At last night’s FutureFashion: Connecting an Industry to Sustainable Practices event organized by Earth Pledge, industry experts including Barneys Fashion Director Julie Gilhart, Loomstate President Scott Hahn, and John Patrick of Organic convened to discuss what the fashion industry is doing to reduce it’s environmental impact. 

Hot topics included the inherent difficulty of tracking a garment’s chain of custody – from farmer to gin, mill, manufacturer, retailer and consumer – in the age of globalization and the surprising fact that only 1/3 of a piece’s impact occurs pre-purchase.

There has been a lot of buzz around designers and manufacturers using organic textiles and fair trade labor.  And that charge should be both demanded and applauded, but it only tells ½ the story – and in this instance only 1/3!  As is so often the case, consumers must bear the onus of responsible consumption rather placing sole duty on manufacturers. 

This time, that means washing your garments less and avoiding dry cleaning – and the associated suite of toxic chemicals – as much as possible.  Mr. Patrick suggests spot-cleaning stains and hanging your garments to ‘breathe’ outside or in front of a fan to remove odors.  Not only will this reduce your regular water and resource consumption, but it will also extend the life of your garment, meaning that your hard earned cash can go towards that perfect pair of peep-toe booties to go with your skinny jeans, rather than replacing the latter every year. 

Now that’s good for your budget and for the environment!