We’ve all seen the statistics. We’ve all seen the pictures. We are consuming fashion at a rate that is literally killing us and our planet.

A dream scenario would obviously be a complete ban. No more clothing production. Stop all machines! It is said that even if we were to completely shut down production right now we could continue to consume clothing for 20 years. That’s how much we are over-producing at this moment.

Of course it’s not realistic to just shut it down. However, we are moving towards a more conscious consumer behavior. Consumers are starting to demand transparency. And yes, every single purchase counts. When we choose to put our money towards sustainable options we are sending a message to the producer, a message saying that they should continue to develop sustainable clothing lines.

But what about green-washing? Can we really trust that ”sustainable” means sustainable, and what is sustainability? What if a company uses organically grown cotton but is still dumping chemicals from the printing process in the river? A big question indeed. Green-washing is happening and will continue to happen. However, the more consumers are demanding transparency and sustainable option the more money will go into research on how to actually manufacture in a sustainable manner. A product might not be 100% sustainable just because its label read ”sustainable” today, but choosing that option will send a message to the retailer who will continue and hopefully increase the line of ”sustainable” clothing. In other words, we have to start somewhere and by being conscious consumers we are setting of a chain reaction.