What's With The Trend Towards Eco-friendly Clothing?

Fashion in the clothing industry is constantly changing. It has led to us embracing the trends according to time. However, not all clothing trends are sustainable for the environment. Just as chemical laden products manufactured by the corporate industries have been fatal to mother earth, the clothes we wear have contributed no less to the same.

Having regard to this, eco friendly clothing has come into trend. And it must be said, that this is a massive upgrade to the textile market. Many people have learnt about the effects of using mass produced clothes and have made the necessary switch. Below are some of the reasons that have been taken into consideration:

Reduces toxins released into the environment

(Picture: A worker spraying pesticides in a cotton field)

(Picture: Dyed threads to be used for weaving fabric)

Cotton grown in the field has to be protected from pesticides constantly. It leads to disturbances in the soil and also pollutes groundwater. Making cotton clothes also involved the use of synthetic elements. Dyes used to make our clothing look interesting are filled with chemicals. Sometimes the dyes are so harmful that they affect our skin, producing allergic reactions.

Therefore, many individuals have started wearing organic fabric made with bamboo or hemp. It has drastically reduced the usage of chemicals in making clothes.

Fair Trade

(Picture: Engagement of child labour)

A lesser known yet crucial problem of the clothing industry is the conditions in which the labourers work in. Corporations often engage labour to work in unsafe conditions, in a way that is beneficial for the employer. They often trick them into paying wages much lesser than they're actually entitled for.

Eco friendly clothing also means that the workers must be engaged in fair trading practices. It is also known as ethical fashion. It includes providing healthy working conditions, giving them fair wages and treating them humanely, with utmost respect. It also includes not engaging in child labour. People who have researched and understood the issue have pity on these people and therefore have turned to using eco-friendly, sustainable clothing.

Fair trade is a subject of wide connotation. It can be best understood by reading the article below:

https://passionlilie.com/blogs/designersjournal/ethical-sustainable-clothing-important

Protecting our fauna

(Picture: Leather Jacket)

(Picture: Leather boots made with snake skin)

(Picture: Animal skin hung for making fur clothing)

Fur coats and leather jackets look chic and everything until we deeply introspect the making of these items. Animals are ruthlessly killed in the process of providing you with the best fashion trends. It has lead to precious animals being endangered, some of them who have a role to play in the environment.

People who are vegan have great regard to this concern. Neither do they consume animal products, nor do they approve of any clothing made using silk, leather, fur etc. It's time we take the example and turn our wardrobe free from animal cruelty!

Unique clothing!

It's agreed that everyone loves wearing unique clothes. Seeing another person in the public wearing the same shirt or dress does make us feel a little annoyed (the girls, mostly!). It's a common problem with buying commercially produced clothes, that have like 10 sizes and colors in the same apparel. However, with eco friendly clothing, attention is paid to each product. There are less similar looking clothes produced. Quite often, one pattern, one color, one size policy is also used. There are also options available for customisation in clothes according to the individual.

Such versatility and uniqueness of the designs have led people to make a vital change in their clothing.

(Pictures: Kunbi Saree)

In Goa, the Kunbi Saree of the Kunbi tribe is the most popular fabric. It traces its roots way back to centuries ago, even before the advent of the Portuguese. This saree is a perfect example of what we'd call eco friendly. The saree is traditionally hand woven and dyed in red and dark purple checks. The dye is obtained from a recipe of iron ore, rice kanji (starch) and vinegar. The goan Kunbi saree is a treasured fabric. Though not worn a lot these days, it has made its way to the fashion industry due to the efforts of designer Wendell Rodricks.

Environmental pollution and its effects have come into the limelight, but switching to wearing eco-friendly clothing has been a slow fashion trend. An important reason for the same is the lack of awareness about how the clothes we wear affect the environment, since we're taught that cloth is a biodegradable product. But deeper insights give us a different opinion that is highlighted above.

We hope that you liked this article. Share as much as possible to create awareness about this menace.