You would have to have lived the last few years on a deserted island to have not noticed the “growth of green” in the fashion sector.
Every industry across the globe is looking at how they can reduce their carbon and waste footprint, and how to make products more sustainable to help mother earth recover some of her resplendent glory. Maybe the phrase sustainable fashion is becoming a little overused, but its key to an industry that has been guilty of waste in the past and the Hartwell team are very aware of the serious environmental impact that the throw away fashion sector can have. We want to do our bit to help our planet, by delivering quality country wear clothing that lasts.
What does sustainable fashion actually mean
In days gone by it was easy to predict the Christmas weather and expect a wintry day with heavy snowfalls, but alas things have changed.
Some may say it’s a cliche but “buy less, buy better” is starting to have meaning when you understand that the world produces in excess of 100 billion items of clothing per annum!
When customers give their support to brands that are promoting quality and sustainable practices, they are gaining in two ways. One is that their wardrobe will require less storage space. The second is that with a careful eye on garments that last longer and can be used for a variety of events or occasions the wardrobe becomes sustainable and reduces the throw away impact.
Quality makes a statement and brands like Hartwell Country Clothing have grown because of our reputation for quality garments, innovative design and premium customer service.
Hartwell’s country clothing fits neatly into the sustainable fashion brand niche. Our luxury shirts are made from only the finest cotton satin fabrics and all our jackets and coats use 100% wool or wool mix.
Of course to ensure a garment lasts a long time it’s not just about fabrics. Styling is important and has to be classical but with a modern twist, so as to look good when worn months and years down the line.
A quality production channel is also vital in achieving sustainable fashion goals and helping meet today’s needs while ensuring that the way we go about meeting those needs meet future requirements as well.
Sustainable fashion is also about benefiting the fashion supply chain – from farmers to consumers and those working to reduce the industry’s footprint.
The Damage
Hartwell prides itself on being leaders in our field, and we ensure that our fabrics and products are sourced carefully and address our environmental requirements. We are not going to add to “fast fashion’s, heavy throwaway environmental footprint”.
When you see some of the recent statistics you will know why it’s important to care. The following stats are from a recent Business Insider article and are food for thought for fashion industry manufacturers and customers alike.
- The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second (UNEP, 2018)
- 500,000 tons of microfibers are released into the ocean each year from washing clothes — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017)
- Approximately 60% of all materials used by the fashion industry are made from plastic (UNEP, 2019)
- Some 93 billion cubic metres of water – enough to meet the needs of five million people – is used by the fashion industry annually, contributing to water scarcity in some regions (UNCTAD, 2020)
Quality is noticeable
Now country folk have long held the reputation for recognising quality. This is not just in the clothes that we wear, but across many aspects of farming and country pursuits. Quality lasts and delivers value for money, which is exactly what we strive for at Hartwell Country Clothing.
When ladies see and feel our clothing they know they are buying a brand that is conscious of that luxury feel and classic styling, with a bit of a modern twist. This is what makes Hartwell’s range so sustainable.
Our clothes look great, feel great and offer a range of options for day and evening wear, but the relevance to this blog is “they last”.
When garments last we all take pride that we are conscientiously working towards a fashion industry that is producing garments in a sustainable way and ensure that the fashion channel is less resource-intensive.
And finally
It’s crucial that we move towards researching and developing more sustainable materials because it’s critical to the future of the fashion industry as well as the planet.
We certainly don’t want to join in any aggregated scaremongering, but the truth is, we can’t keep using the planet’s resources the way we are because we won’t have those resources left if we don’t work towards sustainability.
We wonder what London Fashion Week will bring to the catwalk in February next year to meet the new sustainable fashion initiatives.
Be confident that our design and production team at Hartwell, will have their eye on the ball for any innovations or techniques that can improve our operation and help towards a more sustainable fashion industry.
Live well, dress well, Hartwell.
