Let’s start with these 14 facts that will blow your mind…

Fact 1: The apparel and footwear industries account for a combined estimate of 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and fashion is the third highest-polluting industry in the world.

Fact 2: A 2016 McKinsey report revealed that three-fifths of all clothing items will end up in an incinerator or landfill within a year after being produced.

Fact 3: If we keep this up, by 2050 the fashion industry could use more than 26 percent of the “carbon budget” associated with a 2o C pathway (a long-term goal to limit global warming to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels).

Fact 4: We don’t really wear our clothes. Worldwide, clothing utilization (how often we put something on) has decreased by 36 percent compared to 15 years ago.

Fact 5: It’s estimated that less than 1 percent of material used to produce clothing is recycled into something more. That’s about a loss of 100 billion USD worth of materials every year.

Fact 6: By 2030, it’s expected that fashion waste will increase to a 148 million ton problem.

Fact 7: According to the Global Fashion Agenda, 26 percent of business owners surveyed believe that “low consumer willingness to pay a premium for sustainable products” was the greatest barrier for them to become more sustainable.

Fact 8: …But consumer attitudes for ethical fashion are increasingly favorable. Sixty percent of millennials say they want to shop more “sustainably.”

Fact 9: Many brands are moving to more sustainable production methods. As of May 2018, 12.5 percent of the global fashion market has pledged to make changes by 2020.

Fact 10: The clothing brand Patagonia was the first to make polyester fleece out of plastic bottles.

Fact 11: Cotton, a popular material in clothing, requires high levels of water and pesticides, which cause issues in developing countries.

Fact 12: About 2,000 different chemicals are used in textile processing — yet only 16 are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Fact 13: According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the fashion industry produces 20 percent of global wastewater.

Fact 14: Only 15 percent of consumers recycle their used clothing.

Courtesy of Rubicon Global

With all that being said, I think it’s time we make even the smallest effort to purchase from sustainable fashion brands. Being a blogger, I get a ton of stuff that I wear once and then it sits in my closet. I recently started recycling my clothing on Poshmark. I love that it is not going to waste, and someone else can enjoy my gently used clothing without paying the full price and without buying it brand new. I think there is a common stigma around sustainable fashion compromising style due to the materials they are made from. I’ve done my research on the topic and made to order pieces can be sustainable too!

Here are 3 Sustainable Brands To Fall in Love with this Summer

Fame and Partners:

Did you know this gorgeous set I’m wearing is sustainable!? It’s from Fame and Partners and it’s one of a kind. On their website everything is made to order and you can customize the color or print you would like for each style. Even though they are not flooding the internet advertising themselves as a sustainable fashion brand, if you go to their ‘About’ page, they discuss why everything is made to order and their views on not harming the earth. I won’t lie, you pay for the quality of the garments, they are not inexpensive, but I think they are fairly priced and an amazing brand to support.

Reformation:

At this point I think most girls own a Reformation dress or two. They make some of my favorite dresses ever and they are completely sustainable which is an added bonus! They built their own sustainable factory in Los Angeles and if you go to their ‘About’ page, you can see the beautiful people who are making your clothing! They have jeans, wedding dresses, and a plethora of different everyday pieces to style this summer. I highly recommend visiting one of their stores this summer if you have the chance, the whole experience is sustainable from the fitting rooms, to the checkout process. Shop my current favorites here:

Mara Hoffman:

Everything about Mara Hoffman’s designs are chic and fabulous especially for the summertime. From their colorful prints to their amazing bikinis, shopping from them is a must this summer. The best part: they are 100% sustainable, which I feel is very little known! You can read all about their mission here. Shop some of my Mara Hoffman favorites below: