Sustainable Fashion – Pre & Post COVID

Sustainable fashion – a term that has risen to become a mainstream movement, especially in the last few years. The world has seen established, prominent brands revise entire business models, and new initiatives around this movement. It would serve well to offer the technical definition of the term at this point – “the movement and process of fostering change to fashion products and the fashion system towards greater ecological integrity and social justice.”, via Wikipedia. A useful addition to the technically-sound definition can be “mindset”. Sustainable fashion has always been, in its core essence, a mindset. A mindset spanning almost all of the supply chain; where every purchase or production decision is consciously made against the backdrop of the greater, unselfish good. In other words, sustainable fashion is a way of life. In today’s day and age, any analysis on sustainable fashion cannot be complete without the lens of the COVID-19.

The Coronavirus pandemic this year served as a long overdue reality check to all of humanity. All facades of modern life – transportation, urban design, social constructs, and so on – were put to the toughest test seen in recent times. The fashion industry is no different. The role of the industry as a high-impact pollutant is widely established – production practices that overburden natural ecosystems, mismanagement of fashion waste accounting for high landfill occupancy, and heavy societal constructs that dictate extensive consumption. In a post-pandemic world, sustainable fashion is a natural alternative. Surely the world must switch to a system more  harmonious with the already over-stretched fragile natural balance? The answer to that is yes, it must – with humanity on the brim of a climate emergency and a biodiversity collapse, sustainable fashion must be the solution. The real question, however, is – is such a switch realistically, logistically possible?

To attempt to answer that, again, the lens of one of modern world’s most dominant systems must be used; capitalism. In the pre-COVID world, especially with the efforts of environmental rights groups, sustainability was edged forward on major corporate agendas. Progress was made across all spheres – from planning to reporting. However, in the post-COVID world, a bleak new set of facts emerges. This pandemic has disrupted supply chains, forced long-term closures and slashed consumer spending power in unprecedented ways, unlike anything in modern history. The fashion industry is facing severe repercussions in the form of sapped demand, managing wages and salaries as well as non-performing real estate costs. This scenario does not bode well for the case of mainstream adoption of sustainable fashion, which was on track for considerable progress. 

As is widely known, some of the core tenets of sustainable fashion involve fair wages to workers, sourcing of responsibly grown raw material, and high-quality waste management. In the current economic scenario, therefore, the most pressing concern is to stay afloat for the fashion industry. Prospects for a revolutionary shift – and a highly capital-intensive one at that will be slim. Long-lasting, systems change will take a considerable while, clearly.

As bleak as the outlook might appear, reality suggests differently. On a personal account, anecdotes of members of local communities, notably college students, give way to cautious optimism. Independent “clothes-mending” services in an opposition to fast fashion can be seen popping up across local Facebook groups; online marketplaces that promote the resale of pre-owned fashion items and, generally, a high level of alertness to combat today’s consumption-driven culture is visible. 

In conclusion, sustainable fashion in the post-pandemic age refers to a collective way of life – a mindset. Every individual can contribute – or take away from – progress on this crucial, central movement. The impact of your decisions, and mine, can not be overstated enough. After all, as the famous adage goes, there is no Planet B.

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Bamboo

Bamboo itself can be a highly sustainable crop, if grown under the right conditions.

There are a wide variety of textiles derived from the bamboo plant that are called bamboo fabric which has been used for thousands of years ( for infrastructure, medicinal use and for paper).

Bamboo fabric possesses antibacterial as well as UV protection properties.

In order to produce bamboo fabric of the highest quality, cellulose is not extracted during production. The bamboo fibers are instead coated with a natural enzyme before being washed and spun into yarn.

Often called bamboo linen, this fabric has a silky texture and is made from silky yarn.

This method makes bamboo fabric that is strong, durable, and environmentally friendly.

  • One can wash bamboo fabric by hand or in a washing machine, but it is absolutely important to use only cold water, never warm or hot water during this process (maximum recommended temperature: 60°C).
  • Wash bamboo clothes after turning them inside out, for best results.
  • Use a minimal amount of soap, and wash gently along with other clothes of similar colors, in short cycles.
  • It is important to rinse the clothes well to get rid of all the soap.
  • Never use softener or bleach on these clothes as they significantly reduce its life.
  • The cloth should never be dried in direct, strong sunlight, as this can cause permanent damage.
  • Bamboo fabric should never be dried in a machine dryer, as this causes it to shrink and lose shape rapidly.
  • Dry cleaning bamboo fabrics should be avoided as far as possible.

Modal

Modal is manufactured from cellulose using chemical processing, just as are bamboo, rayon (viscose) and lyocell. In the case of modal, the cellulose comes from softwood trees.  The manufacturing process is closed loop, which means that the chemicals used in processing are captured and reused. The small amount of discharged is considered non-hazardous. The finished textile is biodegradable and also takes well to natural dyes, eliminating the need for more harmful chemical dyes. Although in most cases modal is still dyed with conventional chemical dyes.

  • Beech trees are harvested, chipped, and cellulose is extracted from the pulp.
  • Next, the cellulose is made into sheets, which are soaked in sodium hydroxide.
  • Those sheets are broken into smaller pieces, which are soaked in carbon disulfate. This produces sodium cellulose xanthate.
  • Cellulose xanthate is soaked in sodium hydroxide again. The subsequent liquid solution is put through a spinneret, which is a device with a series of holes that help create fibers.
  • The created fibers are soaked in sulfuric acid to form yarn. Once washed, bleached, and dried, the yarn is loaded onto spools.
  • From there, the yarn can be woven or knit into a fabric to form modal.
Good news Modal can be washed in the washing machine with warm water. But if you know me, you know I prefer cold, it uses way less energy. It can also be machine dried (use the gentle cycle), but I highly recommend air drying your clothes. I’ve got a whole guide on how to do it right. Never use bleach on delicates fabrics, it breaks down the fibres and I always recommend using more natural, eco-friendly detergents for all your clothing. You can think of the care in the same way you would good linen. If you have lingerie or undies made from Modal, hand wash or use a mesh washing bag.

Organic Linen

Organic linen comes from a flax plant that is farmed without any use of toxic chemicals at the farming or processing stage.
The flax plant usually grows naturally in Western Europe, in temperate climates.

  • We recommend always using a low temperature or cold wash.
  • Use gentle detergents that are environmentally safe, and use a washable garment bag for particularly delicate items. Do not use fabric conditioner.
  • For stains, pre-soak and do not use an iron until the stain is completely gone.
  • Wash inside out and with like colors.
  • Do NOT wash with garments that have Velcro or zippers to avoid abrasion marks.
  • Always air dry when you can.
  • If you must iron, use a medium temperature iron and test on an inconspicuous piece first.
Organic linen is made from flax, a natural raw material. Flax is a recyclable fiber that does not need irrigation. It also requires almost no chemical treatment. All parts of the flax plant are used, ensuring no waste.

Milk

The milk fiber has been widely used in sweaters, underwear, garments, home textiles and other
fields, milk fiber products are quite welcome to consumers for the excellent properties of milk fiber super soft,anti-allergy, Eco-friendly, healthy and comfortable.

The most specific characteristics of milk protein fiber are skin-nourishing and bacteria-fighting.

Milk fiber is made from milk casein instead of fresh milk. It is new generation of innovative Fiber & a kind of synthetic Fiber created through bio-engineering method with biological health benefits which has passed international ecological certification of OEKO-tex standard 100.

Since they contain acrylic, however, semi-synthetic forms of this fabric can only be washed in cold or warm water.

Organic Hemp

Hemp fabric gives all the softness of other natural textiles, but with a strength that is an amazing 3 times higher than cotton.
This unique durability makes it uniquely hard-wearing and long-lasting.

  • We recommend always using a low temperature or cold wash.
  • Use gentle detergents that are environmentally safe, and use a washable garment bag for particularly delicate items. Do not use fabric conditioner.
  • For stains, pre-soak and do not use an iron until the stain is completely gone.
  • Wash inside out and with like colors.
  • Do NOT wash with garments that have Velcro or zippers to avoid abrasion marks.
  • Always air dry when you can.
  • If you must iron, use a medium temperature iron and test on an inconspicuous piece first

Hemp fabric is a long-lasting and durable fabric which is made from the long strands of fiber that make up the stalk of the plant.
These fibers are separated from the bark through a process called “retting.”
The retted fibers are then spun together to produce a continuous thread (or yarn) that can be woven into a fabric.

Recycled Polyster

Recycled Polyester, much like traditional polyester, is a man-made fabric.
However, recycled polyester is made from recycled plastic such as plastic bottles.

  • We recommend always using a low temperature or cold wash.
  • Use gentle detergents that are environmentally safe, and use a washable garment bag for particularly delicate items.
  • Wash inside out and with like colors.
  • Always air dry when you can.
  • Should not have to be ironed, but if you do, use a medium temperature iron and test on an inconspicuous piece first.

Recycled polyester is made by breaking down used plastic into small, thin chips. These thin pieces and chips are then melted down further and spun into yarn, which is then made into fabric.