The Organization for Cultural Sustainability Black Pearl today released a sustainable style guide aimed at “everyone who wears clothes,” regardless of age, ancestry, gender, ability, geographic location, socioeconomic background, values and beliefs. The Sustainable Style Guide For Everyone aims to provide sustainable fashion solutions for every wardrobe, from everyday to special occasions to red carpet events.
According to Black Pearl, “Cultural sustainability refers to the preservation and enrichment of various cultural aspects within a society or social group to ensure its continuity and existence alongside the pursuit of sustainability goals. Culture is understood not only as art and literature, but also as the lifestyle and the values, traditions and beliefs that make up a community.”
“The ‘Sustainable Style Guide For Everyone’ offers us the opportunity to renew our discussion about sustainable fashion and show that it is not about sacrificing style, but rather elevating it with deeper meaning. Style is a canvas on which we can paint our identity, creativity, passions and values,” explains Black Pearl founder Samata Pattinson in a press release.
“We believe that a lack of knowledge deprives people of the opportunity to make sustainable decisions – decisions informed by truth. Informed decisions and the conscience of citizens trump everything,” says the Sustainable Style Guide.
To convey this knowledge, the guide addresses six questions:
- Who makes our clothes and under what circumstances?
- How is it made?
- Where is it made?
- What is it made from?
- Where do our clothes go when we no longer want or use them?
- What can we – as individuals – do to dress more sustainably?
“Access to resources like the ‘Sustainable Style Guide for Everyone’ is crucial for a clear understanding of sustainable fashion. It gives more people the opportunity to feel seen and reflected within and outside the industry, fostering a better and more inclusive environment for everyone involved,” comments Andrew Morgan, director of the 2015 documentary The True Cost, in the guide.
More knowledge = more sustainable decisions
The guide also highlights uncomfortable truths that the fashion industry should consider before making more clothes and consumers should consider before they buy them. For example, that global clothing production causes 20 percent of global water pollution (according to a European Parliament infographic).
Additionally, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that clothing production uses 98 million tons of non-renewable resources each year. According to the Business and Human Rights Resource Center, around 80 percent of the people who make our clothes are women of color.
Perhaps the most startling fact is that there is currently enough clothing in the world to clothe the next six generations (according to The Great British Sewing Bee). Yet 80 billion new items of clothing are purchased every year (as published in the journal Environmental Health). Last but not least, some of the 3,000 chemicals used to make our clothes have been linked to harmful effects on human health (Harper’s Bazaar, October 16, 2020).
“Sustainable Style Guide for Everyone”
“Sustainable fashion should educate citizens about the impact of their choices and empower them to make conscious and ethical choices that reflect their identity. By supporting sustainable fashion, together we can bring about positive change in the industry,” the guide encourages.
It is designed to help consumers find brands, retailers and organizations that are committed to sustainability and accessibility, as well as to identify organizations that support diversity, inclusion, representation and fair working conditions. In addition, sustainable textile and dye alternatives as well as technologies and artificial intelligence will be presented to help reduce waste in the design processes themselves and improve transparency.
“For me, sustainable style simply means rethinking your wardrobe and its relationship to the planet. “Making creative and thoughtful decisions with every outfit,” summarizes celebrity stylist Tara Swennen in the guide. “Resist the urge to make impulse purchases. When you buy high-quality pieces that are meant to last, you shop more consciously. Choose versatile pieces that can be styled in different ways to get the most out of them! The goal should be to wear them dozens of times, not just a handful of times.”
Consume and reuse sustainably
The 141-page Sustainable Style Guide for Everyone is divided into 22 chapters that provide practical guidance on how to shop wisely, how to practice cultural appreciation, and how to engage with culture through fashion.
The chapter “Buy Thoughtfully”, for example, contains practical tips that you should pay attention to when buying clothes, for example how a garment is made, starting with the material composition and quality, through to care (so that it lasts a long time) and the possibility of alterations to the aftercare services offered and timeless styles to look out for. The chapter also introduces apps for rating fashion brands such as Good on You, Delve and Renoon.
Six chapters are dedicated to the topics of vintage and second hand (including luxury and used marketplaces); Borrowing from friends and clothing libraries (including clothing swapping and resale apps and rental services and platforms); Re-wearing, remodeling and repairing; reuse and do-it-yourself options; Fashion archives and responsible giving and discarding (including global and local textile recycling resources).
“Engaging with fashion archives promotes education and reflection on the history of fashion as well as appreciation for the commitment and work of designers. … Investing in fashion archives encourages a move away from the consumer mentality and promotes an ethos that values existing design and craftsmanship,” the guide says.
Values and standards
Further chapters deal with values on the path to sustainability, haute couture, clothing for special occasions and the red carpet, textiles, details, colors and dyes, transparency, standards and certifications (e.g. Oeko-Tex, GOTS, Textile Exchange, Bluesign ), as well as legislation and campaigns (Fashion Revolution, Detox Fashion, Who Made My Clothes and others).
Among the sustainability values to look for when shopping for clothing, the publication lists, among others, thrift and discernment; whether a brand is women-led or committed to diversity, inclusion and the representation of indigenous voices; whether it focuses on the climate, whether it is animal-friendly and whether it respects working conditions and gives them dignity. Reference is also made to global organizations such as Fashion for Good, the Slow Fashion Movement, the Global Fashion Exchange, the Ethical Fashion Initiative, the Clean Clothes Campaign, Fashion Revolution, Remake, the Fair Wear Foundation and others.
materials
The chapter on textiles discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of materials such as cotton and hemp as natural plant fibers, wool, cashmere and silk as animal materials, synthetic fibers such as recycled polyester, man-made cellulose fibers such as viscose, bamboo, lyocell and cupro, and leather alternatives Textile innovations described.
Finally, the chapter “How to get up to speed” mentions worthwhile visual resources such as films, documentaries and television shows, but also podcasts and books that can enrich the discussion.
All in all, the “Sustainable Style Guide for Everyone” delivers what it promises and provides useful information and guidance for everyone, whether fashionistas just jumping on the sustainability bandwagon or seasoned veterans on the sustainability path. There is always more to know and consider and the guide does a good job of addressing many aspects and providing individuals with a good starting point, whether for personal or professional decisions.
“Sustainable fashion doesn’t have to be a conversation full of self-righteous judgment and shaming. Instead, it may be one that highlights deficits in accessibility and transparency. It can also be one that encourages, educates and helps through practical advice and strategies, or invites participation, innovation and collaboration. It can be one that demonstrates the value of individual contributions alongside broader systemic and organizational change. It can celebrate the creativity inherent in an industry while encouraging us to take responsibility and act in a socially responsible manner. “There are ways to make better and fairer decisions without having to compromise our style,” the guide concludes.
The “Sustainable Style Guide for Everyone” can be viewed and downloaded for free from the Black Pearl website starting today.