Defining Sustainable Fashion: 4 Ways To Be A Smart Shopper

Sustainable Fashion or Eco Fashion is a general term that can mean many things. As stated in our article, Reasons Millenials Do Care... Sustainability means to use products and resources that are organic and do not impoverish the environment for future generations. By Impoverish, I mean that it does not deplete the vitality of or cause ruin to the surrounding land, water or creature. Fashion has always been an industry driven by consumerism, which in concept, is not sustainable.

It is important to shop sustainable fashion in order to promote a better quality planet. Therefore, Sustainable or Eco Fashion is the concept that all fashion products & clothing were created in such a manner that does not impoverish our planet. In this article, we use several criteria to look for when shopping sustainably.

Organic: Non-synthetic fibers are better for the environment. Synthetic fibers are cheaper for the manufacturer to produce, however, synthetic fibers are both polluting and energy-intensive. Shopping non-synthetic fibers promotes an increase in the environmental quality of the land and water during production. Natural fibers are grown without any added chemicals or pesticides that make the ground toxic. This preserves the health of people, animals & the environment. 

Recycled: "Anything that has been made from already existing materials, fabrics, metals or fibers. These are often reclaimed from previously made clothing and accessories and reworked into new ones. Fibers can also be re-purposed from pre-existing fabric, re-spun and reused for new garments." (ECOFashion World)

Ethically Produced: This refers to fashion that is created with respect to others and the land. This includes locally made products. Shopping local & organic cotton promotes better work quality for laborers. By shopping locally grown, organic fabrics you are promoting an increase in work quality for farm laborers. When purchasing international, many of times, you're purchasing cheap labor. Local, organic farms are safer for agricultural workers because they are faced with less chemicals from the synthetic fibers.

Vegan: Vegans products are items that do not use any animal skin or tissue to create the product. 

Now you're probably wondering why we think it's important to understand these definitions and ideals to sustainable fashion shopping. The fact is, we want you to be mindful consumers. Do you know how much we could change this planet for the better if we became mindful consumers? Being a mindful consumer means knowing why you shop where you do. It means paying attention to where your clothing is grown, manufactured and sourced. It also means making a conscious decision to shop more environmentally sustainable fashion brands.

By making these mindful decisions, we begin to make a difference for the ocean, the people around us and the creatures who live here. Here are some tips on what to shop if you want to be a mindful consumer. 

 It's easy to make the switch to sustainable fashion! Head over to Purakai.com and make the change to sustainable! Because we are a socially responsible clothing company making good on our promises!