Clothes for some people, they’re just something to wear. But for others, they’re the cornerstone of one’s identity, the centerpiece of a display of uniqueness, charm, and personality. For those whose love of clothes is so great that they make their own, anything from a simple shirt to a lavish dress can be a potential passion project.
Fabulous Fashion, Mindful Fashion
While making your own clothes can be incredibly rewarding, the increase in environmental and sustainability concerns in recent years has made seamsters hyper-aware of the impact their projects could have.
The emissions and waste the fashion industry produces have been a sore point for the general public and tailors, seamsters, and stylists alike. Thankfully, a wide range of eco-friendly fabrics exists for environmentally-conscious fashion lovers to utilize.
While the biggest difference can be made by supporting brands that use eco-friendly fabrics in their clothing, incorporating eco-friendly fabrics into your clothing projects can help show that there’s a commercial demand for sustainability.
What to Consider
With any fashion project, choosing the right fabric for the garment you’re making and its purpose is essential to creating something you’ll be satisfied with. This remains true when you choose to work with eco-friendly fabrics.
Choosing the ideal sustainable fabric involves considering a variety of factors. Depending on your needs, you may have to rule certain fabrics out. Things to think about include:
Versatility
The right thing you can have as a designer is options. If you prefer to keep the possibilities open, you should opt for versatile fabrics that can be used for a variety of garments—some good options for that include organic or recycled cotton and organic linen.
Stretch
If you want to make something that stretches, such as swimwear or some fitness garments, you’ll have to turn to synthetics, which are historically unsustainable. However, certain synthetics like nylon and polyester are recyclable, and while there’s still an issue with microplastics, using recycled synthetics is a better option than purchasing new ones.
Durability
Considering how much wear and tear something will endure is essential to choosing the right fabric. While clothing items don’t need high-durability fabric, if you’re making something you know you’ll wear a lot, like a uniform or something you’ll wear in physically exertive situations, you’ll want to use a resilient fabric such as wool, hemp, or lyocell.
Ease-of-Cleaning
No matter what steps you take to prevent it, worn clothes will inevitably become dirty, whether from body sweat, spilled food, or dirt. If you want your garment to be less of a hassle to clean, machine-washable fabrics such as sustainable cotton will be your friend. If you’re willing to hand-wash, something like linen would suit you well since it’s durable and doesn’t need a hyper-specific cleaning process.
Other factors like color options, budget, and production method (sewing, embroidering, etc.) are also essential to consider when choosing a sustainable fabric. However, with so many options, you’re unlikely to feel limited.
Fabulous doesn’t have to mean environmentally frightening; even if you only partially switch to eco-friendly fabrics, you’ll be contributing to a better future for fashion and our planet. After all, Earth is the ultimate catwalk, so let’s treat it with respect.
Published By: Aize Perez
