Invest in sustainable clothing that is as timeless as your style

In a general sense, sustainability refers to the practice of maintaining natural resources and avoiding waste with the aim to support a continuous process over time. The goal is to carry out processes efficiently without causing too much detriment to the surrounding environment. When it comes to creating consumer products, there are a lot of environmental implications that often get ignored in favor of larger profit margins. The fashion industry is no different, so it’s up to designers and consumers to make the right choices when it comes to ethical and sustainable style decisions. 

There’s a widely accepted misconception out there that environmentally friendly products are often made with less desirable materials and lack attention to quality. When you apply this to fashion, it makes it much harder to get people to realize that they don’t need to sacrifice style or quality for sustainable materials. All you need is to find a brand with the right values and a commitment to delivering on promises. 

Why is sustainability important?

The importance of sustainability is quite self-explanatory, but it somehow is still a topic that gets brushed off far too easily. Sure, it’s easier to pretend like certain environmental issues don’t exist and that there is some great system for recycling overproduced and discarded products. But the reality is that the fashion industry is a huge culprit in creating waste. Without intervention, it will only get worse as more people buy into viral purchasing trends and start seeing everyday items as completely disposable.

What is sustainability in the fashion industry?

When it comes to fashion, sustainability has to do with the environmental impact of production as well as the clothing use life cycle. There are several immediate environmental implications when it comes to clothing production, and the life cycle doesn’t end when you discard your garments. It might seem exaggerated, but it is very real that every purchase you make has an immediate and long-lasting impact on the environment and even society. It’s up to you to choose if that effect is going to be positive or negative.

The benefits of sustainability in fashion

• Help the animals: companies that use sustainable materials typically opt for cruelty-free alternatives. Even if a brand still uses leather, there will be much more ethical practices surrounding the sourcing of materials. 
• Use less water: you might be shocked if you knew how much water is required to produce a simple garment. Even if a garment doesn’t need to be dyed, you still need to use water for certain finishing processes. It can take up to 2,700 liters of water just to make one t-shirt.
• Better working conditions and ethical practices: working conditions are one of the most widely ignored aspects of the fashion industry. Since people set out to make as much money as possible, many factories operate more like modern-day slavery, cutting costs wherever possible and ignoring dangerous conditions and health concerns.
• Decrease waste output: when clothing isn’t created to last, you can’t expect there to be a viable secondhand market that helps mitigate waste. All of these big “fast fashion” companies create a constant stream of disposable garments that most users only hold onto for a short period of time. This inevitably winds up being garbage and will keep being moved around until it ends up in a community that doesn’t have the infrastructure to support it. Sustainable garments are constructed to last for years of wear, so even if you don’t want to hold onto them, there’s a better chance of them remaining in circulation rather than contributing to waste.   
• Improve the health of yourself and others: Cheaper garments that aren’t made with sustainability in mind are often created with toxic chemicals. In fact, CBC reported last year that big fast fashion retailers like Shein, AliExpress, and Zaful were ordered to stop selling certain items due to the risk of high levels of toxic chemicals in them. Think about how many hours a day you spend in one outfit…do you really want to risk leeching chemicals onto your skin? Sustainable clothing brands ensure the integrity of their products by using vetted materials that are specifically sourced for their purity. 
• Better buying behavior: since fast fashion is so ingrained into society (you might be shopping at fast fashion retailers without even realizing it) it has become extremely influential on buyer behavior. You’re much more likely to make an impulsive decision when you aren’t aware of the environmental impact of fashion. Shopping sustainable means being more thoughtful, and even recommitting to your personal style.

Changing the perception of sustainable style with Amanda Maria

Most consumers are led to believe that environmentally friendly products make sacrifices in quality to achieve a sustainable product. This type of pattern encourages less informed purchasing behaviors and creates mindless consumerism. All that does is create a less conscious society that turns a blind eye to the obvious impact on the environment. 

With Amanda Maria, you won’t have to sacrifice anything. Our garments are carefully constructed to provide easy wear and longevity, so you’ll have something you love for years to come. Our brand is built on the premise of seizing the opportunity to empower women through our carefully crafted garments that provide equal parts comfort and style. Working with small batches allows us to carefully monitor the production process, ensuring that the integrity of our brand is embedded into each piece. 

Our main initiative is focused on reducing the already existing 10 million tons of clothing waste in North America. By designing long-lasting garments crafted from eco-conscious materials where possible, offsetting our carbon in our shipping, using biodegradable plastics, and planting trees which every purchase, we believe we can achieve a better future together. At the end of the day, knowledge is power, and Amanda Maria is here to empower you from within every day.