors and also any factories that parts come from.
