![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.vionicshoes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-is-Sustainable-FashionFT.jpg\")
<\/a>Fast fashion brands have a lot to account for in terms of damaging the environment. It seems like so much of the world has heard the call for sustainability\u2014world governments, citizen groups, and top brands alike have all been making moves to fight for the planet and practice ethical fashion. Backed by science and collective action, climate justice is gaining a foothold across all major industries, <\/span>including <\/span><\/i>fashion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nSo what is sustainable fashion?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sustainable fashion is a production model that seeks to make fashionable more eco-friendly. It envisions a complete overhaul of the fashion industry to pave the way toward a more sustainable world. The proposed changes are massive, affecting everything from the sourcing of materials to ethical production practices to waste reduction and the curbing of carbon emissions.<\/span><\/p>\n While sustainable fashion is the wave of the future, it still accounts for only a small minority of apparel produced. The beast that sustainable fashion has set out to slay is called fast fashion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fast fashion is the dominant style of apparel manufacturing in the modern world, and it has completely changed the way we think about and consume clothing.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it works:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n This low cost\/high yield style is bad news for the environment. In fact, the fashion industry is responsible for over a billion metric tons of greenhouse emissions every year1<\/sup>\u2013<\/span> that’s more than international air travel and nautical shipping <\/span>combined<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that fast fashion needs to change. Not only is it extremely wasteful, but it delivers cheaply made poor quality finished products. Consumers deserve better, and so does the Earth. Luckily, sustainable fashion provides us with a brighter vision for the future.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s get into the nitty-gritty of how sustainable fashion seeks to address the apparel industry\u2019s climate woes. We\u2019ll touch on a few different aspects of the environmental damage caused by fast fashion and provide sustainable alternatives to each outdated practice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ve already mentioned the incredible amount of carbon emissions produced by the fashion industry. Every step of the current apparel manufacturing and sales system has redundancies that cause higher emissions. We\u2019ll touch on just one- the global manufacturing process.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s no secret that fashion is a massive global industry, but you might not be aware of just how much international shipping goes into the process of making clothing. Every company has a different process, but here are the basic steps:<\/span><\/p>\n Each of these steps can (and usually does) involve global shipping. That\u2019s a <\/span>lot<\/span><\/i> of wasted fuel.<\/span><\/p>\n Sustainable fashion seeks to address this issue through a practice called <\/span>nearshoring2<\/sup><\/span><\/i>.<\/span> Companies that use nearshoring produce their products in or directly around their major markets. This not only cuts down carbon emissions but also cuts down on costly shipping delays.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s talk trash. Like, <\/span>actual <\/span><\/i>trash.<\/span><\/p>\n In the United States, roughly 85% of discarded clothing is incinerated or sent to a landfill.3<\/sup><\/span> As these textiles decompose, they release harmful chemicals into the environment and contribute massively toward greenhouse gas emissions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The first sustainable solution to this problem is simple: produce less clothing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Some fast fashion brands release new products every week. That\u2019s right, 52 \u201cseasons\u201d a year.4<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0 Apparel companies with a more sustainable mindset produce fewer collections (typically 2-3 a year) that are focused on longer-lasting, higher-quality products.<\/span><\/p>\n Another environmentally friendly practice is recycling. However, because of how most clothing is produced, it\u2019s notoriously difficult to recycle. Donation isn\u2019t always a quick fix, either. There\u2019s so much clothing in the world that donation sometimes just moves the waste problem from place to place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Scientists are pursuing multiple avenues to make recycling clothing easier:3<\/sup><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n The type of textile apparel makers choose to use greatly affects their overall carbon footprint.<\/span><\/p>\n Thankfully, there are plenty of sustainable alternatives. Are your shoes sustainable<\/a>? Companies like Vionic, a sustainable clothing brand, have committed to completely vegan apparel, which is amazing news for animal rights activists and sustainable fashion fans alike. Vionic uses responsible and sustainable fashion materials<\/a> like organic cotton jute, bamboo, recycled rubber, and cork to produce stylish, supportive shoes and <\/span>sandals for women<\/span><\/a> and men, such as loafers, stilettos, platform, and other women\u2019s flat sandals.<\/span><\/p>\n The environment isn\u2019t the only victim of fast fashion (or the textile industry as a whole), and impossibly low consumer prices aren\u2019t possible without cutting corners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many of the world\u2019s largest clothing makers rely on underpaid laborers in the third world to keep their costs down. The average garment worker spends long hours in factories under dangerous conditions, making as little as 32 cents an hour.4<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n Sustainable fashion brands put focus on the well-being of their laborers. (After all, humanity is a part of nature too.) This means using fair trade materials, paying sufficient wages, and maintaining strict health and safety measures on manufacturing floors.<\/span><\/p>\n After reading about how sustainable fashion is practiced at an industry level, you may be wondering how to participate as a consumer. Check out these tips to help you greenify your closet:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n While the main responsibility for a sustainable future sits squarely on the shoulders of industry, change can\u2019t happen without an invested populace. When you shop sustainably and consider the environmental impact of your daily life, you\u2019re working toward a better future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Spread the word to friends and family about sustainable fashion, too. After all, we\u2019re stronger together.<\/span><\/p>\n Be part of the fashion revolution. At <\/span>Vionic<\/span><\/a>, we trust science. It\u2019s how we developed some of the most comfortable, supportive shoes on the market today. We are also a sustainable brand. The experts at the Vionic Innovation Lab developed the Viomotion footbed technology to support healthier feet and legs through more thoughtful, intentional shoe design.<\/span><\/p>\n Because we trust science, we\u2019re also committed to sustainability. Vionic uses sustainable materials\u2014raw and renewable ones like cotton jute and bamboo\u2014and recycled materials, too.<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019re keeping an eye on sustainability because we care about the planet<\/span> and because we care about our customers. We know that you try to be as ethical as possible when you shop. That\u2019s why we\u2019re proud to offer sustainable, science-backed products that you can feel good about buying.<\/span><\/p>\n Check out our selection of <\/span>walking sandals<\/span><\/a> to see what we mean.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sources:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\nSustainable Fashion and Fighting The Fast Fashion Footprint<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
<\/a><\/p>\n4 Sustainable Solutions to Fast Problems<\/strong><\/h2>\n
#1 More Efficient Emissions<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
#2 Less Waste<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
<\/a><\/h3>\n#3 Responsible and Organic Materials<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
#4 Addressing the Hidden Price of Low Costs<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nHelp Out at Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Viable Change With Vionic<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n