The general definition of ethical fashion is fashion that aims to reduce the negative impact on people, animals and the planet.
Manufacturing clothing involves design, labor and materials.
Ethical fashion is kind to the planet and people every step of the way, from the materials that are used, through the production to the finished garment itself.
Materials
Ethical fashion looks at the impact of using materials to make clothes.
Each fabric has a different impact on the planet and people, and the choice of natural materials such as wool, silk, linen, cotton is typical of ethical fashion companies.
Labor
There are about 40 million garment workers in the world today, and roughly 2% of them earn a living wage. Workers in the fashion industry are exploited, underpaid and placed in terrible working conditions. Garment workers are often denied access to clean drinking water and regular breaks, and face abuse, harassment and forced overtime.
The tragedy at Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2013 forced the world to acknowledge the dark side of the fashion industry, but now, years later, problems remain.
The fast fashion industry has taken the world by storm with its promise of endless trends, criminally low prices and convenience.
As a society, we were used to the overproduction of extremely cheap clothes available at the click of a button, which led to the people who make these clothes being treated as modern day slaves, and the planet from which limited resources were extracted was being polluted at a rapid rate.
Ethical fashion companies are working to change this mindset.
Ethical and sustainable fashion means imagining a future where fashion doesn't harm our planet, respects workers' rights and offers clothes that are healthy and don't harm the health of consumers.
There are many companies that are committed to becoming more sustainable by using innovative materials and manufacturing practices with low environmental impact.
But it is not enough for companies to play their part. We, as consumers, can also do our part by choosing sustainable and responsible products. Choosing ethical and sustainable fashion not only allows us to reduce our impact on the environment, but also to support an industry that values social justice and the well-being of the planet and the local communities involved in the production chains. /BGNES