78 CalmMoment.comourselves. And the good news? Slow fashion
isn’t about not buying anything at all, it’s
about being truly conscious about what you
consume: quality over quantity; slowing
down to make informed decisions that will
enhance your journey through life rather
than weighing you down.
Buying second-hand is great as it often
means giving money to charities, while also
having the environmental benefit of keeping
garments out of landfill. But if you are keen
on buying something new, seeking out more
eco-friendly fabrics is a great way to start.
Unfortunately, non-organic cotton is
known for having a detrimental effect on
people and the environment. Alongside
the sheer volume of water needed for its
production – according to Fashion Revolution
(fashionrevolution.org), it takes around 2,720
litres of water to make a single t-shirt (the
same amount we would normally drink
over a three-year period) – the pesticides,
chemicals and toxic dyes used are polluting
waterways and soil.Switching to organic cotton isn’t yet
considered a completely sustainable option,
since its growth and production still requires
a tremendous amount of water, but the fact
that it’s grown without chemicals, pesticides,
and insecticides means that it is definitely a
better choice than conventionally grown
versions. We can also look for fabrics such
as hemp, bamboo, lyocell (also known as
Tencel, which is made from wood pulp),
and Modal (made from beech trees). Clothes
made from these kinds of materials are
becoming more and more easy to find.
Thought (wearethought.com) and Komodo
(komodo.co.uk) design and stock a range of
everyday essentials made from sustainable
fabrics including wool, hemp and bamboo.
People Tree (peopletree.co.uk) are pioneers in
Fairtrade fashion, producing garments that
meet the highest environmental and ethical
standards. High street favourite, Cornish
brand Seasalt has also had sustainability at
the forefront of its policies from the
beginning – it was actually the first fashion
brand to achieve Soil Association GOTS
certification for its organic cotton range back
in 2005. This year, they’ve launched a high-
performance swimwear fabric made from
recycled plastic bottles.
Outland Denim (outlanddenim.com) is
an Australian jeans company which has
environmental responsibility at its core,
along with valuing and supporting its
seamstresses, ensuring they are paid a living
wage. Veja footwear (veja-store.com) also
prides itself on producing eco-friendly, fair-
trade trainers. Rapanui (rapanuiclothing.com),
meanwhile, encourages customers to send
their old t-shirts back to them so that they
can be remanufactured into new ones.
Supporting positive business practices like
these means that money is being spent in the
right places. While we may pay out a little
more initially, when we consider the cost per
wear and the benefits for each item’s makers
and the environment, as well as the fact that
#lovedclotheslast, everybody wins.Meg McElwee
Since starting up her indie
sewing pattern company
(sewliberated.com) in 2007,
Meg has learnt to take life
one seam at a time. Follow
Meg on Instagram and
scroll through beautiful
pics of her latest creations
@sewliberated.living
Choosing sustainable
fabrics to fill your
wardrobe needn't be
too difficult – think
organic and natural.