From changing consumer sentiment to the COVID-19 pandemic, sustainability has become top of mind for many fashion players. Here are the most game-changing concepts that have emerged.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought the apparel industry’s most pressing needs to light, survival mode kicked in. With their excesses and inefficiencies laid bare, brands' long-stated goals—from minimizing environmental destruction to streamlining production—had to become a reality, and quickly. 

But there’s some good news: as is often the case, innovation is borne out of necessity (and, in this case, crisis), and the apparel industry’s pace of developments on environmental, technological, and even sociological fronts has sped up. In particular, sustainable fashion has grown from a grass-roots initiative to a board-room issue. While some developments have a direct environmental impact, like recyclable materials or the resale industry, there are just as many adjacent efforts that can drive real results for fashion's carbon bottom line. Here are 10 bright ideas that are powering a new sustainable approach to the apparel industry.

The fashion industry is notoriously unsustainable, contributing up to 10% of global carbon emissions annually. Underwear alone accounts for 170 tons of waste, but that doesn’t mean we need to become a generation gone commando. 

Unlike most items on this list, many of the future’s most advanced fabrics will leverage the capabilities of natural chemistry rather than utilize complex technologies. Scientists are making speedy progress and have already created several alternatives to mainstream textiles by reimagining recycled materials, biological products, natural assets, and ingredients that are actually alive.

Hong Kong-based brand Recyc Leather makes bags, shoes, and other accessories using natural rubber and waste from the glove industry, while British designer Christopher Raeburn creates entire collections from discarded goods. Sea Me, based in the Netherlands, uses seaweed as an alternative to yarn, and India’s Malai develops “a sheet of cellulose jelly” to make an entirely biodegradable leather alternative. Designer and researcher Sanne Visser even makes a replacement for synthetic nylons entirely from human hair. 

Despite having constant access to a seemingly endless supply of garments, modern-day consumers remain plagued by inconsistent sizing and unpredictable fits. Most shoppers will return ill-fitting clothing, significantly contributing to the shipping and packaging carbon footprint of the $527 billion apparel market. As a result, many industry experts predict avatar try-on technology will soon become the norm. 

Synergistic use of artificial intelligence with augmented reality was on the rise even before the pandemic, and developers continue to update and improve the technology necessary to create accurate, lifelike icons. It’s possible that our virtual counterparts might offer a better idea of how different items look on us and make fashion disasters a thing of the past (sizing ones, at least).

Some futurists even predict the Direct-to-Consumer marketplace will transform into the Direct-to-Avatar market, with shoppers bypassing traditional shopping entirely in favor of dressing their online personas. The first fully digital couture dress sold for a whopping $9,500 in 2019 and virtual clothing sales have only skyrocketed since then. Out with the old, in with the new (virtual) you. 

A wise man once said, “I’ma take your grandpa’s style, I’ma take your grandpa’s style — no, for real, ask your grandpa. Can I have his hand-me-downs?” Young consumers are taking a cue from Macklemore and bringing back more than just the mom-jean and puff-sleeve trends: they’re hunting for the originals. 

Gen Z is leading the resale and vintage movement by popularizing thrifting, upcycling, and consignment shopping, and marketing their one-of-a-kind finds as integral components of their self-expression and identity. As more social media influencers champion second-hand apparel use, used clothing is transcending its old connotations as a last resort and becoming a chic, contemporary alternative to fast fashion. ThredUp researchers predict the second-hand clothing market will eclipse the fast fashion industry’s 20% growth by 165% in the next ten years. 

The financial, environmental, and social benefits of repurposing garments are varied and vast. Consumers find unbeatable deals, retailers are incentivized to scale back mass manufacturing, and used clothing stays out of landfills.

It's inventory management 101 to match supply to demand, but apparel manufacturing methods have warped the formula for all but the biggest brands. Manufacturers sign agreements with brands based on large minimum order quantities, creating an upside-down system in which it costs less to overproduce. This puts brands in a tight spot, forcing them to overbuy products on forecast alone and boxing them into an end-of-season discount process before they've produced a single garment. While this system has created unmovable deadstock for years (in 2018 H&M had $4.3 billion worth of unsold clothes), the pandemic brought its inefficiencies to light. Imagine a brand ordering 1,000 units of a sparkly NYE dress in February 2020, right before a pandemic hit and we all turned into cave-dwelling bread-makers. With no New Year's Eve plans in sight, consumers were more interested in silk pajamas than party dresses. 

But some intrepid manufacturers are rewriting the model of “bloated supply, unpredictable demand.” In an on-demand model, brands order runs based on actual demand, e.g. purchases or pre-orders from their online store. The product is only restocked when it's bought, so brands aren't left with excessive waste in the form of last-season's hot peasant top. As more manufacturers build out on-demand capabilities, the next question will be scalability—can the entire apparel industry run on demand?

The rise of mass manufacturing popularized industry-wide production models that create an unsustainable abundance of fast fashion collections. As retailers compete to keep up with ever-changing trends, some brands design for as many as 52 different “micro-seasons” annually. This is environmentally and financially costly, creates unmanageable inventory, generates excess waste, and requires constant marketing campaign changes. 

But sometimes less truly is more. Several companies are drastically reducing the size and frequency of their collections, opting to produce only two to four a year. Other retailers also add the occasional small capsule collection to create a sense of exclusivity that ignites a thrill-of-the-chase mentality in shoppers. 

Brands that publicly tie their scaled-back offerings to sustainability are also likely to win in the court of public opinion. Young people especially are willing to pay more for ethically made clothing, with some studies reporting members of Gen Z will pay up to 50% more for responsibly made clothing from brands that prioritize sustainability. Fewer collections, less waste, and potentially more revenue? It’s a style win. 

Have you ever noticed your Instagram feed suddenly becoming inundated with Ben & Jerry’s advertisements the day after you ordered three pints of Chunky Monkey? As members of the digital age, we are constantly updating our social media and leaving a detailed trail of our preferences and habits. 

Retailers today have access to this infinite supply of relevant, real-time consumer data and utilize media monitoring to develop accurate customer profiles, track and predict emerging trends, create marketing campaigns, and tailor advertising to appeal to their target audiences. In other words, trend tracking minimizes merchandising approximations to make sure every piece counts. 

Brands that leverage fine-tuned consumer data can more accurately match supply to demand. Retailers can also use this specific, personalized feedback to gauge consumer sentiment regarding sustainability and scale up the practices that are well-received by their consumers. 

Businesses are incentivized by more than just environmental friendliness; representatives for trend forecasting software provider Trendalytics claim their clients save 60+ hours a quarter by subscribing to their service rather than tracking trends manually.

6. Real-Time Consumer Data & Trend Forecasting 

Smart watch, smart phone...smart factory? The smartest apparel retailers are racing to adopt principles of Industry 4.0, the fourth Industrial Revolution that is reconfiguring the value chain through automation and integration. 

Many manufacturing facilities are restrained by inflexible equipment that can’t be easily adapted to meet the needs of today's brands. Smart manufacturing technology can vastly improve every step of the production chain, from initial design to quality assurance, and 86% of manufacturing executives in a Deloitte study believe smart manufacturing will continue to drive competition in the apparel industry. 

What makes smart factories so, well, smart, is that they’re a win-win-win for retailers, shoppers, and Mother Nature. Production is faster, more sustainable, and better quality at any scale. Customization is morphing from a luxury to a necessity, and Industry 4.0 technology enables manufacturers to satisfy customer needs without sacrificing margins. Human error and garment inconsistencies are drastically reduced, while purposeful differentiators and customizations are enabled, creating all the desirable uniqueness without the loose seams. 

Cyber security remains a concern for businesses considering adopting smart factory technology. One study suggests that up to one-fifth of manufacturers were victims of cyber attacks in 2019, so the key to successfully implementing Industry 4.0 is an equally aggressive approach to cyber risk management.

Businesses leverage trend monitoring tools to identify the products and services that are most likely to be successful. Much of this information is gathered via social media channels, where an estimated 96% of US and UK users engaged with influencers in some way, shape, or form before the pandemic struck. COVID-19 only accelerated the shift to approachable and interactive advertising. As a result, social media influencer marketing has skyrocketed in recent years. 

Gen Z-ers prioritize social activism and public protest and are outspoken about the serious environmental issues exacerbated by excessive consumerism. In other words, the tide is turning away from lipstick kits selling out in 30 seconds and toward a more progressive climate of environmental awareness. 

Sustainability influencers are becoming more popular, drawing attention to the apparel industry’s troubling global footprint and heavily influencing social sentiment. Legacy brands seeking to appeal to a new generation of shoppers are likely to partner with "genuinfluencers" who craft an environmentally friendly narrative, forging powerful partnerships that could reshape the fashion sector’s approach to sustainability. 

Modern-day consumers are accustomed to getting what they want, when they want it. Amazon has revolutionized last-mile delivery by stocking warehouses near population hubs to decrease shipping costs and increase delivery speeds. The cherry on top for buyers? Free shipping with Prime. This closer-to-home shipping model is being replicated by companies of all sizes as they strive to keep up in the increasingly competitive apparel market. 

Although last-mile shipping done wrong can contribute to environmental concerns, experts believe the use of electric delivery vehicles and droids will drastically reduce C02 emissions in the long run. The industry-wide race to localize shipping will simultaneously accelerate sustainable business practices, with some studies suggesting localizing fulfillment centers and changing delivery practices could decrease a company’s carbon footprint by up to 26%. 

Ecommerce served as a critical lifeline to apparel brands after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the supply chain and shut down numerous brick-and-mortar stores. Many retailers have attempted to recreate the in-store experience digitally in an effort to maintain the momentum built online. These virtual alternatives take the best of in-person shopping (try-ons, customer service, community building) and leave the worst (long lines, sold-out items, actual social interaction). More importantly, virtual alternatives to in-person shopping trips eliminate the need to travel to and from stores and cut carbon emissions. 

In cases where going fully digital isn’t an option, retailers are exploring technological replacement options for in-store items. Rather than keep 50 of the same dress in stock, for example, a brand might have one “digital hanger” that customers can use to view a variety of garments before placing an order made specifically for them. Similarly, virtual mirrors show shoppers how different garments might look on them and easily swap out colors, patterns, and other details to provide a more accurate idea of what a final item could look like.

Innovative changes like these will immediately cut excessive manufacturing and cap unnecessary inventory, saving time, space, and money in the process. 

10. Digitally Replicating the In-Store Experience 

10 Sustainable Fashion Ideas That Could Save the Apparel Industry From Itself

A company’s environmental footprint is the best way to prove sustainability isn't just a buzzword in a press release. But how do you calculate it? Depends on who you ask. And that's not a good thing.

In the fashion world, sustainability has become a colossal buzzword: brands are talking about it, investors are asking about it, and consumers are looking for it. Dedicated pages have popped up on company websites to communicate their social and environmental initiatives, while annual reports excitedly cite ambitious targets for a carbon-neutral, or even carbon-positive, fashion future. 

Yet despite the influx of information, it’s getting harder to understand who is making real progress. That’s because it’s almost impossible to draw comparisons between brands without a standardized framework to measure environmental impact. It’s an issue for consumers looking to shop more consciously, but also for the companies themselves, who can’t easily identify the areas in which they could do better.

As a result, organizations, start-ups, and nonprofits have established their own rating systems to measure companies’ footprints. Various consumer-facing platforms have popped up, as have tools to help industry insiders track the environmental credentials of their suppliers. 

But, unfortunately, the various criteria for rating brands’ impacts have more disparities than commonalities. Each system works from a different definition of what sustainability means in the context of fashion and how it should be measured. To an industry newbie, it’s as chaotic as the first day of an after-holiday shoe sale. But we’re breaking down some of the most popular systems and taking a look at how eco-measurement is changing the apparel industry for the better.

Starting on the consumer side, user-friendly platform Good On You rates brands' sustainability credentials through an attractive interface. Complete with a comprehensive content offering that breaks down technical sustainability topics into easy-to-read articles, it aims to empower shoppers to make better choices. But what criteria do they consider?

According to Good On You, their approach can be split into three main pillars: people, planet, and animals. Its framework is extensive, analyzing over 500 data points across more than 60 material issues. Considerations range from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to water and chemical usage, materials, labor standards, and supplier relationships.

Good On You analyzes brands based on the information those brands make publicly available. It also factors in a few major third-party reports, and ratings improve with concrete evidence to back up their claims (like certifications, accreditations, and voluntary standards).

But while Good on You collates and condenses what’s already out there, it doesn’t go much further than that. Good on You itself even flags that the data collected is checked via “automated internal validation,” and the text captions for each brand are autogenerated, too. Think of it as a database rather than a critical watchdog group.

Instead of trying to deduce a company’s commitment to the environment based on the information it publicly discloses, another well-known system pits brands against each other for how much information they disclose instead. Fashion Revolution’s Transparency Index scores brands based entirely on how open they are about their sustainability and social commitments.

The Transparency Index annually reviews disclosure in four key areas: social and environmental policies, board of governance, supply chain traceability, and supplier due diligence. Each year, a fifth section is added based on key issues that have arisen in that time. In 2021, for example, the report included COVID-19 responses, racial equality, and approach to circularity.

Less than half (47%) of the 250 brands analyzed share information on their first-tier manufacturers (where garments are cut and sewn), while only 27% talk about their processing facilities, and just 11% disclose where they get their raw materials from.

But the report comes with an important disclaimer: transparency is not to be confused with sustainability. It’s not a shopping guide, and a high score doesn’t necessarily mean that a brand is a better option.

What the Transparency Index does do, however, is encourage accountability in an industry that is notoriously opaque and under-regulated. Case in point: less than half (47%) of the 250 brands analyzed share information on their first-tier manufacturers (where garments are cut and sewn), while only 27% talk about their processing facilities, and just 11% disclose where they get their raw materials from. 62% of them publicly share their annual footprint across their offices and stores, but only 17% disclose it across the manufacturing process. For context, H&M—one of the few brands that does—estimates that these steps in the supply chain account for 99.5% of its footprint.

The report highlights the limitations of rating systems that rely on public data. If brands choose not to share where their clothes are made, it’s almost impossible to understand their true impact. Plus, when all brands report in a different way, it’s virtually impossible to draw fair comparisons.

This is where industry tools like CDP—formerly Carbon Disclosure Project—come in. Beyond basing its ratings on public information, it doubles as a vehicle for companies to make information public by proposing a standard framework for them to report on their environmental impact.

Companies are invited to fill in detailed questionnaires covering environmental targets, emissions (including those from manufacturing), and offsetting, as well as risks related to forest and water management. Their scores are then given based on three categories: climate change, forests, and water. Disclosing is voluntary, but brands are incentivized by investors who increasingly request this information.

Being a cross-industry initiative, CDP arguably doesn’t get to the crux of the issue for fashion. It provides a solid incentive for brands to measure their environmental impact through their supply chains but if companies aren’t already on top of this information, it can’t offer much in terms of actionable advice on how to improve. 

One system that does offer support in the aforementioned area (and, for that reason, is one of the most well-known in the apparel industry) is the HIGG Index. A suite of five tools created by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, it is specifically designed for the standardized measurement of value chain sustainability in fashion.

The HIGG Index’s tools include its Facility Environmental Module, which helps brands measure the environmental impact of their manufacturing facilities, and its Brand & Retail module, which helps companies track and talk about the footprint of their value chains. Meanwhile, its product tools include the Materials Sustainability Index and its Product Module, which calculates the impact of a textile or finished product.

In the past, even the HIGG Index has come under fire for its methodology. Its product ratings rely on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data, the Materials Sustainability Index has controversially scored synthetic materials like polyester and nylon higher than cotton, silk, and wool. The scores failed to factor in the care and end-of-life phases of a garment’s life, prompting the introduction of the dedicated Produce Module, which swaps the cradle-to-gate methodology for a cradle-to-grave approach instead.

If anything, the loopholes in­—and disparity between—the different tools on the market only highlight how urgently the industry needs a collective, multifaceted definition of what sustainability really means and a standardized framework for measuring it.

The good news is that legislation is moving in this direction. With pressure mounting from investors and consumers, brands in the EU can expect a new policy on Corporate Sustainability Reporting, which will create a set standard that extends to all large companies. President Biden also plans to introduce mandatory and standardized corporate climate disclosures in the US. 

That is progress for sure, but this work can’t be done with only money in mind. A common standard serves to promote positive change for both people and the planet. And, as the issues with the current rating systems illustrate, creating a one-size-fits-all framework is no easy feat. It needs to be rooted in concrete evidence and progress over lofty target-setting. This means not only holding brands accountable for their emissions and labor standards, but rethinking the scale of their production and moving their purpose beyond just financial growth. Only then will conscious consumers—and interested investors—truly be able to separate spin from substance.

How Do You Measure a Brand’s Fashion Footprint? 

Given an unexpected supply of free time, millions of people started making, remaking, mending, and upcycling clothing during the pandemic. Was it a random side effect of boredom, or will this trend have legs for the long haul? 

The COVID-19 quarantine left many people with an unexpected issue: a sudden surplus of time. So they turned to making. Some made sourdough bread. Some made art. And others made clothing: they crocheted, embroidered, knitted, stitched, wove, and upcycled. Global craft platform LoveCrafts saw their tutorial guide visits rise by as much as 8704%, while We Are Knitters, which sells yarn, patterns and craft kits, experienced weekly sales increases of 75%.

The pandemic was the unexpectedly perfect catalyst for making and the tactile, emotional investment it inspired. Left idle by lockdown measures, a new generation of makers found the time and the tools to defeat overconsumption and take a more measured, mindful approach to their possessions. But will this approach stand the test of time?

While living through a pandemic may be a new experience for most, turning to crafting in a time of crisis is nothing new. WWI veterans suffering from PTSD were prescribed embroidery therapy. WWII saw the proliferation of knitting for victory. And the Kitchener Stitch, a technique for seamless toe joins in socks, is said to have been inspired by Herbert Kitchener, British Secretary of State for War from 1914 to 1916, to stop soldiers suffering from blisters caused by home-knitted socks.

During quarantine, people took to making masks for loved ones and health care workers to keep them safe. Free patterns and tutorials were shared as people took to their sewing machines to do their part.

Not all making was borne out of necessity, however. Many took to crafts to fill their days, occupy their attention, and distract them from the crisis on their doorstep. The link between crafts, improved mental health, and mindfulness has been explored increasingly over recent years. Knitting has been proven to help manage anxiety in eating disorders and boost feelings of happiness, while textile crafts have can increase self-esteem and wellbeing in those with depression and other health conditions.

Sharing the finished products—or the process—of their makes also proved a positive experience for many, helping to build a social community when in-person interaction was a no-go. True to that, the #quarantinecrafts hashtag has been used on over 100,000 Instagram posts as people share embroidered mandalas, fresh-off-the-loom weaves, upcycled quilt jackets, crocheted characters, and cross stitch art.

Prominent makers also helped bring makers together, creating challenges and encouraging people to share their results under specific hashtags. Katie Jones held a weekly crochet along using the hashtag #QuarantineCAL. Each week, Jones guided people through the process of making a different style of granny square which could eventually be stitched together into a blanket, cushion, or jumper. Scandinavian knitwear and textile designers Arne and Carlos held a weekly knit along, the results of which came together in a "hug me later" cushion. Abbie from DIY Fashion Rebel created a Facebook group for all the people taking part in her 5-day sewing challenge, and thousands of people joined in with the quiltalong hashtag.

Even brands got involved. Alexander McQueen taught its audience how to make paper dolls, patchwork, and print onto fabrics in their McQueen Creators series; sustainable brand Christopher Raeburn released weekly creative tasks complete with free patterns under its Raeburn At Home initiative; designer Edward Crutchley released a free pattern for a one-piece robe; and Liam Hodges released the design for an “Isol8” rug made from recycled T-shirt yarn.

There's no denying the skills that were once commonplace in Western society have been lost among newer generations. Knowing how to sew, mend, knit, and make were once a given, but a 2017 survey found that 1 in 6 people were unable to replace a button on an item of clothing.

Quarantine bridged this skills gap—somewhat—but will it last? What will the long-term impact be? It’s still too early for a definitive answer, but there are some clues as to how it’s going.

UK fabric dye company Dylon saw sales in certain colors rise 10% in the first year of COVID-19 (no doubt in part due to the tie-dye craze of early quarantine). It shared that its new customers are mainly those aged 18-25, demonstrating engagement from a younger demographic. Etsy, meanwhile, more than doubled its revenues to $1.7 billion in 2020, indicating a shift towards making for commerce as well as pleasure. 

Knowing how to sew, mend, knit, and make were once a given, but a 2017 survey found that 1 in 6 people were unable to replace a button on an item of clothing.

Furthering its stamp on crafting, Etsy acquired second-hand darling depop for $1.6 billion, a platform that’s acted as a breeding ground for Gen Z upcycling. And, as revealed by thredUP in its resale report, 51% of consumers are more opposed to eco waste than before the pandemic.

Certainly, there’s no "right time" for a pandemic, but the return to making struck just at the right moment for it to have significant cultural cut-through, as eco-consciousness among younger generations reaches fever pitch. And while the initial boom will likely slow, it’s clear that making has become an indelible part of life for many.

Sustainability

10 Sustainable Fashion Ideas That Could Save the Apparel Industry From Itself

How Do You Measure a Brand’s Fashion Footprint?

How Quarantine Made Making Cool Again