The ethical fashion industry is currently worth over $6 billion USD, and this figure is expected to triple in less than 10 years’ time. The current global health crisis has only strengthened the penchant for sustainable fashion, since it has motivated consumers to support brands that are making the planet a better, healthier place. It isn’t only the fashion-conscious who are buying sustainable fashion. Business people and entrepreneurs are also backing this trend, motivated partially by an interest in showing that they value sustainability and ethics so as to strengthen their respective brands and boost customer loyalty. What brands and styles are this group of fashion buyers supporting, and what elements are they seeking in the garments they buy?
Current Demands From Ethical And Sustainable Fashion Brands
Sustainable fashion can be described as the opposite of fast fashion. It is made with respect for fair work practices and aims to benefit local communities as much as it does the parent company. It can be considered ‘slow’ because eco-friendly dominates everything from the design of apparel right through to the sourcing of materials, the production process, and packaging. Sustainable fashion companies generally aim to reduce water usage, create items that last longer (so more than one person can use them), and rely on natural fibers like cotton and linen, which are grown organically.
Top Brands For Ethical Business Wear
The list of fashion brands selling sustainable clothing or eco-friendly lines is vast. Just a few brands designing and manufacturing business items such as tailored jackets, trousers, tops and coats include Stella McCartney, Moss Bros, and King & Allen. The latter, for example, produces eco-suits made of Italian bamboo or 100% PET bottles. Hall Madden, meanwhile, makes custom vegan suits and shirts from linen and cotton.
Other fashion companies take their inspiration from dyed natural materials in urban styles. These garments are ideal for companies in which casual and arty clothing is the order of the day (think graphic design, the media, or animation). Top brands use unique cuts and stitching techniques, discharged looks, and textured prints to add detail to plain or dyed fabrics in a one-tone color.
Designing Business Wear For Life
Investing in a sustainable suit is a good way to embrace the ‘design for life’ concept and obtain a good return on your fashion investment. This is because many are made to last a lifetime, as they contain materials that withstand more than the average wear and tear. For instance, companies like Isbjörn of Sweden use a highly resilient material (fishing nets) to make items like jackets. Check out the brand Lezé, which makes stunning tops, pants, skirts and coats from recycled fishing nets – a material they say gives the wearer “the feeling of neoprene pumped with air (that) had a baby with a cloud.”
Sustainable fashion is taking over a plethora of shops, with brands keen on connecting with shifting customer values. The business fashion industry is no different, and many brands are offering a wide array of items – everything from suits to coats – made of sustainable materials such as bamboo. Equally impressive is the strength of many sustainable outfits, which are meant to last long enough to be used for many years, shared, or upcycled.
