Sustainable Fashion

A business model characterized by rapid production of high volumes of inexpensive clothing that mimics current trends, encouraging frequent purchases and short garment lifespans. Fast fashion externalizes environmental and social costs to maximize speed and profit.

A system in which garments are designed, sourced, produced, and provided with the intention of being used responsibly and effectively for as long as possible, then returned to the biosphere safely or cycled back into production when they can no longer be worn.

Textile fibers grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified organisms, using agricultural practices that maintain soil health and reduce water pollution. Common organic fibers include organic cotton, organic linen, and organic hemp.

A certification and movement ensuring that garment workers receive fair wages, work in safe conditions, and have the right to organize, while environmental standards for production are also met. Fair Trade fashion addresses the social dimension of sustainability.

Discarded clothing and fabric scraps generated at all stages of the fashion supply chain, from factory cutting-room offcuts to consumer post-use disposal. Globally, an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is generated annually, with the majority ending up in landfills or incinerators.

Tiny plastic particles less than 5mm in size that shed from synthetic textiles like polyester, nylon, and acrylic during washing. These microfibers enter waterways, accumulate in marine ecosystems, and have been found in drinking water and food chains.

The degree to which a fashion brand discloses information about its suppliers, factories, sourcing practices, labor conditions, and environmental impacts across all tiers of production, enabling accountability and informed consumer choice.

The creative process of transforming waste materials, discarded garments, or by-products into new products of higher quality or value than the original. Upcycling extends material life and diverts waste from landfills.

Marketing tactics used by fashion brands to create an appearance of environmental responsibility without making substantive changes to their production practices. Common tactics include vague claims, small eco-capsule collections, and misleading labels.

Farming practices that go beyond sustainability to actively restore soil health, increase biodiversity, and sequester carbon through techniques like cover cropping, composting, reduced tillage, and holistic grazing, applied to the cultivation of fiber crops.