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Affordable Sustainable Clothing

Sustainable clothing is a fairly recent consideration. To make clothes affordable they are generally cheaply sourced materials and mass produced. This means affordable sustainable clothing isn’t always easy to find.

Current manufacturing methods have evolved to be financially economic. Until recently, little concern was given to the damage caused. In the 1960s sustainable clothing became a concern but not for most people. Sixty years later and hopefully not too late, sustainable clothing is becoming an increasing concern for more people.

What makes clothing Sustainable ?

Firstly, truly sustainable clothing is a rarity. For clothing to be entirely sustainable it must be made of a material that has little risk of running out. Cotton and bamboo make great fabrics and help tackle the problems, as do recycled materials. In other posts I have gone more in depth about sustainability and use of these fabrics. I will keep this brief and avoid repeating myself through each article.

To me, sustainability is balancing positive use of all the resources we have to reduce any negative effects. This means responsibly using what we already have. Making use of waste materials. Utilising natural fabrics which can be regrown.

Lastly, buying longer lasting clothing and keeping it for longer has a huge impact. Making your clothes last and then recycling them rather than sending them to landfill is what you can do as a consumer.

What makes Clothing Affordable ?

To produce affordable clothing, manufacturers take steps to remove cost. This can include use of cheaper/less sustainable materials.

Today there are a great number of very cheap clothing stores. Price does not always reflect quality or sustainability though. Some very good brands make exceptionally good products, the cost is not excessive and they are sustainable. However, you can also pay a high price for something unsustainable and cheaply made.

Affordability is key to effectiveness of sustainable clothing in tackling climate change. Not only does the clothing need to work but it should be at a price where it can be adopted on a level that has an impact. High prices turn people towards cheaper, less sustainable brands. Making a handful of sustainable products with a very high price tag does not help. More people buying more eco friendly is better than one person buying the most sustainable product. Sustainability needs to be looked at on a global scale, not a single person basis.

How can I find these Clothes ?

Firstly, brands carrying good accreditations is a good start but not always definitive. Be mindful that some brands will not always be entirely clear about where they source. As a rule of thumb, look at what fabric the products are made from. With a little research you can find what is and what is not sustainable, some of these will definitely surprise you !

Try to look at the bigger picture of sustainability. A lot of businesses now will offset Carbon footprint by planting trees. Offering recycling services is another great benefit. Being a small business it is hard for Grizzly Wears Clothing to commit to these but I am in the process of exploring these options.

As for affordability, it comes down to what you, as a consumer are willing to pay. What is sustainability worth to you ?

Lastly, we will all have to move to more sustainable clothing in the future. And learn better habits. Why not make the change now.

This was a difficult topic to cover briefly. Keep an eye out for more in depth articles exploring this. If you like what I am doing, support my brand and buy one of my sustainable T-Shirts at an affordable price !

What is Sustainable Clothing ?

Many people wonder what Sustainable clothing actually is. I may have a different definition to a lot of people but in simplest terms:

Clothing made from renewable sources with little social and environmental impact

There are several key words in this sentence that help to define the sustainable elements of the clothing. Firstly “renewable”, indicating that the raw material must be able to be regrown or recreated. Secondly “social” in reference to the impact on the people involved making it. Next “environment”, the area and ultimately the world. Lastly “impact”, the often negative side effects related to production.

Sustainable clothing and products for that matter, should be made entirely of renewable materials where possible. There is definitely a scale of Sustainability and it is not always as clear as you initially may think. I have learnt many things through research and development of the Grizzly Wears Clothing brand. All materials have their positive and negative attributes. These attributes may be related to production or performance. Identifying as an outdoor/sportswear brand means that my products have to meet a certain level of performance. Traditional technical fabrics such as Polyester and Nylon carry a certain level of environmental impact…

… Or do they ?

There is no denying the impact of oil-based fabrics. Fabrics produced this way are not sustainable. They do require energy and resources to be produced, they are not biodegradable. However these fabrics are recyclable. When clothing reaches the end of its life it can be turned into pellets. These are used to produce more clothing. This is a Closed Loop or circular ecosystem. It isn’t perfect yet and requires new material to be added during the recycling. It does make use of waste products normally destined for landfill. Preventing waste going directly to landfill is good. Recycling that item to give it another life is great.

Utilising recycled polyester over virgin polyester reduces energy consumption by 79%. Requirements for raw materials are reduced. Waste bound for landfill is reduced. Furthermore, less land is needed to farm organic materials. These are all great benefits to fabrics which, at first glance, seem unsustainable.

So why use organic fabrics ?

Natural fabrics are naturally more sustainable. They are biodegradable, reducing the need to recycle. On the down side they do require land, water, pesticides, fertilisers to grow. Due to over farming the soil is running out of nutrients to grow plants further creating need for fertilisers. These fabrics have certain performance qualities related to what they are made from. Often inferior to man made fabrics.

Cotton is a fantastic material. It is biodegradable. It is comfortable. The human race has a 7000+ year history of producing cotton. Also recyclable. Cotton is the fastest drying natural fabric. I doubt anybody reading this does not own clothing made of cotton. Properties of cotton make it great for every day wear and light sports. When used for long, high intensity cotton does have limitations. This is where making use of recycled polyester becomes applicable.

Bamboo also has great properties. There are two main types of bamboo fabric, the difference being mainly related to production. When raw bamboo is broken down via chemicals we get Bamboo Viscose. On the downside the impact of these chemicals is not fully understood. They can harm the environment or workers when proper care is not taken. Bamboo Lyocell is refined by mechanically breaking down raw bamboo. This method reduces need for harmful chemicals.

When comparing cotton with bamboo fabric we need to look at the overall picture. Bamboo requires more refining. Cotton requires more resources to grow. Choosing a winning fabric between these two is difficult. Each has good qualities for certain use. Bamboo and cotton as raw materials are sustainable and renewable. They both need land to be grown. Cotton needs more land, more water, more fertiliser and pesticide. Most importantly, a balanced approach is the best way to view all fabrics.

Can you mix fabrics to be sustainable and high performance ?

Yes, and no. Firstly, mixing two natural materials will result in a biodegradable material. Secondly mixing a natural material with a man made material will result in a fabric that is not biodegradable or recyclable. Finally, mixing two man made fabrics means they can no longer be recycled.

Aiming to produce products that are sustainable means we can not use blended fabrics unless both are biodegradable. There are a lot of brands who do this because it does give desired results. As a brand aiming to make only the most sustainable clothing this is something we can not do. If technology is developed to allow these fabrics to be recycled we will look towards using them. As far as I am aware this is not possible.

So what is Sustainable Clothing ?

Sustainable clothing is a balanced approach taken with an open mind and research.

In conclusion, Grizzly Wears Clothing is built on honesty and balance. By identifying the qualities needed by an item of clothing, I source the appropriate fabric. If I can not make an item sustainably I will not make it at all. Lastly every fabric is chosen for its properties and environmental benefits.

Grizzly Wears only gets one go at being a brand that never made an unsustainable product. By sticking to high sustainable, ethical and environmental standards I hope to lead the way. I see the way forwards as balance. Use all the technology we have to recycle and sustainably produce better clothing. Being transparent and giving the consumer facts about what I choose to make clothes from rather than only providing benefits to let people make a fair, balanced decision.

Are Sustainable Clothes Really Sustainable ?

After spending a lot of time looking into sustainable clothing, I will give my answer to the question, Are Sustainable Clothes Really Sustainable ?

Influencing the overall sustainability are a number of key factors:

• Social
• Ethical
• Environmental

I may write something later that looks into each of these key factors (and others) separately but for now I will try to keep this simple. I will try to give a good overall picture of my own view of current sustainable clothing based on my experience.

The degree to which something is sustainable is not always a simple, Yes/No answer. Firstly the phrase “Sustainable” is not always used equally in marketing. Many brands/shops will claim a level of sustainability that is not accurate.

What does “Sustainable” mean for consumers ?

At a consumer level, customers should be able to believe the marketing they are told. Although product descriptions are more accurate now than they have ever been there is still a level of discrepancy. Some of this is an honest mistake. However, “Sustainable” has become a marketing buzz word for some businesses. I am not going to name and shame other people’s livelihoods but I will give credit where it is due.

Even with clear definition there is a certain amount of interpretation and difference of opinion. Furthermore, there are no regulations around use of the term “Sustainable” in marketing. In America you can not market a product as “made in America” when it was manufactured in China. However, there are no limits to claiming a product is sustainable although it contains single use plastic.

As a consumer, what do I need to do ?

As a customer you should take a sceptical approach to sustainable products. Don’t be afraid to challenge sellers about the claims they have made. If there is any substance behind the claims they should be able to back them up. If you want to be more responsible as a consumer, you do need to be wary. Try to educate yourself on materials and their impact. For every article you read claiming positive features there will be one claiming the opposite. Adopting a balanced, educated view and seeking better products is how we can address this issue.

Importantly as a consumer, the most critical thing you can do is buy less and make clothing last longer. Recycle your clothing, give it to charity. Utilising the clothing you buy for as long as possible and then giving it a second life will have great impact.

Is there not a perfect Sustainable Fabric ?

No. Every fabric has positive and negative features through mass manufacturing. Cotton is intensive to grow but requires little processing. Bamboo is easy to grow but hard to process. Polyester doesn’t require growing but is made from oil. Using all of these fabrics appropriately is the responsible solution for businesses. Seeking more recycled fabric over virgin fabric is key to reducing environmental impact. Recycling uses less energy and resources than initial production. If brands utilise recycling more then manufacturers will have to step up to meet demand. Likewise, If consumers demand more sustainable products, brands will have to adjust to meet demand.

When blending fabrics to create something better more issues are introduced. By blending a natural fabric with a man made fabric the result is often a single use, landfill destined product. Cotton is biodegradable, polyester is not. By combining the two to make polycotton the end fabric is not easily recyclable because it is impure and is no longer biodegradable.

Wool is a very good natural fabric. It has some very good qualities, it does require keeping livestock to shear for the wool which has some level of impact. Demand for real wool in the current market is very low. Most wool is destroyed because there is no demand. Being very labour intensive, wool is costly to produce but makes very long lasting products.

To answer the question…

Yes. Truly sustainable clothes with transparent, honest marketing are sustainable.

Sustainability is the bigger picture, the balanced approach. To evaluate the sustainability of a product as a consumer can be simple. The question to ask is “Will this still be in a landfill long after I am finished with it?”. If the answer is yes then the product is likely not sustainable.

Finally, when brands gloss over negative effects of their products, this is Greenwashing. The effect of greenwashing is that consumers are misled into buying products which are not sustainable under the belief of doing the right thing. Adopting a balanced view, based on accurate research is how we tackle greenwashing.

Leave me a comment if this was helpful. If you want to see how I balance the Grizzly Wears Clothing Range, have a look at my Website. Check out my Shop.