We are in the middle of a huge pivot in the fashion world and it is for the better. Most of the industry is now getting behind what is being called sustainable fashion. When you sit down and analyze what is involved in the movement, you can appreciate that it is high time that it was addressed.

Sustainable fashion is so much more than simply using a certain type of fabric and where the fabric comes from. To be totally honest, if that was all that it was about, it would probably not last for very long. One of the reasons why it is clear that sustainability is a central building block that will lead to much bigger things.

What is sustainable fashion?

Sustainable fashion is both a process and a movement combined in that it involves how fashion is made and the need to improve social justice at the same time. While that is a long definition, but a more apt explanation is truly more complex. While the fashion industry has made strides in the social aspect of fashion manufacturing, so much more needs to be done.

The sustainable fashion movement is attempting to affect a wholesale pivot away from getting a product made for the absolute rock bottom price at the expense of the workers who are doing all the work. So, in order to accomplish this monumental task, every aspect must be analyzed including materials, social, cultural, ecological and financial systems that are involved.

Sustainable clothing lines

Part of the shift to sustainable clothing lines will involve the pivot away from what is called fast fashions (considered to be cheap, easy to get and trendy) to more slow fashions that are meant to be worn for longer periods of time and not simply tossed away. As the name would imply, the concept of slow reaches all levels of the production of the clothing. No more rush to meet an unrealistic deadline and no forcing people into dangerous working conditions in order to get orders out the door. Slow fashion also includes the use of less than traditional materials that can hold up much longer and therefore do not require quick replacement.

Sustainable Yoga Apparel

The Yoga apparel industry is looking to embrace the movement to sustainability in the fashion industry. Since at the heart of yoga is being one with nature and your surroundings, it only makes sense that the makers of the typical clothing being worn during yoga including; leggings and Yoga Pants should be at the top of the list for changes to more sustainable materials.

The push for the discovery of ways to make materials that are used in the creation of fabrics that go into making yoga fashion garments and accessories. This includes fabric being made from a new type of yarn that was created from old fishing nets that were recovered from the oceans of the world. There are also teams of researchers looking for ways to create fibers that are made from plastics that are recycled. This helps to reduce the possibility that they might end up in the ocean or using the plastics that have been recovered from the oceans by one or more of the groups that are dedicated to cleaning up the world's oceans. Many of these organizations are dedicated to programs like “save the ocean” that are gaining traction all over the world.

Photo by Kenrick Mills