Brand Names Embrace Sustainable Fashion

Thursday 12th of April 2012 09:29:19 PM

Brand Names Embrace Sustainable Fashion

UK retailers are interested in finding ways to develop sustainable fashion without having to significantly raise the price of clothing. Though prices of cotton are rising and wage rates are going up, the continuing high unemployment rates and still weak economy means consumers are not willing or able to pay higher clothing prices.

This dilemma is one all offline and online retailers are dealing with and it’s not a simple problem to solve. Sustainable fashion is a concept that most people support but it is a challenging one. The fact is that right now scarce resources are cheaper because there are well developed uses for them, like in the production of synthetics, whereas alternative or organic materials are more expensive because they are more labor intensive to produce. Cotton is a good example. Produced in many developing nations, the weather and the push for fair wages has led to rising crop prices which leads to higher clothing prices.

Businesses are finding innovative ways to keep clothing prices down while moving towards sustainable fashion. For example, Macy’s converted to matte black hangars which are more environmentally friendly than the clear plastic ones they have been using. High priced clothing lines are also getting involved in sustainable fashion and that includes Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci. The parent company of these well-known brands has created a sustainability lab to study new production methods.

When buying online discount priced clothing like sweatshirts or t-shirts, you have plenty of opportunity to buy sustainable fashion right now. You can buy organic tees for example and get plenty of value for your money. As technology advances, this type of fashion will become more and more viable for all types of clothing. Technology is often what enables a company to keep prices low.