What is the Difference Between Ethical Fashion & Sustainable Fashion Anyways?

You may read a lot about ethical fashion and sustainable fashion and wonder if they are synonyms or if there is a difference. To be honest, it’s something even the fashion industry is still struggling to define, so we wanted to break it down and make it simple. First of all, both are good and help us move in a positive direction and we hope that we will one day see a day where the whole industry operate in both on the reg. Here’s the difference between ethical & sustainable fashion.

Ethical Fashion = People
Fashion is the largest labored industry on the planet. One out of six people work in fashion. But sadly, we’ve forgotten that it often takes 32 people to make the simple t-shirt you are wearing right now. These people are often paid $2 per day for long hours and only one day off a week. They barely scrape by to provide food and shelter for their family much less education. So, ethically made brands focus on providing dignified employment in safe working conditions for garment workers at a wage that supports them, their family, and their future. You may have heard of the World Fair Trade Organization and yes, this is an ethical fashion certification.
 
Sustainable Fashion = Planet
Sustainably minded brands are focused on our planet as the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters of our green home. They are working diligently to lessen our water waste, use less chemicals, select better fabrics that are recyclable and ultimately close the loop in our supply chain from beginning to end so we can lessen our environmental impact as a whole.
 
Now, as we said, there’s not an industry defined standard between these two models and often brands that are operating in one at least somewhat dabble in the other, if not fully operate in both. But, to help your understanding as you shop and learn more as a conscious consumer we wanted to give you the tools to do so. To find more brands to shop, subscribe to our weekly emails and become a conscious consumer expert.