5 essential questions for the eco-friendly fashionista
We've all heard by now that fast fashion hurts the Earth, but the question remains: how can we buy clothes that meet our needs and support the needs of the planet? Over the past 20 years in the U.S., the average number of garments purchased per year has more than doubled, with Pandemic boredom Read More...
New ThredUp survey shows used clothing market is here to stay
According to a new report from ThredUp, millennials and Gen-Z consumers are demanding more sustainable products and would rather dig for gems in vintage shops than purchase from giant retail chains, which are increasingly criticized for generating colossal amounts of material waste and failing to Read More...
Four predictions that will make you more optimistic about the future of the fashion industry
We at the Optimist Daily are big advocates of fashion products that challenge or ameliorate the industry’s large and wasteful ecological footprint. While it’s true that the fashion industry is responsible for 8% of all global climate impacts, companies such as Patagonia are raising awareness Read More...
How fast fashion hurts the planet, and what you can do about it
If we could trace the ecological and social impact of our clothes, most of us would stop shopping altogether. The global fashion industry, specifically high volume producers of low-quality garments, such as Forever 21, H&M, Fashion Nova, and Zara, employ workers at sub-poverty wages. The Read More...
Fashion giant Zara to produce clothing only using sustainable fabrics by 2025
While it’s fantastic that many niche apparel brands are popping up that make clothes in an eco-friendly manner, the toxic environmental impact that comes with fast fashion won’t be solved if bigger clothing companies don’t agree to clean up their supply chain. That’s why it’s good to Read More...
Multinational retailer Urban Outfitters will start renting out clothes
The sharing economy is now making its way into the fashion industry as Urban Outfitters, a multinational retail company, looks to rent clothes to younger shoppers. In an effort to boost engagement with millennial-age consumers, the 49-year-old retailer is launching a new company called Nuuly by Read More...
A silkworm-based coating could soon replace the toxic chemicals in our clothes
More than 150 chemicals are now regularly used to enhance the characteristics of the clothes we wear each day. Some of these chemicals are demonstrated carcinogens, or capable of reproduction, nervous, and endocrine system dysregulation. Others are allergenic or irritating. And even when we wash Read More...
Here’s what it’s like to stop buying new clothes for a year
Like many fashionistas, Tania Arrayales loved shopping for clothes. Her spare time was spent sussing out the latest trends at the mall, buying clothes she would wear once before being retired to the back of her closet. Arrayales was a self-described shopping addict, but that all changed in 2015 Read More...
Secondhand clothing could soon become a bigger market than fast fashion
Shopping for second-hand clothes has gone from a niche fashion statement to trendy in just a matter of years, which is a huge win for the environment. In fact, the industry the resale of second-hand clothing is currently worth $24 billion and is expected to reach $51 billion in five years. Most Read More...