As many of us may know, different parts of the fashion industry are not entirely sustainable or ethical. But how long has this been going on?
During the 19th century, the first department stores were opened in the United States. This was during the industrial revolution in which child labor was legal, sewing machines were fairly new, and workers earned low wages and suffered through poor working conditions.
At the start of the 20th century, mass manufacturing started to become more popular and used among different companies in the fashion industry. Eventually, sustainable fashion movements were happening and people began to get informed on ethical and sustainable fashion. For example, the hippie revolution embraced natural fabrics and the 70s and 80s punk movements embraced vintage pieces. During the late 1980s, anti-fur movements were also happening.
However, the downfall of the fashion industry began in the 1990s because that is when fast fashion become a thing. Fashion becomes less expensive and the production rates increased rapidly.
On the other hand, Patagonia Esprit was one of the first companies to introduce sustainable fashion and they helped educate others on the great impact fashion has on the environment. One hundred percent of the cotton Patagonia grows for their clothes are grown organically and sixty-eight percent of their clothes use recycled materials.
Tragic incidents such as the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory and the incident with Nike in 1991 have helped open the eyes of many consumers causing them to realize just how harmful the fashion industry can be.
Many fashion designers such as Sandra Sandor and Eileen Fisher have changed the way they produce their clothing and strive to promote sustainable fashion. Big-name companies such as Gucci and Levi's have also hopped on the bandwagon and are on the path towards a more sustainable future.
Although there are still companies out there that aren't very sustainable or ethical, the world is getting more educated and hopefully one day the production of clothing will help the environment not harm it.
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