3 Benefits of Buying Sustainable Clothing

Saving you time and money while helping the planet!

Looking for more motivation to being a more conscious, responsible, and sustainable shopper? Look no further! I narrowed a short and sweet list of my top three reasons why buying sustainable clothes is the now and fast fashion is a thing of the past.

#1: Sustainably made clothing is long-lasting

Are you tired of buying "cool" clothes that don’t last past one wash? Chances are those pieces were made of synthetic based materials like polyester and nylon that are chemically (and cheaply) sourced in order to produce fast fashion clothing. Sustainable clothing brands that actually use recycled materials and natural fibers (in a responsible manner) produce pieces that are meant to last a long time.

A popular fast fashion chain known for their affordable and trendy pieces of clothing was exposed when consumers admitted that they were only able to wear an item for less than a few weeks before it started to fade, tear, and break. The consumer noticed that shopping at this store had a “trade-off” between cheap clothes that turn into huge amounts of waste.

On the other hand, a brand committed to reducing their carbon footprint and sustainably produces their products is Levi’s whose jeans last nearly a lifetime. Levi’s jeans are timeless staples that are durable from runway to farms where models and farmers are both guaranteed to be comfortable in a pair of pants that will last quite some time. In 2015, the brand even published a presentation that explains how their jeans are sourced and made, what happens when they are washed, and gives readers tips on how to ensure long lasting jeans.

Levi’s and other sustainable brands are transparent about their facts and stats about their commitment to sustainability and longevity whereas fast fashion brands are not transparent and their clothes last barely a fraction of the time sustainable clothing lasts.

#2: Less money is spent in the long run

Keeping with our jeans example from above, you would be saving money from shopping for jeans from a sustainable brand like Levi’s compared to the fast fashion brand’s jeans that must be replaced every few weeks.

When paying upfront for the jeans, the fast fashion brand may look more appealing however it is important to remember that quality is more important than quantity!

For example, when comparing two very similar styles of jeans from the two shops, we can see that the Levi’s are a little over $100 and a similar fast fashion pair are originally $35.

Of course $35 looks better than $108, however we should consider that the $35 pair would need to be replaced every few weeks and the Levi’s pair will last at the very minimum of two years. At the end of two years, you would have either spent about $1,200 continuously replacing the fast fashion jeans or spent $108 one time for the pair of Levi's.

#3: Businesses that care about the planet are being supported

As fast fashion brands continue to use synthetic fibers and materials rather than sustainable or recycled materials like brands who care about the planet, fast fashion companies are losing a great deal of their customers. The new generation of environmentally conscious consumers are recognizing that fast fashion is out and environmentally friendly brands are in.

Fast fashion retailers are noticing this decline of consumers as they are filing Chapter 11 Bankruptcy as they fall into debt since their sales are not as high.

Join the movement of people shopping sustainably to help our planet benefit from our smart shopping choices as greenwashed brands fall!

---

Works Cited:

Bhattarai, Abha. “'a Tipping Point in Fast Fashion': Forever 21's Bankruptcy Signals the Shifting Priorities of Young Shoppers.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 3 Oct. 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/10/03/tipping-point-fast-fashion-forever-s-bankruptcy-signals-shifting-priorities-young-shoppers/.

The Life Cycle of a Jean - Levi Strauss & Co. Mar. 2015, https://www.levistrauss.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Full-LCA-Results-Deck-FINAL.pdf.

“The Longevity of Levis Jeans.” Levi.com, Mar. 2018, https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/blog/article/the-longevity-of-levis-jeans/.