Welcome to the world of sustainable fashion! In this post, we'll run through some basic terminologies everyone needs to know to survive fashion in 2024.
Recycling
The simple process of turning something old into something new. But is it as simple? Not really. Recycling is a very labor-intensive and expensive process.
It involves several steps:
- Sorting the fabrics based on their color, type, and texture
- Cleaning them to get rid of chemicals, dust, and dirt
- Shredding or cutting them into fine pieces
- Breaking down into individual fibers by mechanical or chemical means
- Spinning into yarns or reforming into new fabrics
- Weaving or knitting and stitching into new pieces of clothing
Phew! Sounds like a lot doesn't it? Now, most of our clothing is made of a mixture of different fabrics. This could be denim, which is a mixture of cotton and elastane. Dresses are a mixture of cotton and polyester. Apart from these they also contain other items like zippers, buttons, and labels, which are made from a totally different material. Due to the sheer complexity involved, recycling is less popular in the hood.
Upcycling
“Make sure the item is not discarded” is the only rule upcycling follows.
Hence, anything that can give the piece of clothing a new life works here. Take an old cup and paint it new, ta-da! You have an upcycled cup.
Similarly, making small changes to old clothes, re-stitching them into something new, and giving them a new life is upcycling. It's as simple as that. Imagine taking your grandmother's saree and restitching it into a funky cool dress or jacket. That's an upcycled garment for you.
Thrifted/Preloved/Second Hand
Everyone must've heard of these three words at some point. They're used interchangeably because the lines separating them are very thin.
Thrifting denotes items that are sold or majorly bought from a thrift store. Most of them are previously owned by others, mostly used but can also be unused.
Preloved emphasizes on the sentimental value an item holds with its previous owner. Secondhand generally states that the item is not new and unused.
Virgin Fibers
You guessed it. The name refers to newly harvested and unused materials after being manufactured or derived from their natural source. Examples are freshly harvested cotton, or wool. Virgin fibers have not undergone any previous manufacturing or processing. Recycled fibers, on the other hand, are fresh fibers made out of industrial or post-consumer waste.
Circular Economy
A smart way to ensure nothing goes to waste. While linear economy is all about making, using, and throwing away, circular economy is this never-ending loop of, making, using, recycling, and reusing. This extends the life cycle of a product and reduces its overall impact on the planet.
Textile Landfill
Just like how we have a dustbin for every house, landfills are spaces (bins) to fill up with waste. Textile landfill is a section of landfill people dump textile waste in. They accumulate over time to become so massive and unmanageable.
Greenwashing
Just like how whitewashing means covering up undesirable facts and truths, greenwashing means presenting a company product or service as environmentally friendly when it is far from that in reality.
Fair Trade
Fair trade is a socio-economic movement started to ensure producers receive fair compensation for their work and that social, economic, and environmental sustainability are prioritized in the production process.
Slow Fashion
Unlike fast fashion companies, slow fashion not indulge in mass production or rapid production cycles of low-quality disposable garments. These companies rock!🤘