What is Sustainable Fashion and Why Should You Care?

Sustainable Fashion, Let’s Talk 

What is Sustainability? Why care? 

 Merriam Webster lists the definition of sustainability as “of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged”.  The Earth’s resources are not infinite, and its population is growing rapidly. In order make sure there is enough to go around we need to use what we already have wisely! Truthfully speaking, it is just as easy to be sustainable as it is to be wasteful.  

 Many habits that are a part of our everyday life and preferences are unkind to our planet. For example, let’s look at buying single use products. That spray bottle that you buy every 2 months doesn’t just evaporate into thin air! It goes in the landfill or the ocean along with the countless other items you and everyone else are done with. In 2018, plastics alone made up 35,680,000 tons of the waste in landfills. People are throwing things away at dangerously high rates. Think about it like this, that trash has to go somewhere on Earth. Not everything is made to be biodegradable, can be burned safely, or will biodegrade in a timely enough manner. It’s not very helpful if you have millions of people using a biodegradable item that takes 500 to 1000 years to decompose, but yet we do. They’re called plastic bags.  

 Here We Are Today, Fast Fashion  

Fast fashion summed up is the culture of mass-producing clothes to keep up with trends at a low cost to the consumer. Never mind how it’s done right? In 2013 the Rana Plaza, which was unfit for workers, claimed the lives of over 1,100 and injured 2,500 more in the name of fast fashion. Workers were trapped inside, trying to climb out from the windows to escape the collapsing eight story building. Loved ones of workers who were at the plaza that day are still looking for them. Is this really what you would call a necessary evil to maintain cheaper prices? Not only are the workers subjected to dangerous conditions, but they were making as little as 45 cents an hour. It’s beyond inconsiderate. Many argue the necessity of these jobs in developing countries, but if no one supported the businesses that used these practices they would be forced to make changes. There is nothing necessary about asking people to risk theirs life for a profession that barely pays enough to keep food on the table. 

How does Miranda Chaney Petite Wear Step In? 

1. We use leftover fabric that comes from the making of our garments to create accessories such as mask and hair ties. That way no fabric is left behind, causing less waste to the environment. 
2. All of our products are made locally in the United States where our workers are paid fair wages and have access to a safe working environment.  
3. We share information online and through our social media page to spread knowledge about sustainability and how to make better choices for the environment. 
4. We use drop-shipping methods with our t-shirts to ensure we only print and what we need. 
5. We design products to help our customers be more sustainable in their lives, such as our Pretty Petite Eco Tote! 

To keep up and learn more about what we do, head back to our main site here and follow us on IG here and FB here 

Works Cited 

"Definition of SUSTAINABILITY." Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America's Most-trusted Online Dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sustainability. 

"Degradation Rates of Plastics in the Environment." ACS Publications: Chemistry Journals, Books, and References Published by the American Chemical Society, 3 Feb. 2020, pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06635. 

Frayer, Lauren. "For Bangladesh's Struggling Garment Workers, Hunger Is A Bigger Worry Than Pandemic." NPR.org, 5 June 2020, www.npr.org/2020/06/05/869486297/for-bangladeshs-struggling-garment-workers-hunger-is-a-bigger-worry-than-pandemi. 

"National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling." US EPA, 13 Mar. 2020, www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials. 

The New York Times. "Rana Plaza Collapse Documentary: The Deadly Cost of Fashion | Op-Docs | The New York Times." YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fkhzdc4ybw.