Buy Less, But Better: Sustainable Fashion Jargon Explained

You successfully completed second-hand September last year (without even pining after a fast fashion retail fix), call out your friend for using a plastic straw in the pub and (according to Instagram) vow to take more trains over planes this year to minimise your environmental footprint. So far, you are feeling pretty pleased with your green-credentials. There’s just the, um, greyish area of sustainable fashion that needs a little tending to. To be fair, it’s pretty confusing, with a slew of lexicons to contend with in 2020.

Sure, you’ve flirted with the idea of eschewing shiny, new things in favour of going 100% vintage. But - like many of us - you know this may not last. And you do actually like shiny, new things. So studiously you seek out garms that are cleaner, greener and guilt-free. The issue is that now so many brands tout their collections as simply ‘sustainable’, without proper explanation of what this means in a wider content.

With this in mind, we called on eco-warrior Jemma Finch - founder of Stories Behind Things, who champions innovative and sustainable ways of consuming - on the labels to look out for on your next shopping trip, from vegan to upcycling.

VEGAN

Jemma Says: “Vegan (meaning no animal products were used in making the garments) is a great place to start to make your closet more eco-friendly. Though you should also be mindful that the substitutes the brand are using aren’t derived from plastic - this is often found in the leather vs pleather conversation.” Look out for PETA Certified Vegan logo and brands creating products made from recycled plastic and natural waste.

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BURO.Loves

Eclypse faux shearling and faux suede sneakers, £455

V-KNIT VEJA X RICK OWENS BLACK PIERRE, 250 €