If you care about the environment, then you should avoid fast fashion brands. These companies produce cheap clothes at high volumes, often using sweatshop labour. This means that these companies are not sustainable. Thankfully it’s becoming easier than ever to find ethical clothing in Australia.

 

You see a massive amount of styles (like thousands) all reflecting the latest trends.

If you notice a garment trend immediately on the shelves after it’s been on the catwalk or in celebrity circles.

A limited quantity of a particular piece of clothing. Even though stock will likely be arriving in store every few days, this is done to create a sense of false urgency with the consumer.

Cheap, low quality fabrics and materials made to only last a few wears and then be thrown away.

Beyond the obvious cheap quality of goods, what else is bad about fast fashion? Next let’s talk about people. Fast Fashion typically manufactures overseas where labour is cheaper and they can get away with avoiding fundamental safety checks and human rights standards. The complexity of the supply chain makes it much less transparent how goods are being produced to the consumer as well. This means there is a human cost for workers operating in dangerous environments, making devastatingly low wages and without basic worker’s rights to protect them. Farmers connected to these manufacturers typically work with toxic chemicals utilising brutal practices that are hugely detrimental to their physical and mental health. So trendy though right? 

It’s made locally. This is a big one as it’s much harder to disguise poor working conditions and criminally low wages closer to home and without complicated invisible supply chains.

If it’s not made locally, they tell you online where it is made and reveal + take ownership of what conditions are like for their workers and how they’re giving back to the local community.

Take a look at their website and their mission statement. Have they given a lot of time and attention to telling the consumer IN DEPTH about their sustainable practices, how their organisation impacts the planet and how to educate yourself further? Do they submit themselves to trusted sustainability indexes and benchmarks?

It’s made with sustainable fabrics like linen, organic cotton or plant leather (for example cactus leather). See our guide here!

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Thankfully, more consciously choosing your clothing is proven to be good for your wallet, your stress level, workers, animals and the planet! And the trend is showing staying power with some arguing that Millennials and Gen-Zers specifically have grown too clever for mindless consumerism, forcing brands to show their heart on their sleeve, no pun intended. Sourcing sustainable clothing in Australia and around the world is a phenomenon that is looking like it’s here to stay! Join us in the movement.