Have you ever wonder if your clothes are sustainable? Who and how made clothes you are wearing right now? Over the past decades, the world has continued to globalize, because of it major fashion brands expanded their manufacturing to other countries to pursuit cheaper materials and cheaper labor. The truth is that only from 1% to 3% of garment value goes to the original producer.

Patric Woodyard is a well-known founder of a sustainable fashion brand. He claims that the fashion industry is a 3 trillion dollar industry, reaching the most profitable moment in history. The success behind this is consumption which from the early 1990s grew by 500%. We, as consumers, have the power to change it and make a difference in the field of fashion, but what exact actions should we make in order to achieve justice for employees and our planet?

Choose sustainable

Lithuanian clothing and textile industry takes a step forward and presents the product line created by the companies of the cluster “LATIA export development”. The range of products presented in the product line is very wide – each member of the cluster creates that, what it specializes in the most and has the most experience in. The cluster includes different product types: primary level – textile materials (production of different types of materials, i.e., “Textile”, “Mittet”) and the final product: different types of clothing (such as “Eustilian” knitwear), socks, and knitwear, men’s, women’s, youth and children’s clothing, baby clothing and technical clothing for work or sports (“Vitameda”, “Sabalin”), or their accessories (A.Valiuškis company,”Šilta mada”).

Stay curious

It is extremely important to be aware of the true cost of fast fashion. We need to dive deeper into issues fast fashion industries create. Keep questioning the brands you like. Understand the importance of organic cotton and just stay curious about everything that is happening around you.

Get involved

In order to make a difference, we need not only to know about the issues but also get involved in the eco – friendly activities. That means to support sustainable fashion brands, communicate about fast fashion problems in social media and spread awareness about sustainability, human rights and the importance of nature.

Consume smarter

Buy your textile products from quality brands – focus on quality over quantity. Create minimalist wardrobe. Support slow fashion. This way you are saving your finances and keeping landfills clean from garments waste. It is necessary to start building waste free environment for our future generations.

Big changes start from small steps. It is simple to make a positive difference in the field of fashion. All we need to do is to stay curious and take action.

Cluster LATIA is developing an apparel and textile product line that stands for sustainable, functional, ergonomic products. It is time to change the way we see fashion and support clusters like LATIA for a better and healthier tomorrow.