Sustainability in Fashion: Earth Day 2022

April 22, 2022

Are we all in agreement that t-shirts don’t last long enough these days?

Before the rise of fast fashion and the decline of quality, garments used to be comprised of good quality fabric, made with care and craftsmanship which, in turn, made them feel like they would last a lifetime. If they didn’t, we made ‘darn’ sure that they would be repaired.

”When I was a little girl, you used to learn how to sew all the holes in things, darning socks, but nobody wants to mend things anymore”

Vivienne Westwood

Although we love the sentiment of Vivienne’s’ quote above, if garments are made with the intention of lasting a long time (throughout every stage of the process, from selecting the best raw materials, through production of the fabric and into garment design and make up) then it exponentially reduces the need to repair your garments. Which is not only good for your wallet , but excellent for the environment, ethical and above everything else sustainable. From inception to creation, we ensure that we buy our cotton directly from farms that grow the cotton in the most ethical and sustainable way. We provide a fully open and transparent route from the source of the material, through our spinning processes to our UK knitters and weavers before returning home to be constructed here at Tower Mill by our talented team.

Only by buying a product with such a transparent supply chain, can you be assured that the origins of your garment match the performance of your garment. Only by matching high moral and ethical raw material sourcing to professional hand made garment production can you be certain the garment will not only last and stand the test of time, you can be assured is sustainable and considerate to the environment.

The fashion industry, ‘sends approximately 40 million tons of textiles to landfills or to be incinerated every year’ as stated on earthday.org.

So how do we look for garments that will last?

We cannot stress this enough, please do your own research into the brand in which you are looking to buy from. Buying expensive or designer garments is not a sure-fire way to guarantee quality or durability. Knowing what you’re buying however, most of the time, is. Before committing to a purchase ask yourself if the company in question is being open and honest with you about how, where and who from they get their garments- are they innately transparent?

Are they made well?

• Is there a gap when you pull at the seams? High quality garments are sewn tightly to reinforce the seam and prevent holes.
• Does the fabric pattern match up at the seams? Manufacturers require more fabric and more time in order to make a fabrics pattern to align on a garments seams.
• Did it come with an extra button (if required)? This is a key indicator on if the manufacturer believes that their garment will last a long enough time to need repairing.
• Does it have a back neck tape? Back neck tape strengthens the neckline of a garment, adding to its longevity. The closer to the shoulders this tape goes, the stronger the neckline is reinforced.
• Are the hems finished? Finished hems prevent fraying of the garment, clothing manufacturers may opt for a raw hem which cuts time and uses less fabric.
• Does the label give you plenty of care instructions? Should your garment come without care instructions, it’s a give away that the manufacture had no intention for the garment to last long enough for you to care how to maintain it properly.

The aforementioned are good indicators to whether the garment is well made when shopping however, if the garment is made from poor quality fabric then it may not wash or wear well and as such you may find that out later.

What are they made of?

It is a given that eventually a garment will no longer be wearable, but this should only come after a long life span. There are many considerations to be made about the longevity of fabric. No quality fabric should become limp or misshapen after being stretched so ensure that you check the fabrics recovery into its intended shape prior to buying it.

Natural fibre made fabrics such as cotton and wool are soft and breathable and as such require less washing and when they do, it is beneficial to the fabric to only do so at cool temperatures (we recommend 30 degrees) without fabric softeners or bleach. This prevents the fibres from shrinking but also is more environmentally friendly – especially without using a tumble dryer (which is your natural fibre garments worst enemy). These fabrics are also durable due to the nature of cellulose which is what makes up natural materials.

Man made or synthetic fabrics such as nylon and polyester are both boasted and criticised for their longevity. This is due to them lasting a long time in terms of wash and wear but they also have a detrimental impact on our environment. As stated by Charlie Bradley Ross from the Sustainable Fashion Collective, ‘In a single year, almost 70 million barrels of oil are used in the manufacturing of polyester alone’. These synthetic fibres are produced in their entirety from chemicals, with polyester being derived from coal and petroleum which can be uncomfortable and irritable to skin as a result of their composition and lack of breathability and contain high levels of microplastics. According to earthday.org, ‘60% of all clothing is made of synthetic fibres such as polyester,’ and as such washing these garments, ‘releases microplastics and contributes to 35% of all ocean microplastic pollution’.

What are we doing to be sustainable?

We’ve said it before and we will say it again, we get it. Brands can push and push their moral view points but what are we doing to live up to our own expectations?

We buy our cotton directly from the growers so that we’re certain of 100% traceability, going as far to visit the suppliers personally to inspect the fields in which our cotton is grown. Our Supima cotton is sent directly from the Californian farms of one of the world’s foremost growers. Every bale has its own unique number, so we can trace each one back to the day it was harvested, finding the very field and even which part of the field it came from. This guarantees real consistency in our cotton’s main characteristics – colour, softness, and strength.

Over the past 25 years along with the other Australian farms, our cotton supplier has been able to half the amount of water needed to grow a bale of cotton. Driven by concern for our own responsibility to our customers, our farmers and our planet, we only create products that are better for you and better for the environment! Fore more information on the incredible work Australian Cotton farmers are doing please click here.

By spinning only, the finest extra-long staple (ELS) cotton varieties, combining our traditional skills, the very latest technology, and the finest raw materials, we produce some of the most luxurious cotton yarns money can buy. These yarns are then woven or knitted to create supple, soft fabrics that drape naturally.

We make the most of expertise still found locally. Every single item is produced on a made to order basis and proudly crafted by our highly skilled, small team of experts – delivering high quality clothes and home textiles that are made right here in Britain, from start to finish.

Driven by concern for the environment, you want to buy products you believe are better for you and importantly, better for the planet. You want assurances that the cotton goods you buy are produced sustainably, in ways that don’t use resources that can’t be replaced and do as little damage to the environment as possible. The cotton producers we buy our raw materials from are committed to growing cotton responsibly, by developing sustainable working practises and reducing their environmental footprint and as a natural fibre, our cotton is 100% biodegradable. We’ve installed the very latest technology and carefully planned our production processes to create the most modern, efficient and productive compact ring spinning system in the world – enabling us to produce the finest quality cotton yarns anywhere. Considerations are even extended to our buttons, which are made by the UK’s only button maker, out of natural materials such as corozo.

What can you do?

”Consumers have the power to change the trajectory of fast fashion.”

-earthday.org

We know that when looking at a massive giant like fast fashion that being an individual can seem daunting. You are not alone. There are so many like minded individuals that also want to enact their social responsibility. By educating yourself on sustainability and the efforts of sustainable clothing brands you will see that by slowly integrating sustainable shopping, valuing quality over quantity, opting for slower delivery options and researching into the brands to whom you are spending your hard earned money is a great place to start. By integrating these values and choices, you are saving money, reducing your impact on the environment and on communities and beginning to demand sustainable efforts from industries. Please see earthday for their list of things that you can do.