Sustainable fashion is about producing clothes, shoes and accessories in environmentally and socio-
economically sustainable manners, but also about more sustainable patterns of consumption and use, which
necessitate shifts in individual attitudes and behaviour. However, there are many ways for fashion companies
to offer a more sustainable fashion, and for consumers to consume more sustainably (greenstrategy.se,
1, 2020).
Here are seven ways on how fashion can be sustainable from both a consumer and a producer perspective:
This image presents seven forms of (more) sustainable and circular fashion. The first version was created in 2012 and was later updated in 2016. Created by Dr Anna Brismar, Green Strategy (Copyright, Green Strategy)
Ideally, all aspects of the figure above should be combined for every new garment produced. Hence each garment should first be manufactured on demand or custom-made (No. 1), in high quality and timeless design (No. 2), in an environmentally friendly manner (No. 3) and with consideration to various ethical aspects (No. 4). Thereafter, it should be used long and well through good care, repair and perhaps redesign (No. 5). When the product is no longer desired, it should be handed into a secondhand shop, donated to charity or handed over to friends, relatives or perhaps a swap-shop, to prolong its active life (No. 6 and 7). When the garment is completely worn out, it should be returned to a collection point for the recycling of the textile material, which can hence be reused in the manufacturing of new clothes or other textile products. Ideally, instead of buying newly produced clothes, one should consider renting, borrowing or swapping clothes (No. 6), or to buy secondhand or vintage (No. 7).
The figure thus shows seven forms of sustainable fashion from a consumer and producer perspective. Although ideally, clothes and other fashion products should be produced and consumed in the manner described above, in reality, this is not the case yet. What we rather should seek is that every individual tries to find his or her form(s) of more sustainable fashion. All forms do not necessarily suit all people equally well because we all have different needs and preferences. Some individuals – usually younger – prefer to
experiment with and renew their wardrobes often; using “Second hand & Vintage”, “Repair, Redesign & Upcycle” and “Rent, Loan & Swap” would possibly be of most interest. For people who prefer newly manufactured clothes without history and who has a consistent style, “On-demand” and “High quality & Timeless design” are likely to be most attractive.
Whether one prefers to renew the wardrobe often or more sporadically, “Green & Clean” and “Fair & Ethical” are important choices when purchasing new clothing. Buying new clothes that are manufactured in an environmentally and socially/ethically conscious manner is something we all should aspire as much as
2 possible, although it may entail a somewhat higher price tag (greenstrategy.se, 2020).