10 Sustainable Fashion Trends To Watch In 2022

Shopping for sustainable and stylish clothes can feel stressful, especially as the fashion industry evolves. It feels like one year mom jeans are the thing to wear, while it might be flared yoga pants another year.

Unfortunately, this only fuels the perpetual cycle of fast fashion, a primary culprit for waste and pollution. Being intentional and eco-conscious about each garment will allow consumers to build a sustainable wardrobe.

The good news is sustainability is trending. Sustainability-related keywords like “pre-owned,” “second-hand,” and “upcycled fashion” have seen an increase of 37% in online searches. This article will help the everyday consumer learn the latest sustainability trends, so they can green up their wardrobe.

1. Second-hand Clothing

Nowadays, second-hand clothing has been arguably the biggest trend for sustainable fashion. Thrift stores have become a fun new weekend activity for many 20 somethings. And many influencers and even celebrities are reselling their clothes. Celebrities have begun selling their own luxury designer clothes through resellers so that consumers can enjoy designer pieces at more affordable prices.

Not to mention, reselling apps like Poshmark, Mercari, eBay, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, and many others allow users to sell their clothes on their platform to earn quick cash. Everyone has clothes they no longer want. Rather than throwing them away and sending them off to landmines, these apps are a great source of buying clothes and keeping them in circulation.

Thrifting has been a growing trend over the last few years. Many college students and low-income individuals love to thrift shop since it’s affordable, yet many find trendy items way below market value. Of course, it’s a great way to shop sustainably too.

2. Eco-friendly Fabrics

Using biodegradable materials for fashion clothing is on the rise. Many designers use alternative materials like organic cotton, silk, hemp, organic bamboo, jute, wool, and others. This means that these eco-friendly fabrics can be disintegrated into their natural base elements by fungi, bacterial, or other biological processes. For instance, sustainable women’s shoes are a great alternative to leather or synthetic materials, which are environmental hazards.

The owner of Zara wants all of its clothes to be produced from only sustainable fabrics by 2025. During their annual meeting, Inditex, their owner pledged that all of their polyester, linen, and content will be organic, recycled, and sustainable. If Zara, one of the biggest fast-fashion retailers, can go green, it makes us wonder, who could be following suit?

Recyclable textiles will represent a rising trend for sustainable fashion in 2022 and beyond. After all, products produced from biodegradable materials will reduce textile waste and limit raw material exploitation. In the coming years, big brands like Zara and other sustainable fashion brands will be trending upwards and could transform the fashion industry into a circular economy.

3. Capsule Wardrobes

Most people can fill a whole bin or two with the clothes they no longer want or need. About 92 million tons of textiles are wasted every year, and by 2030, it’s expected that we will be discarding over 134 million tons of textiles a year.

Rather than buying things that won’t be used, being intentional about shopping means only purchasing staple pieces that pair well with any outfit.

When developing a capsule wardrobe, make sure to add one or two items from the following categories:

• T-shirts
• Jeans
• Pants
• Sweaters
• Outerwear
• Skirts
• Dresses
• Blouses
• Blazers
• Jumpsuits
• Swimwear
• Accessories
• Shoes
• Jewelry

Instead of defaulting to fast fashion trends, embrace the mindset of “less is more.” This helps to reduce consumption and waste.

Many consumers may think that capsule wardrobes aren’t “cool” or in-style. However, capsule wardrobes have begun making waves on TikTok, a platform primarily designed for the Gen Z population. The hashtag #capsulewardrobe on TikTok has over 50.5 million views. Also, hashtags like #capsulewardrobetips and #capsulewardrobestyle have reached over 6 million views.

4. Transparency

The fashion industry has been notorious for its labor malpractices. Many manufacturers use child labor, sweatshop factory, worker abuse, and even downright slavery. Recently, cultural appropriation, racial inequality, environmental justice, and workplace ethics have been brought to the forefront for many fashion brands.

Fortunately, there are ways to tell if a brand is ethical:

1. Read the about page on their website – it should explain their ethics code, how they produce their clothes, how they source fabrics, what the fabrics are, and where they’re made.
2. Look for factory information – look for a page that shares their labor regulations, location of production, and factory information.
3. Product descriptions state where the fabrics are sourced – the company should mention where their fabrics are sourced, dyed, or knitted. Try to find ethical brands that source from raw materials.
4. Check for certifications – Look for any certifications that provoke them to be recognized as an ethical brand by third-party organizations such as Certified B-Corporation, World Trade Organization, and Fair Trade.

Furthermore, evolving technology like product passports and blockchain are making it possible for consumers to verify the production process and source of fabrics. This technology allows consumers to see the initiatives, production steps, certifications to be fully tracked and verified. Product passports are essentially a portfolio for storing and sharing any production information revelation to production partners and consumers. With this innovative technology, greenwashing and counterfeits can be easily identified.

5. Upcycling Old Clothes

Before discarding that ratty, threadbare shirt, it’s important to ask whether it can be upcycled into something new? The fashion industry’s social stigma on “outfit repeating” and seasonality has made many consumers believe that they must buy new clothes often. On average, many people only wear a piece of clothing seven times before it’s thrown away.

Upcycling old clothes is a rising trend involving transforming old garments into new and fashionable designs. Most consumers are surprised to learn what they can do with DIY fashion. Upcycling clothes can transform the shabby rags into chic pieces fit for the runway. Oversized t-shirts can be the easiest to upcycle since they can be manipulated by length, neckline, and sleeve silhouette. Consider seeking a seamstress or tailor for better results.

6. Renting Clothes

Most people purchase new outfits specifically for special occasions like weddings or parties. But chances are, they’ll never wear them again! Capsule wardrobes are great for everyday clothes, but what about one-off events?

Renting is a great way to keep clothes out of landfills and reduce the environmental impact. Rather than buying a suit, why not rent one? There’s no need to buy something that won’t be worn again.

7. Local Fashion Brands

Throughout the past two years, local businesses have gone through a rough time. Many local brands source their fabrics from local sources. Since the shop is set up in town or city centers, this requires less transportation to source their materials. Not to mention, it’s a great way to support the economy of that particular local community.

8. Fashion on Demand

Another way to contribute to the sustainability movement is to have clothing pieces produced on demand. Instead of large-scale productions that manufacturers typically produce, some sustainable labels are launching collections online by collecting pre-orders. In other words, they produce only the exact quantity on demand to prevent unnecessary textile waste.

Most brands will overproduce their clothing pieces only to leave them sitting in storage space before eventually being tossed out. This fashion trend is the opposite of fast fashion. Although it may not be profitable for the brand, it’s a trend worth watching and can be an excellent addition to any sustainable wardrobe.

9. Fashion Brands That Give Back

Ultimately, sustainability is a lifestyle, and the life cycle affects the world we live in. Studies have shown that tree-planting can combat climate change, with scientists estimating that worldwide planting programs can eliminate two-thirds of emissions caused by human activities.

Many sustainable brands joining the movement are contributing to a program where every item purchased leads to planting a tree in the world. Businesses should have more than just profit goals. Customers support the brand, and the brand should support the earth by giving back.

10. Alternative Leather

Leather has many negative effects on the planet, such as pollution, deforestation, and high greenhouse gas emissions from toxic chemicals. Designer brand, Louis Vuitton, has launched its new Charlie Sneaker that is made up of 90 percent bio-sourced or recycled materials. This launch is part of their 2025 plans to switch their eco-design processes. They plan to use only renewable energy across production and logistics and only responsibly sourced raw materials.

Alternatives, like plant-based leather (java), have come a long way in their durability and appearance, making them viable to replace real leather. For instance, sustainable shoes are vegan since they are animal-free and made from biodegradable organic materials.

Choose Sustainable Fashion

Fashion styles will come and go, but the trend of sustainability is here to stay! While there’s a lot of work to be done to reshape the practices in the fashion industry, sustainable trends are here to stay. These fashion trends we’ve highlighted here could be the start of a revolutionary movement, which would transform the fashion world into an industry that is sustainable and contributes to our planet’s wellbeing.