Read These 10 Books on Sustainable Fashion to Help Save the Planet

Many companies these days claim to produce sustainable fashion. However, growing amounts of greenwashing can make it difficult to tell which brands create truly sustainable clothing and accessories. Luckily, many experts are willing to explain what truly makes sustainable fashion more environmentally friendly than fast fashion. These ten books explain sustainable fashion and can help you ditch fast fashion in favor of more environmentally friendly options.

What Is Fast Fashion?

The fashion industry is widely considered to be one of the most pollutive industries in the world. The rise of fast fashion means that clothes are often made in factories that have serious ethical and environmental issues associated with them. Clothing factories use large amounts of raw materials. This depletes natural resources, which may impact ecosystems and wildlife. Additionally, the factories generate Pollution. 

The fast fashion industry emits up to 1.2 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, according to a study from the MacArthur Foundation. Creating raw materials and manufacturing clothing is also water-intensive. Runoff from factories may pollute waterways and groundwater. Indeed, 20 percent of global wastewater is attributed to the fashion industry. 

The materials that are used to make clothing are also often harmful to the environment. Nowadays, many clothes are made from plastic materials such as nylon or polyester. These materials are made from fossil fuels, whose extraction causes significant environmental harm. Clothing production uses up to 70 million barrels of oil every year. Plastics are particularly harmful since they do not biodegrade. Instead, they slowly break into smaller and smaller pieces. This can happen to clothing as well. Over time, clothing made from plastics can shed bits and pieces of the material (primarily during washing), leading to increased plastic Pollution. One-fifth of the world’s annual plastic Pollution is from textiles. 

Another way that fast fashion contributes to waste is through the short-lived nature of many clothing items. Fast fashion is designed to be worn for only a short time before being discarded. Items that are no longer used often end up in landfills. There, they may produce additional greenhouse gasses as they break down. Clothing made from plastic contributes to plastic waste when they are discarded. 

It is important to note that fast fashion also has significant social impacts. Of the more than 75 million factory workers around the world, estimates suggest that only two percent earn a liveable wage. Additionally, Pollution from garment factories can cause Pollution that impacts nearby communities. 

Okay, So What Is Sustainable Fashion?

In contrast to fast fashion, sustainable fashion aims to sidestep these issues. Often, makers of sustainable clothing are committed to providing their workers with a living wage and safe working conditions. Makers of sustainable clothing also aim to produce environmentally friendly goods. There are several ways that sustainable fashion brands can do this. 

First of all, many sustainable fashion brands aim to use environmentally friendly materials. These can include natural fibers, such as linen, bamboo, and cotton. They may also prioritize using recycled materials. This is especially true for swimwear brands, which traditionally use plastic fabrics to create their products. By creating a circular economy, sustainable fashion helps to repurpose materials that would otherwise have been thrown away. They also are typically more open about their labor practices, where they source their materials, and the impacts of manufacturing. This makes their products more traceable and empowers consumers to make informed decisions. 

Sustainable fashion also prioritizes longevity. By creating high-quality products, they encourage people to purchase fewer items and continue to wear items that they already own. This can help reduce overconsumption and prevent items from ending up in landfills. 

1. To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World? by Lucy Siegle

Written by journalist Lucy Siegle, this book takes a critical look at the world of fashion. From examining labor injustices to Pollution to the moral ramifications of silk, To Die For is sure to make you reconsider the origins of your wardrobe. 

2. Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes by Dana Thomas

Named The Independent’s Best Fashion Book on Sustainability, Dana Thomas’s Fashionopolis investigated the impacts of the fashion industry and what is being done to mitigate these.

3. Fashion and Sustainability: Design for Change by Kate Fletcher and Lynda Grose 

Organized into three parts, which follow the lifecycle of a garment, this book on sustainable innovation has the power to transform the fashion industry and positively impact the world.

4. Slow Fashion: Aesthetics Meets Ethics by Safia Minney

Safia Minney offers consumers a glimpse into the world of sustainable fashion in her book Slow Fashion. Minney advocates for the growth of sustainable retail throughout businesses that are rooted in the social good.

5. Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline 

Cline’s book explores how the rise of cheap, fast fashion has changed the way Americans dress. Additionally, she investigates the impacts that the rise of this type of fashion is having on the world.

6. Green Is the New Black: How to Save the World in Style by Tasmin Blanchard

In Green Is the New Black, Blanchard covers the basics of sustainable fashion, while also offering tips on how to dress fashionable but ethically. 

7. The Sustainable Fashion Handbook by Sandy Black

In her book, Black offers a comprehensive overview of sustainable fashion, including the effects of fast fashion on both humans and the environment. She tells the story of fashion through a variety of lenses, including essays from designers, workers, and environmental campaigners.

8. How to Break Up with Fast Fashion by Lauren Bravo

While many of us know the statistics about the effects that the fashion industry can have on the environment, it can be difficult to figure out how to stop participating in this damaging cycle. Fashion lover Lauren Bravo has written a funny, smart overview of how to divest from fast fashion. 

9. Wardrobe Crisis: How We Went From Sunday Best to Fast Fashion by Clare Press 

Wardrobe Crisis explores the history behind the rise of the fast fashion industry. Press also investigates the ethics behind modern fast fashion.

10. Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment by Maxine Bedat

In Unraveled, Bedat follows the life of a pair of blue jeans. From the growing of cotton to their disposal, this book shows how global the fashion industry truly is and follows the ramifications of various clothing. 

Shifting away from fast fashion and towards more sustainable alternatives will have positive impacts on both people and the planet. These books outline the effects of fast fashion, and how to embrace sustainable fashion in its place. By searching out fashion that is made sustainably, we can help reduce waste, Pollution, and human rights violations. These positive impacts can play a significant role in changing the world for the better.

Vegan But Make It Fashion Tee By Tiny Rescue: Animal Collection