In the guide below, we outline some of the potential pros and cons of sustainable fashion.
We cover current issues, what future forecasts might indicate, key statistics, as well as topics like recycling fashion items, ethics, and more.
We consider this a ‘summary guide’, and encourage you to do additional independent research.
Summary – Pros & Cons Of Sustainable Fashion
Pros
Consumers have some direct control over their fashion related sustainability footprint
The market for rented clothing is expected to grow in the future
The market for secondhand clothing is expected to grow in the future
Some estimates indicate that a significant % of pre-owned textiles can be recycled or re-used
Subjectively, is appears public awareness about sustainable fashion is growing, and/or is becoming more consistent
Some brands are making an effort to increase sustainability, and there are noticeable results from this effort
More clothing utilisation options are becoming available
Public figures and influencers might have some power to start trends and change across some areas of more sustainable or ethical fashion
Solutions to more sustainable fashion may exist in trying match sustainable fashion solutions with humans’ psychological side and ultimately primeval behaviors
Cons
Recycling textiles and ‘circular fashion’ has major challenges and isn’t effective in a number of countries
Fashion may have a problem getting ‘good data’, and misinformation may be an issue when it comes to sustainability statistics, trends, and data
There can be issues with awareness, transparency and tracking/tracing in the supply and sourcing chain
Fashion might still need improvement across several key sustainability and even ethics indicators
Several key sustainability indicators have questionable forecasts for the future
Despite supposed increased awareness about sustainable fashion, behavior relating to consumption might currently be classified as unsustainable according to some metrics
The burden to increase sustainability in the fashion industry might be unequally left to the smaller companies
Some sources point out that human psychology and behavior may be a permanent barrier to achieving certain levels of sustainable fashion (that may be difficult to overcome)
More information on sustainability in fashion can lead to complexity and conflict in information, which can ultimately lead to the consumer doing nothing or ignoring sustainable fashion
Sustainability related marketing terms can be confusing for consumers
Some argue sustainability is ‘too broad’ of a term, has ‘too loose’ of a definition, and different sustainability metrics can’t be agreed upon
Improving sustainability can be a long term commitment that may not necessarily show short term results
Sustainability can sometimes be at conflict with company growth and business/economic goals
Some argue that the current systems in the fashion industry are inherently flawed
Summary
Sustainability in fashion might involve the consideration of different environmental, social, economic, and ethics based objectives and factors.
There’s several stakeholders in the fashion industry – from suppliers, to manufacturers, brands, sellers/retailers, consumers, resellers, waste management companies, and the government.
With this being the case, it’s accurate to say that sustainability in fashion involves many different factors, variables and considerations.
There’s also a variety of ways to assess or measure sustainability in fashion.
From looking at the reports, data and real life examples of what is happening across the fashion industry (and for fashion consumers) – it might be reasonable to say that fashion has made significant progress in sustainability over the last few decades, but also has room to make more progress in the future.
What this progress looks like depends on many key factors such as the sustainability indicators that are pursued, the production and consumption rates into the future, producer behavior, consumer behavior, availability of accurate information, how we handle used textiles and textiles waste, investment by those with resources into key areas in the industry, and external factors like population growth.
*Other Notes
These pros and cons are generalisations.
Obviously the final set of pros and cons of sustainable fashion will be dependent on the individual fashion products, processes, brands and life cycles being assessed.
It also depends on factors like how sustainability is being measured, and the sustainability indicator being measured.
Pros Of Sustainable Fashion
Consumers have some direct control over their fashion related sustainability footprint
Irrespective of what brands and businesses are doing, consumers have direct control over some key fashion sustainability factors, such as:
– Reducing their consumption rate of new fashion items, and keeping items for longer (and taking better care of them)
– Buying pre-worn and secondhand where possible (swapping clothes, renting clothes, buying and selling pre-worn fashion items, and so on)
– Thoroughly researching new purchases before buying to get more clarity and certainty on the footprint of a new fashion piece
– Speaking with friends, and becoming a part of groups and communities that share sustainability tips, and organize sustainable fashion practices together
The market for rented clothing is expected to grow in the future
The global fashion rental market is projected to exceed $2.5 billion by 2023 (vogue.com.au)
The market for secondhand clothing is expected to grow in the future
… the luxury resale market [will] soon outpace the new luxury goods market … [and this is fuelled by clothing swaps, clothing sharing, take back schemes and more awareness and information on extending the life of clothing] (vogue.com.au)
Some estimates indicate that a significant % of pre-owned textiles can be recycled or re-used
Those estimates indicate that that % might be around 95% of textiles that can be recycled or re-used
Subjectively, it appears public awareness about sustainable fashion is growing
Subjectively, this is the case in a number of countries worldwide [… and some …] evidence of this can be seen during Fashion Month, where there is noticeable activism (vogue.com.au)
Across social media and other platforms, consumers also show evidence of communicating about sustainable fashion related issues and practices.
Some brands are making an effort to increase sustainability, and there are noticeable results from this effort
Brands are doing things such as using more sustainable materials, and providing information about how they source and produce their products.
Several reports also indicate that companies and brands are starting to better track and quantify what is happening in their fashion supply chains (and get better access to data for these supply chains), and are using that data to improve their supply chains to be more sustainable
In the future, better access to data may also help retailers with subsequent parts of the supply chain, such as labelling and stocking (especially removing uncertainty from stocking in stores)
All of this may also help suppliers, retailers, sellers and brands better understand how to achieve certain sustainability goals.
Ultimately, there’s many individual examples of brands currently trying improve the sustainability of their business processes.
[Efforts from some fashion brands are resulting in a reduction in] water, energy and chemical use [as well as a reduction in the carbon footprint] (thefashionlaw.com)
More clothing utilisation options are becoming available
In addition to buying new clothes from retailers, consumers can swap clothes, buy pre-worn clothes privately, buy pre-worn clothes from public stores, and, clothing repair and restoration services may even become more popular in the future.
[In addition to renting, subscription based services when it comes to clothing is an example of a clothing utilisation option that has developed] (vogue.com.au)
Public figures and influencers might have some power to start trends and change across some areas of more sustainable or ethical fashion
This is due to the popularity, reach and engagement of modern technology like social media.
[Public figures wearing sustainable or ethical brands or fashion items has in the past lead to increased sales and economic growth for these brands, which suggests public figures and influencers have the power to help with sustainable fashion] (vogue.com.au)
Solutions to more sustainable fashion may exist in trying match sustainable fashion solutions with humans’ psychological side and ultimately primeval behaviors
Fashionlaw.com makes this point about catering sustainable fashion solutions to human biological, psychological, and emotional drives:
The desire for new clothes is something that may be impossible to change.
So instead of trying to appeal to the consumer’s supposed ethical streak, perhaps brands should aim instead to use new technology and business models to design products that can be recycled or re-engineered into new styles with minimal use of virgin materials, water, energy and chemicals
… we would not aim to change thousands of years of evolution in the space of a generation, but use innovation and creativity to make industry bend to our inherent needs
Cons Of Sustainable Fashion
Recycling textiles and ‘circular fashion’ has major challenges and isn’t effective in a number of countries
Aside from issues with textiles recycling itself, textiles not being recycled can end up in landfill, or being incinerated.
From vogue.com.au:
Less than one per cent of old clothing is currently recycled into new clothing … [and] blended fabrics remain notoriously difficult to recycle
[Each country has it’s own unique set of challenges with recycling textiles, which might include but isn’t limited to lack of government engagement in textile waste, no official data, no national investment in waste systems and technology]
Nearly three-fifths of all clothing produced ends up in incinerators or landfills within years of being made (vox.com)
For more information on the recycling of clothing and textiles, you may like to read this guide
Fashion may have a problem getting ‘good data’, and misinformation may be an issue when it comes to sustainability statistics, trends, and data
The vox.com resource outlines how the fashion industry may have a problem with getting and using ‘good data’ for many of the statistics quoted by and used by brands and media/content providers
The result of this is can be misinformation, but also, the question could be asked: how can we objectively and meaningfully try to improve a situation we may not accurately or clearly understand?
On the positive side, we might now have awareness that more public funding (or private funding) might be needed to get good data (good data is expensive) on sustainability statistics in the fashion industry
There are currently organisations like newstandardinstitute.org that are trying to provide places to understand sustainability related issues better with consolidated, independent science backed information
There can be issues with awareness, transparency, and tracking/tracing in the supply and sourcing chain
From vogue.com.au:
[At the moment, only certifications and labelling are thorough enough for companies to have a reliable guarantee of where their materials are sourced from]
Without some certification programs, labelling and tracking, brands may not know where most of their fibres and fabrics actually came from, and consumers don’t have a guarantee of what happened along the supply chain, or during production and processing.
Fashion might still need improvement across several key sustainability and even ethics indicators
– Overall Improvement
[As recently as 2019] significant change throughout the [fashion] industry, coupled with mass consumer action, has yet to come (fortune.com)
– Improvement Across Specific Indicators
[Even though progress has been made in some areas in fashion, other areas like worker’s basic rights in developing countries (having basic economic, physical and emotional security), and several areas of pollution could still improve further] (vogue.com.au)
Additionally, other reports indicate that in some fashion sectors, progress on some sustainability indicators is slowing year on year, and environmental impact is getting worse. This is despite an increasing volume of production
Several key sustainability indicators have questionable forecasts for the future
– Resource Use, Emissions & Waste
By 2030 [water consumption, the carbon footprint, and waste generation are all forecast to increase in the fashion industry] (thefashionlaw.com)
– Consumption & Disposal Of Fashion Items
From thefashionlaw.com:
[Some figures suggest increased consumption, and the rate at which new fashion items are discarded by consumers is in fact increasing, in part because people are chasing the latest fashion trends … people are also buying new clothes more frequently, and letting their clothes sit in their cupboards without being worn]
[Fast fashion as opposed to slow fashion may be the key cause for high consumption and disposal rates]
What would be worthwhile about the above reports and findings though – is to compare these increases to the trends in overall production and population growth, and ask the question of whether sustainability is getting worse per capita, or is there more of a negative impact because total production and total consumption is increasing?
If total fashion production and waste numbers are increasing, sustainable fashion won’t have much of an impact without reducing these totals.
Despite supposed increased awareness about sustainable fashion, behavior relating to consumption might currently be classified as unsustainable according to some metrics
From vogue.com.au:
[One example of this is] between 2000 and 2015, clothing utilisation (how long we keep garments in use) fell by 36% globally.
In China, it was 70% … [which means] We’re buying more clothes and wearing them less
From thefashionlaw.com:
… the growth of ethical consumption has not materialized in mainstream fashion.
Ethically-minded brands believe the single biggest issue stopping them becoming more sustainable is the consumer; either through their lack of awareness of the issues faced by the industry or through an unwillingness to pay the premium for sustainable products
The burden to increase sustainability in the fashion industry might be unequally left to the smaller companies
[The burden to improve sustainability in the fashion industry might unequally be left to smaller companies, and less so to larger companies] (vogue.com.au)
Some sources point out that human psychology and behavior may be a permanent barrier to achieving certain levels of sustainable fashion (that may be difficult to overcome)
When posing the question of whether ethical consumption can really exist in the mainstream fashion market, thefashionlaw.com makes this point:
Psychology and behavioral science may suggest that ethical fashion consumption is a pipe dream.
We believe our purchasing decisions are based on rational, conscious and well thought out deliberations, but in reality, the complexity of human behavior and the fundamental nature of fashion implies that ethical consumption may not be an attainable goal
Essentially, what people say and believe they will do, they may not actually do when it comes time to actually purchase and use fashion products.
Even if we believe that human psychology and behavior is not the barrier some make it out to be, it might be reasonable to admit that irrational behavior, emotions, social drivers and biological drivers will always be present to some extent in humans’ relationship with fashion.
More information on sustainability in fashion can lead to complexity and conflict in information, which can ultimately lead to the consumer doing nothing or ignoring sustainable fashion
More information on issues to do with sustainability in fashion can lead to complexity and conflicting information for consumers and those looking to shop sustainably
thefashionlaw.com indicates that ‘… evidence shows this does little to increase ethical behavior [by the consumer, and in fact, it’s] easier for the consumer to turn a blind eye …’
Paraphrased from thefashionlaw.com … :
On the subject of conflict of information:
[There can still be debate in the scientific community in relation to what types of fabrics and fibres are really best for the environment]
On the subject of complexity:
[In past times, before globalisation and outsourcing, sourcing and manufacture may have been easier to track and may have been more transparent when it stayed with the country where the product was being bought]
[But, in modern times, big fashion chains might use thousands of suppliers, and these suppliers might have sub contracts, and there can be secrecy or an unwillingness to reveal suppliers because of a want to protect economic and practical advantages from the competition]
Sustainability related marketing terms can be confusing for consumers
Some reports indicate that recently the number of clothes described as sustainable has increased, and, other terms like ‘eco’, ‘organic’, ‘vegan’, and so on, are used as well
Consumers may lack an immediate and accurate understanding of what these terms mean
There’s also a lack of regulation or standards on what these terms mean in certain countries
The end result is that consumers don’t know for sure what they are buying, and even certification programs may be difficult for some consumers to easily understand
Some argue sustainability is ‘too broad’ of a term, has ‘too loose’ of a definition, and different sustainability metrics can’t be agreed upon
Sustainability in general, and also in fashion, can mean different things to different people and organisations – there’s debate about it
There’s also debate about what sustainability metrics should be tracked, and what sustainability goals should try to be pursued
With debate and different opinions and priorities, it might be harder to get uniformity to make major progress on any one metric or indicator in some ways.
Improving sustainability can be a long term commitment that may not necessarily show short term results
People may want complete solutions right now, and there might be some short term solutions available.
But, in reality, to get lasting and worthwhile changes across an industry, it can take years, and even a decade or more when looking at the commitment and extent of changes required.
Some people may not have awareness or understanding of this, and may thinking sustainable fashion initiatives aren’t working because there aren’t significant changes noticeable in the short term
Fashion sustainability organisations and governments don’t always agree
[This was the case the UK between the Environmental Audit Committee and the UK Government on fashion sustainability related issues] (fortune.com)
Sustainability can sometimes be at conflict with company growth and business/economic goals
When brands grow too quickly, scale up production too quickly, or hit certain economic goals rapidly, they can sometimes struggle to keep their environmental impact positive along with hitting these goals
Some argue that the current systems in the fashion industry are inherently flawed in some ways
Some reports point out that whilst it’s good there’s a perceived focus on sustainability in fashion, and there’s progress being made in different areas, companies still have a profit motive that relies on production, and eventually consumption
With this being the case, some argue that instead of focussing on certain sustainability practices, there should be a focus on figuring out how total production and consumption can be decreased, and how we can make better use of what we already have
This would of course mean that the fundamental systems and structure of the fashion industry would have to change, and not just the behaviors
It’s worth point out though that this is more of a speculative point
External factors like population growth, economic sustainability, and other factors would have to be considered
Sources
1. https://www.vogue.com.au/fashion/news/7-critical-issues-affecting-sustainable-fashion-in-australia/news-story/8b46156f71c05a16aca0d949b43e0cbb
2. https://www.thefashionlaw.com/can-the-fashion-industry-ever-really-be-sustainable/
3. https://fortune.com/2019/12/26/fashion-industry-clothing-sustainability/
4. https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/the-problem-with-sustainable-fashion/index.html
5. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/1/27/21080107/fashion-environment-facts-statistics-impact
6. https://www.newstandardinstitute.org/
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_fashion
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