History of Organics in Fashion

"Sustainability’ is a term we have heard being passed around constantly, particularly in recent years, and is used to refer to the environmental impact of industries, processes or lifestyle habits. We often hear ‘sustainability’ used to describe energy consumption, diets and quite prominently, fashion. When considering what it means to be ‘environmentally destructive’, key industries that often spring to mind are the fossil fuel industry and the meat industry. Fewer people know however, about the true effects of the fashion industrhich actually is the second largest polluter, being beaten solely by the oil industry. Despite the increasing spread of awareness about the environmental effects of fashion, people underestimate just how drastic it really is, which is fed partially by greenwashing and a lack of public information.

The fashion industry started becoming so destructive and unsustainable when spending habits began to change, so this is why it is important to look at the history of fashion in the wider context of capitalism. Historically, fashion was primarily determined by class, with ‘high fashion’ equating to extravagance. It was during the 20th century that the shift in attitudes towards fashion began, and a wider proportion of society became immersed in their appearance and clothing. In fact, we often define and recognize each decade during the 20th century by their iconic and discernible fashion statements, and this is generally what we immediately associate with each era.

In the 1950s, the economy largely switched from the production of war goods to other items, clothing included, fuelling consumerist culture and this was when a noticeable ‘boom’ occurred. Although the notions of both capitalism and consumerism were undeniably present before this point, they were decelerated by the war and its aftermath, which enforced rationing and often didn’t allow for luxury of any sort.

lothing was often made sustainably from materials such as hemp and this became an iconic image of the 60s, with festivals like Woodstock epitomising this fashion era. Likewise in the 80’s, anti-fur protests began to take place to protest against poor treatment of animals, which has intrinsic links to sustainability.

"One of the first wide scale realizations that unsustainable fashion was problematic was in 2013, following the collapse of the Dhaka garment factory in Bangladesh, killing thousands of workers. This event acted as a culmination of the awful effects of fast fashion, primarily highlighting the cramped and unsafe working conditions.

Currently, an odd dynamic exists, in that there is an obvious growth in sustainable fashion, yet unsustainable and fast fashion is still being produced on a huge scale. The growth and success of fashion brands which genuinely have sustainability at the heart of their ethos, such as Lucy & Yak, or Patagonia, has sparked other companies to jump on the ‘trend’, which has resulted in a lot of greenwashing. Pretty Little Thing is an example of an unsustainable clothing brand which

Currently the market is attempting to market itself as otherwise, particularly through the inclusion of ‘sustainability’ and ‘recycled’ sections on their site, which ironically sit amid their other toxic dye-using style lines."

*Evolution of Sustainability and Attitudes Within Fashion – by Emily Andrews

In 2022, Zara promised to use 100% renewable energy in their own operations. In 2023 they promise to eliminate single-use plastics for customers. By 2025 they plan to introduce more sustainable 100% linen and sustainable or recycled polyester. By 2040 they promise to have zero net emissions.Apr 15, 2024

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