Abbigliamento ecosostenibile - eco-friendly clothing
24 June 2018   •   Raffaella Celentano

Eco-friendly clothing and other ideas for a green fashion

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«It’s time for Fashion Revolution, a worldwide initiative that promotes the choice of eco-friendly clothing. What does this mean? Here is our guide for an ethical change also in fashion »

The  Fashion Revolution Week has now become a regular event for all lovers of fashion and (above all) eco-friendly clothing. This is a global movement born following the accident of the Rana Plaza: it was April 24, 2013 when, in Bangladesh, 1138 workers who were working for many of the most famous fashion brands lost their lives. It was the fourth largest industrial disaster in history, and since April 24 has become a national day in favor of ethical fashion, critical and attentive to social and environmental impact

«FASHION REVOLUTION WANTS TO BE THE FIRST STEP IN BECOMING AWARE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BUY A PIECE OF CLOTHING, TOWARDS A MORE ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE FASHION INDUSTRY, RESPECTING PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT. CHOOSING WHAT WE BUY CAN CREATE THE WORLD WE WANT: EACH OF US HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER AND EVERY MOMENT IS GOOD TO START DOING IT
Marina SpadaforaCOORDINATOR OF FASHION REVOLUTION IN ITALY

But what do “ethical fashion” and “eco-friendly clothing” mean? It is not, as many believe, to wear jute bags and clothes that are not very (or not at all) elegant! Following an ethical fashion and opting for eco-friendly clothing means being more attentive and critical to what we buy, preferring clothes from countries that do not exploit workers and with minimal social and environmental impact.

Of course, it’s not easy… There are so many ways to go and mistakes are around the corner. Fortunately, many Italian brands come to meet us, offering us a wide choice of clothes and accessories that combine ethics and aesthetics. Furthermore, there are many ways to recycle their clothes and give them a new life, in addition to (naturally) the shops and flea markets, whose success is due (in addition to our new interest in vintage ) to a greater responsibility from consumers.

But let’s see, now, what are the steps  to follow if we want to get closer to a more conscious fashion and consumption and embrace eco-friendly clothing…

  • KEEP AN EYE ON THE LABEL

It is easy to say eco-friendly clothing, but in reality (let’s face it!) It is not easy to convert to an ethical fashion. We can, however, start with small tricks and new healthy habits, like that of carefully reading the label of the garments we want to buy. The label is to be considered the passport of a suit: it tells us how, from whom and where it was produced and how we must take care of it. Choose, therefore, clothes made of textile fibers (natural or man made ) with low environmental impact and coming from reliable countries in terms of socio-environmental impact.

  • RELY ON MADE IN ITALY

Obviously, it is useless to deny it, Italy is one of the most reliable countries when it comes to production. This happens not only because the quality of our materials is very high, but above all because there is strict legislation concerning the safety and health of workers.

  • THE NEW TEXTILE FIBERS

More and more often we hear about new ecological fabrics, mostly coming from the recycling of industrial and food waste materials. This is the case of fibers from citrus fruit or wine, ecological leathers and 100% recycled fabrics. They are all fibers with low environmental impact and easily recyclable, which make eco-friendly clothing easier to find.

  • SECOND HAND STORES AND MARKETS

It is a habit that many people have now, even many celebrities. Born thanks to the return on the scenes of vintage, many flea markets have proved to be a great ally of ethical fashion and eco-friendly clothing. Buying (at discounted prices) a used dress means reducing the environmental impact of fashion, giving the garments a new life. That’s why more and more our cities are invaded by nice shops and flea markets. Then, groups born on social networks are very successful, inviting them to resell their clothes and favor a continuous exchange. This is the case of Svuota L’Armadio, a Facebook group born in Rome and which has now become a national phenomenon, involving many cities throughout Italy.

  • RELY ON CLOTHES SHARING

Another important trend in recent years is that of sharing clothes. Whether you call it a clothes sharing or a rented wardrobe, the mechanism is very simple: you book a piece of clothing for a limited period of time at the end of which it is returned. In this way we could have the opportunity to always wear new clothes spending little and without the danger of finding ourselves submerged by clothes that (let’s say it) we will never wear again. It is an excellent solution to reduce the impact that fashion has on the environment and on our wallets: renting is cheaper to buy, and a lower demand for clothes translates into more conscious production and less waste. All this, of course, without giving up being super trendy!

  • RECYCLE YOUR OLD CLOTHES

There are more and more stores and large chains that invite consumers to bring their old clothes to the stores, where they will be collected and then sent for recycling. In return, customers receive discount coupons that they can use for their new purchases. Among the Italian chains that adhere to this initiative we mention OVS, Calzedonia and Intimissimi.

  • THE ” 30 WEARS” RULE

The 30 wears challenge  has been launched by many influencers  and entrepreneurs a few years ago. It consists of wearing a dress at least thirty times. At the time of purchase, the consumer must ask himself how many times he will have to wear a suit; if you think you wear it at least thirty times over the course of your life it means it’s worth buying!

It’s never too late to think about the environment and eco-friendly clothing is a great way to start!

Raffaella Celentano

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