How to Make Sustainable Clothing

To address how to make sustainable clothing, whether for yourself or to start a brand, we should go over what makes clothing sustainable.

What is Sustainable Clothing?

Start thinking of your clothing as something with a life, beginning with the field and ending, too often, with the trash can.

The fabric comes from somewhere, such as a cotton plant, a sheep's back, or a factory. Then it is harvested and turned into fabric. It is often bleached, dyed, printed on, or embellished. Then it will be shipped to a store or customer. Once it reaches the customer, it will be worn and washed until it eventually can no longer be worn as is and it must be thrown away, recycled, or reused.

Each of the steps in that journey offers an opportunity to make a garment more sustainable.

How to Make Sustainable Clothing

Truly making 100% sustainable clothing will be next to impossible. Even the experts are still coming up with solutions to current and future issues. But you can create or sell clothing that addresses as many of the issues as you feel is possible to reduce the negative impact the textile industry has on the planet. Every purchase choice toward sustainability makes a positive mark.

Buy Less

The first step to consider with sustainability is to buy less. The fewer things bought, the fewer things need to be made in a sustainable or non-sustainable way, reducing water use, dyes, shipping, and discarding.

Consider:

• revamping an old garment into something new (1, 2)
• buying vintage and wearing as is
• buying vintage and revamping it
• using the capsule wardrobe technique to get the most out of fewer clothes

Materials

Natural materials usually make the best option, ranging from cotton, linen, and wool, to fake leathers, and more. There are such things as recycled polyesters, made from plastic bottles, which is better than new polyester.

Organic is best, as this option avoids the use of chemicals that may be harmful to people and the planet. So, prioritize organic cotton over just any cotton.

Like fake leather and recycled polyester, research the fabric you are interested in using to determine the latest and most sustainable options. People are devising new plant-based and biodegradable fabric options all the time.

Processing and Embellishments

Bleach and many dyes have harmful impacts on the environment. Look for no bleach fabrics or perhaps ones processed with oxygen bleach. Ensure the manufacturer uses dyes and printing processes that are sustainable.

Don't forget about beads, sequins, buttons, and even tags. Embellishments like these can also be made from sustainable or or unsustainable materials.

Shipping

Choosing local sources for materials or finished goods will reduce your carbon footprint. Consider packaging too. Some companies use more sustainable packaging methods like biodegradable or recycled packaging materials, shipping more items in fewer boxes, and choosing smaller boxes that require the use of less material.

Styles

When choosing your clothing styles, think longer term. Try to either go for a style that is always in fashion or make something you can easily update to fit changing fashions. The longer you can wear a garment before it needs to be discarded, the more sustainable it is.

Sustainability for Selling Clothing

Research Your Suppliers

If you'll be purchasing a garment, fabric, or material from someone else, research them to discover their sustainable policies, or lack thereof. If you can safely (due to COVID) visit their farms or facilities, that would be ideal, though most people don't do this. A local farmer would be easy to get to know and reduce shipping distance to you. Any supplier may have certifications to prove their policies, so you can look for those.

Use Sustainable Packaging for Shipping

I discussed purchasing from someone who used sustainable packaging and shipping methods. You can be that person too. You can easily make shipping more sustainable by choosing smaller boxes and recycled or biodegradable packaging materials.

Choose Sustainable Web Hosting

If you're going to set up an online store, you'll need a web host. GreenGeeks purchases renewable energy certificates to equal 3 web hosts their size, offseting their energy consumption and that of other companies. They do this while offering comparable rates to the most well-known web hosting companies and providing secure, reliable, and flexible web hosting services. I am happily running my website on GreenGeeks. Rates change periodically, so you might want to go ahead and give them a browse.

Tips

You might provide customers with washing instructions to help them extend the life of their garment, mending instructions to help them repair damage to the garment, and clothing recycling instructions. Capsule wardrobe inspiration might be nice too. You can include these tips on recycled or biodegradable paper in your packages or offer these tips on your social media accounts or email campaigns.

Yes, that is a lot to think about. But don't worry yourself about it. Every one of the techniques you employ reduces the negative impacts of fashion on the environment. Add them up as makes sense for your goals.