The Importance Of Sustainability In Fashion

Less than a generation ago, most of us didn’t think about where our clothes came from, the supply chain that entailed them or the people who made them. Recently, however, there has been a positive shift in consumer ethos not only to care, but make decisions with our dollars to purchase from companies that act responsibly.

When it comes to retail, it has become more common to know where a garment was made, if the workers were paid fairly and if the quality of the fabric is meant to last two years or two decades. Consumers are made aware of when dangerous working conditions have been uncovered and are loath to spend on "fast fashion," clothes that are rapidly designed but that also rapidly deteriorate in quality. Luckily, technology has advanced to enable brands to sell more eco-friendly materials and create less waste throughout the entire process, from product creation to marketing to store or website sales.

Research shows that 62% of Gen-Z shoppers prefer to buy from sustainable brands, and 73% will pay a premium for sustainable products. According to the National Retail Federation, between half to two-thirds of shoppers overall would pay more for sustainable products. That said, the urgency to be more sustainable not only has powerful ramifications for brands’ bottom lines, but it’s now also becoming a matter of law.

The majority of carbon emissions in the retail world originate from emissions at every stage of the supply chain, from creating materials to the life the consumer gives the product. By 2030, the industry will need to cut its emissions by about half in order to lessen climate change, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.