If you want to be part of every new fashion trend but don't have an above-average budget for clothes, you tend to reach for so-called fast fashion, i.e. items of clothing that you are only likely to wear for 1-2 seasons and therefore don't have to meet high expectations in terms of quality. The result: tons of old clothes that don't always end up in the collection of the same name, but often end up in the bin and are usually made of synthetic materials. Fortunately, another trend has been gaining ground for some years now: Slow fashion or eco fashion. Fashion that values both fair production conditions and sustainability. But what exactly should you look out for to become a real slow fashion victim?
- Origin:
Probably the most important aspect of a garment's ecological footprint is clearly the question of where it comes from and how it gets to us. For example, it is not uncommon for a T-shirt to travel through three different countries for weaving, dyeing and sewing before it ends up here in the store. On the one hand, a lot of energy is required for this transportation logistics. Secondly, this effort is only worthwhile because these are usually countries with the lowest wage levels and correspondingly poor working conditions.
The alternative: buying clothes "Made in Germany" or even from local manufacturers.
- Lifespan:
The longer an item of clothing is used once it has been produced, the more sustainably the energy required to manufacture it is used. This means that those who opt for higher quality items and wear them for longer reduce the annual flood of old clothes. The same effect is also achieved by not necessarily buying new, but instead opting for vintage fashion, i.e. second-hand fashion, for which there are now plenty of online stores.
- Seal of approval:
A number of seals can provide guidance when it comes to eco fashion, making it easier to recognize sustainable clothing:
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): This is a label for clothing that contains at least 70 to 90 percent organic fibers. Other criteria include minimum social standards such as the payment of minimum wages and minimal pollution through the restriction to a few processing substances and dyes.
Naturtextil IVN certified BEST: Currently the most secure seal with the highest standards and requirements and at the same time an ecological and social seal. The criteria are the minimization of waste and environmental pollution, the ban on dyes that fall under EU Directive 67/548 and the documentation of means and routes of transport. This seal is awarded to clothing that contains 100 percent natural fibers from controlled organic cultivation.
bluesign® standard: Compliance with the UN GLOBAL COMPACT, which has strict requirements in the areas of human rights, labor standards, environmental protection and anti-corruption, is a prerequisite for the award of this seal. Further criteria are the avoidance of potentially hazardous substances with a focus on the dyeing process, the use of environmentally friendly preparations and harmless chemicals, the control of waste water, exhaust air and health and safety in the workplace.
Naturland seal: The aim of this seal is sustainability, nature and climate protection, the protection of air and water, consumer protection and the preservation of natural soils as well as the minimization of environmental pollution and the correct disposal of chemicals.
