Sustainability has become a buzzword in recent years and turned many heads.  Sustainable fashion can be defined as clothing, shoes and accessories that are produced, marketed and used in the most sustainable way possible, taking into account both environmental and socio-economic factors.  This implies the presence of constant effort to improve all phases of the product life cycle - design, raw material production, manufacture, shipping, storage, marketing, sale and recycling of the product and its components.  Vegan Clothing products are sustainable, eco-friendly and also fashionable.  Vegan Clothing gives you a feeling of pride when you wear it, as well as being comfortable and durable.

Among one of the major culprits in the fashion industry is “fast fashion” or clothing made cheaply to meet the demands of hot new styles.  Fast fashion, however, puts our future planet at risk.  Consumers today are taking a closer look at the products they buy and the components that may affect their health.  They are now changing their buying habits to create a better environment through the clothes they wear.  They become conscious that a hangtag containing the term “sustainable” does not imply that the manufacturer utilizes clean practices to produce the garment.  Consumers are wiser than ever, giving attention not just to the quality of their garments, but also to the whole supply chain, manufacturing processes, and product afterlife. 

The latest fashion trend is not seasonal color or a must-have style: it is a definition of sustainable fashion and ethical clothing.  Sustainable fiber fabrics are better than conventional ones such as organic fibers that use fewer chemicals and water, which is safer for workers and has less waste. 

Three fashion trends in sustainable clothing for 2020

Algae-derived products

As far as most of us are concerned, algae are greenish, slimy plants that float in unclean waters and serve as breeding grounds for toads and mosquitoes alike.  Now the twist in this story is that fashion brands have begun to use this plant to make eco-friendly clothes.  Algae can be grown to produce foam soles for shoes and more.  The advantages are that it is safe, degradable and will also release enzymes, vitamins, and other nutrients onto your skin when you wear algae-based textiles. 

The growing trend of pineapple leaves

Making fabric from pineapples leaves is popular in areas where pineapples are native.  It’s quite a process, but pine fibers can be combined with other fibers to be woven into fabrics.  The pineapple leaves fabric is light-weight but stiff and environmentally sustainable.  We’re hoping to see something from clothes to Vegan shoes, to Vegan handbags made from pine leaves in 2020.

Increased use of organic materials

Organic cotton is becoming a common eco-friendly alternative to conventional cotton since it is cultivated without the heavy use of pesticides that can damage farmers and natural eco-system, and requires fewer fertilizers and water.  At Rising Vegans, we use organic yarn whenever possible in our vegan clothing as a part of the plant-based lifestyle and reduce the carbon footprint for a sustainable environment.