Five steps to make your fashion choices more sustainable

‘I have never been a purist in terms of my approach to slow and sustainable fashion because I don’t believe that we all have to be perfect to actually advocate for a better system, for a better world,” says Stella Hertantyo, writer for the Conscious Fashion Collective and slow fashion advocate.

A fabric and clothing shop in the Johannesburg CBD. (Photo: Jocelyn Adamson)

Sustainability in fashion, like most climate issues, comes with trade-offs – there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

“It’s a very nuanced topic … there are things that one can do better and things that can be optimised for, but perfect solutions and universal formulas are often elusive,” said Tim Coles, head of sustainability at local brand Sealand Gear.

Yet, the impact of fashion on the planet is undeniable. Fast fashion is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and shipping combined. Textile production emits 1.2-billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually. Beyond production, the industry generates 92-million tonnes of textile waste each year – equivalent to a garbage truck full of clothes dumped every second.

Read more: From wherewithal to wear-with-all – how young people are pushing for slow fashion

South Africa is no exception. In 2022, 61% of all clothing sales came from imports, primarily from China, Eswatini, Lesotho, India and Mauritius, adding to carbon emissions through transportation and packaging.

Many Sealand products are handmade in South Africa by skilled craftspeople. (Photo: Sealand Gear)

“Sustainability isn’t just one thing,” said Tegan Gibaud, a University of Cape Town MSc student researching sustainability in fashion. “It’s not only about vegan products – some contain plastic. It’s not just about organic cotton – it may still have ties to exploitative labour.

“Instead of striving for perfection, we should focus on being better, most of the time.”

Here’s what you can do:

1. Love what you already own

“The most sustainable item of clothing is in your wardrobe, really,” said Jackie May, founder of Twyg, the not-for-profit organisation that promotes sustainable, circular and ethical practices in the fashion industry.

“One thing I had to learn very early is that slow fashion is not about centring consumption,” said Hertantyo, who got into the slow fashion space when she was a student on a tight budget. “I felt like being a part of the slow fashion movement meant I needed to buy from specific brands that were a bit out of my price range, and that I would be excluded.”

But these advocates explained that slow fashion isn’t about buying more – it’s about fully using and taking care of what you already have.

Hertantyo said finding ways to fall in love with the clothing she already has and finding ways to restyle them was a huge part of her slow fashion journey – “and that includes old fast fashion pieces. We all have them in our wardrobes. It’s not a secret.”

 

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2. Take care of what you own

Once you’ve embraced the clothes you already own, commit to caring for them properly.

• Wash less frequently: Over-washing fades colours and weakens fibres – especially when using hot water and harsh detergents. For example, PJs worn for sleeping in a clean environment can be worn up to three times before washing; denim should ideally be washed every five to 10 wears unless visibly soiled; and woollen garments can often be spot-cleaned or aired instead of being washed after every wear – typically requiring a full wash only at the end of the season.


• Cold water washes: Switch to cold water washes. Not only is it gentler on your clothes, but it also significantly reduces energy consumption.


• Air dry whenever possible: Along with reducing energy consumption, air drying is better for our clothes because it avoids the heat and mechanical stress associated with tumble dryers, which can cause shrinkage, fading and fabric damage.


• Understand and follow the washing instructions on clothing labels.


• Repair, mend, and alter: Don’t toss a garment because of a loose button, a ripped seam, or a hem that has fallen. Learn basic sewing skills or find a local tailor. Plus, check if some brands have repair policies.

3. Rethink secondhand

Thrifting reduces demand for new production but comes with challenges – May from Twyg noted that increased demand for thrifting has led to illegal secondhand imports and gentrification of some thrift stores.

Hertantyo prefers local charity shops like Tears, Help the Rural Child, U-Turn, and St Luke’s Hospice in Cape Town. Other options include:

• Online thrift stores: Yaga and Facebook Marketplace.


• Local markets: The Candor Market (Cape Town) and 44 Stanley (Joburg).


• Thrift markets: Picnic and Thrift (Joburg) and Thrift Fest (Cape Town).

• Clothes swap: with friends and family or attend organised mend and swap events – Twyg hosts monthly swap and mend pop-ups, where you can bring unbroken and clean garments and swap them for the same number of clothes.

 

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4. Shop mindfully, shop local

When you do need to buy something new, consider these factors:

• Invest in quality: “If you see something from Sindiso Khumalo, save your money. You know you’re going to own that thing. You’re going to love it. You’re going to wear it for 10 years,” says May from Twyg.


• The ‘10 outfit rule’: Hertantyo asks, “Can I style it with 10 different outfits in my wardrobe?”


• Cost per wear: “If I buy a dress for R800, but I know I’m going to wear it 30 times to work… it’s actually a lot more cost-effective than buying something for R300 that I’m only going to wear once,” said Hertanyo.


• Cultivating a personal style: Understanding your personal style can help you avoid impulse purchases and buying something for the sake of a trend.


• Support local production: Look for retailers committed to sourcing locally made garments, supporting South African jobs and reducing the carbon footprint associated with imports.

Coles from Sealand suggests that shoppers support brands that are transparent about their sourcing, labour practices and environmental commitments, saying, “the best thing that one can do is to try to support the brands that are proactively going out there and putting that information out there – and be wary of those who do not.”

Sealand uses durable natural or recycled fibres to create apparel that is made to last,and aims to keep its products in use for as long as possible through repairs. (Photo: Sealand Gear)

“Generally judge how much a brand actually believes in their product by their repair policy,” said Coles, explaining that Sealand has a 10-year free repair policy.

“In the unlikely event that we can’t repair it, we will gladly replace it for you with 99% bags we never have to repair or replace them – that’s us putting our money on the line and saying we know they’re good, we know they’re tough.

“Whereas if you’re buying from a brand and they have like a 60-day repair policy or something, it’s probably a very, very good indication that the brand does not believe their product will last.”

When trying to decide if she wants to support a brand, Hertanto considers if they prioritise quality over quantity if they are promoting mindful purchases or constant consumption.

Some South African sustainable fashion brands to consider:

• Selfi


• Sealand


• Mors Design


• Twisted by two


• Mother of GAO


• Gugu by Gugu


• Raya Rossi


• Rethread


• Good Good Good


• Sinchui


• Mella Moon


• Quaint by Design


• Stiebeuel


• Ballo


• INKE Knitwear


• Research Unit


• Tshepo Jeans

 

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5. Read the labels – choosing sustainable fabrics

Look out for:

• Natural fibres: Cotton, linen, hemp and other natural fibres are biodegradable and generally have a lower environmental impact than synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon.

• Upcycled or recycled materials: Consider brands like Sealand Gear, which uses upcycled materials such as advertising banners and yacht sails.


• Prioritise durability: Consider the fabric’s thickness, weight, and construction. “One of the most sustainable characteristics any product can have is durability,” said Coles. “Replacement is always going to be resource-intensive and means the old product is probably becoming waste.”


• Repairability: Look for brands with repair programmes, such as Sealand’s 10-year free repair policy.​

Try to avoid:

• Blends: Combining different fibres makes recycling difficult. “Once you bring them together, you create what scientists call a ‘monstrous hybrid’, which is extremely difficult to recycle,” says Coles.


• Apparel that’s very on-trend and will go out of fashion fast.


• Limited brand transparency on sustainability (where things are coming from, what they’re made of).

“Although there are no perfectly sustainable fabrics – yet – there are certainly many harmful fabrics,” said Coles. “If a material is made from unsustainably sourced raw materials using exploitative labour, dyed with highly toxic chemicals, using emissions-intensive energy and transport methods, and sheds microplastics – we already know it’s bad.”

But when it comes to choosing the most sustainable fabric, it’s not so straightforward. Every material has trade-offs, and no single fabric is a perfect solution.

For example, Coles explains that while organic cotton is generally a better option than conventional cotton – resulting in reductions in soil degradation, emissions, water pollution and increased durability and traceability – cotton is a labour-intensive crop and uses a lot of water (the global average for producing one kilogram of cotton can range from 7,000 to 10,000 litres of water).

Polyester, on the other hand, is a synthetic material that requires significantly less water to produce. But its downside is plastic pollution and continued use of fossil resources, if the feedstock is not recycled or regenerated.

“If you’re worried about microplastics ending up in the ocean through washing – and less concerned about water use – polyester is a terrible choice, and cotton is the better option,” he says.

Ultimately, the best fabric depends on what you need it for. “There’s no holy grail fabric yet,” Coles adds. “Advances in chemical and mechanical engineering, depolymerisation, effluent capture and the availability of more sustainable feedstocks are bringing us closer, but there is still a way to go before we can access a truly net-positive fabric.

“For now, we try to match the most suitable, responsible fabric we can to its intended function.”

Hertanyo agrees that recycling monofibre garments, like 100% cotton, is easier.

“The textile recycling industry is definitely still in a nascent phase,” said Hertanyo. “It’s absolutely not the kind of circular solution that people promote because it’s still very small and not operating at scale.”

So while we don’t have control over everything in the textile system, like imports of fabrics, Hertanyo still thinks that “supporting businesses who are trying their best to make it work despite all of these systemic challenges is still supporting an alternative economy.

“So finding a ‘sustainable garment’ is hard depending on how you define it, but making sustainable choices is easier.” DM

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