Three Secrets to Fashionable AND Sustainable Living

The socially conscious and green fashion trends are making huge waves. We see small non-brands and other bigger fashion house brands making strides toward global consciousness and sustainable development in design.  While in the past, using the words "sustainable",  and "eco-conscious" in the same sentence with "fashion", was hard to find, in 2012, it is becoming the "in" thing. The keenness building—among both designers and consumers—indicates that socially responsible fashion may be more than a short-lived trend.

                                                     Image from EcoBlog.co.za

Love for fashion and concern for the global community have not been mutually exclusive before now. But we must admit, when looking for clothing made with sustainable principles and products, the selection has been slim, historically. So how does an industry that changes with the seasons turn over a new socially mindful leaf? We have identified 3 Secrets to remaining fashionable yet living sustainably:

• Staying Cruelty-Free: It’s not enough to know that our clothing wasn't produced in sweatshops; we also have to think about the origins of the raw materials. Designers and consumers alike now want to know that their pieces are violence and cruelty-free. Socially conscious fashion trends require attention to every step of the production process. 

• Reduce. Re-use. Recycle:  Fashionistas reinvent and copy themselves all the time. Taking this idea of recycling style one step further, some fashion designers are finding ways to use recycled and discarded materials in their designs. Less energy is used in production and produces less waste.

 

   Recycled Yamerra Packaging. Leave a "Secret to staying fashionable and socially aware to Enter to WIN $36.00 Set 

• Finding New Material: According to the World Bank, "Cotton accounts for 16 percent of global insecticide releases—more than any other single crop." Thus, clothing manufacturers and designers have begun exploring different materials altogether. Textile manufacturers are using bamboo, soy and wood pulp to create environmentally sound alternatives to cotton fabric. Additionally, many fashion designers are using traditional, natural dyes as a part of their efforts to create sustainable fashion. We too, can find more earth-friendly materials to enhance our fashion palettes.

Can you share more Secrets to being fashionable and yet Sustainably?  First 10 Responses/Comments ENTER TO win Yamerra's 3-piece gift st valued at $36.00! Winner choosen March 15th. Good luck!