What is Ethical Fashion?

Ethical means that it is morally right or morally acceptable. We all see the glamorous front side of the fashion world. But there is a dark side behind it where so many living being suffer. Killing animals, environmental issues, labor problems etc comes in this side. The beautiful clothes we are buying caused poverty and pain for millions of fashion industry workers.

 Ethical fashion is designing, sourcing and manufacturing clothes in a way that benefits people and communities while minimizing impact on the environment. In the beginning of the 21st Century an ethical fashion movement began. And on 2004 in London a group of determined fashion designers and business people sat around a table and formed Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) 

The mission of the EFF is to support and promote sustainable practices, facilitate collaboration, raise awareness and provide the tools and resources needed to reduce poverty, reduce environmental damage and raise standards in the fashion industry.

These are some of the key issues in ethical fashion:

• How to counter fast, cheap fashion and damaging patterns of fashion consumption
• How to defend fair wages, working conditions and workers’ rights, and supporting sustainable livelihoods
• Addressing toxic pesticide and chemical use, using eco- friendly fabrics and components
• Minimizing water use
• Recycling and addressing energy efficiency and waste
• Developing or promoting sustainability standards for fashion
• Providing resources, training and/or awareness raising initiatives
• Protecting animal rights

 

Sustainable fashion is a common word seen in this topic. It is also called Eco fashion. Sustainable fashion came into the public in the  early 1990s when companies such as Patagonia and ESPRIT brought "sustainability" into their businesses. They conduct lots of research on the impacts of fibers used in their companies. For Patagonia, this resulted in a life cycle assessment for four fibers, cotton, wool, nylon and polyester. For ESPRIT the focus was on cotton, which represented 90% of their business at that time. This influenced a whole movement in fashion industry and sustainability.

Those who are interested in fashion and fashion blogging this is a serious topic to be concerned. Whatever you do; do it with you full heart so that you won’t regret later. 

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