Sustainable Bandwagon?

Sustainable fashion, “Is there really such a thing, Kim?” A co-worker of mine asked me as we walked to get a much needed 3 o’clock java hit. We were discussing the growing amount of environmentally conscious clothing lines that are out there. She then pointed out the irony in the fashion industry’s claim to change the world, one Roots bamboo cotton top at a time, “but isn’t the fashion industry the people who tell you to change your clothes every season, every year. You know, that what you’re wearing is out of style and that it’s time for you to buy what‘s in?”

I smiled politely, accepting the fact that nothing could change this bird’s mind. But did this cynic have a point? Was this all yet another bandwagon to hop onto?

Soon after, I attended the Green Show and I didn’t lose that conversation. The Distillery’s Fermenting Cellar provided the perfect back drop to the event, a perfect juxtaposition of industrial and ecological. An eclectic array of Toronto’s fashionistas and bohemian save the Earth types all gathered around the also eco-friendly bar, where everyone sipped local vino and did as told, “please save your glass.”

As I grabbed my seat for the fashion show, I was excited to see what designs could emerge out of sustainable fabrics. Some designs, were truly one of a kind, others were, “hmm, I’ve seen that in Chinatown before, and some were really, ‘Wow!’” But all in all, amongst all of Toronto’s glitterati and really cool lighting, I was torn.

Is the attraction to green fashion, the designs themselves, that it’s eco-friendly, or that it’s the new trend?

I must admit though, that sustainable fashion has certainly come a long way from simply hemp and burlap, remember the ponchos? It has truly evolved into ready to wear clothing. But then another question was evoked, was the wow factor the designs themselves or the idea that you could feel good and thus proudly say, “Madams et monsieurs, I am saving the planet by wearing this. What are you doing for our environment and the future?”

I thought back to my conversation at Starbucks with my well witted office compadre and thought about the coffee tumbler that I had bought that day. It was made out of recycled material, and it had “Recycle, Reduce, Reuse” written all over it. I don’t know if I bought it because it looked good, or because it was a responsible choice, or both.

So, maybe that’s just it, sustainable fashion maybe here to stay, it may be a fad, as some see it. It may be a bandwagon to jump on, but as I see it, isn’t this a good one? Call it a fascination about being green, that it makes us feel better, or even funky with some of the designs out there. In response to my coworker’s remark, fashion does tell us to change up our style. It continues to tell us what is out, and so last season. But fashionistas and non-fashionistas alike, anything sustainable is totally in, so figure it out whether you’re on, off or running beside the wagon, because it’s going.