The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Making a conscious decision to shop with sustainable and ethical brands can and will make a difference to the planet.

These are our 10 reasons why you should  make the shift to sustainable and ethical fashion… 

1. It Provides Proper Wages  

Fast fashion comes at a greater cost than most people think. The fast fashion industry has kept the prices of clothing down at the cost of unliveable wages and poor working conditions in developing countries. By switching to ethically made brands you are ensuring that the clothing you choose to spend your money on hasn’t taken advantage of workers or used child labour as a means to provide you with low cost clothing.

2. Sustainable Fashion is Eco Conscious 

The fast fashion industry leaves behind a significant environmental footprint. 

More than 60 percent of fabric fibres are now synthetics, derived from fossil fuels, so if and when our clothing ends up in a landfill, it will not decay. Your Old Navy flip-flops and H&M T-shirt will still be laying there for years and years. Fast fashion is a massive problem for the environment. In choosing sustainable fashion you can stop contributing to the demand of cheap clothing and the negative environmental impact that the fashion industry is causing, and in-turn reduce your own environmental foot print.

3. Quality Over Quantity 

Sustainable brands focus on the quality of clothing by using materials that are made to last while simultaneously being conscious of the environmental impact (for example, FAUN uses recycled plastics to create a vegan suede material). The clothing produced by fast fashion brands isn’t made to last – cheap clothing that falls apart quickly causes you to continuously throw away clothing and buying new pieces over and over. It becomes a viscous cycle that fuels the fast fashion industry. In choosing sustainable brands that provide quality, you can reduce your waste as well as the amount of clothing that you buy, which in turn will have you saving money.

4. Slow Fashion Doesn’t Focus on Trends

The fast fashion industry produces clothing based on trends that go in and out of style with the changing of the seasons. We are influenced on what to wear more often than not, that many of us have forgotten what our own unique style might look like. Sustainable brands tend to focus on creating timeless pieces with high quality textiles and fabrics. Curate your own personal style, intentionally picking each piece for certain occasions and you’ll notice that you’re actually saving money by wearing clothes that reflect you instead of gutting your closet every few months.

5. Fewer Animals Are Harmed

Environmental destruction is harmful to animals and their habitats. The huge amount of waste and pollution caused by the fast fashion industry destroys their habitats and as a result, more and more species become endangered. Luckily, sustainable fashion industries are understanding that using vegan materials is a more effective way to reduce environmental footprints and are far less harmful to our ecosystems.