TRENDING
APPAREL
Why Sustainable Clothes Are Good for Business
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Patagonia’s Worn Wear College Tour (1) offered to repair students’ garments. Re\\\collection (2) is made from recycled fabric. Everlane (3) offers factory transparency.
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uch like current trends in Patagonia’s Worn Wear College Tour visited food consumption, shopcampuses around the country. Students could pers are placing a higher bring garments, regardless of brand, to a vinvalue on where their cloth- tage wooden camper truck for repair. ing comes from and how “Part of our mission is to get more people it’s made. They will even to use recycled materials and think about spend 10 to 15 percent more on ethically manufacturing environments,” Bayers said. produced clothing, according to Marshal “The education level of the customers is Cohen, retail analyst at NPD Group. there, and more brands are recognizing it.” “The younger generation, in particular, One of those brands is ecommerce site is willing to pay for the responsibility factor, Everlane. For every piece of clothing sold on because they’re not buying as much stuff in its site, Everlane lists the materials, hardthe first place,” Cohen said. “They want to buy ware, labor and transportation costs, and things that are good for the environment and provides info on production, including photos are going to last.” of the workers and factory floors in China Patagonia has been leading where yarn is spun or silk is woven. the way by encouraging people “We stand behind factory to repair, reuse and consider transparency and back up the the environmental impact story of each piece of clothing of its apparel. In late 2016, with real data,” said Michael it launched re\\\collecPreysman, CEO and founder tion, an apparel line made of Everlane. “People are from recycled fabric. more aware how clothes are “It’s sold amazingly well made today because of social so far,” said Cory Bayers, media, and, as a result, they NEW ERA CAPS ARE Patagonia’s vp of marketing. know what the dark side is,” he MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES. “Customers are more educated added. “The more information about materials, and it’s why we can provide about our process, they’re buying more of our products.” the more clear it is to the customer Patagonia also provides repair guides why the decision they’re making is better so people can get more mileage out of their for the planet.” clothes, and they also can send the company Similarly, PACT Organic makes its undamaged clothing for free repairs or recyderwear, T-shirts and dresses from organic cling. This spring, for the third year in a row, cotton, which uses 71 percent less water and
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REPAIR, RECYCLE, REUSE
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PACT (4) makes its clothing from organic cotton.
62 percent less energy than conventional cotton, and its products also are produced in safe working conditions that pay living wages, with no child labor. PACT logged $500,000 in sales in 2011, and is expected to hit $20 million this year. PACT’s CEO, Brendan Synnott, got his start in the food industry, founding organic Bear Naked granola, and likens the organic food movement to the sustainable apparel one. “Now, most people understand organic, and they’re taking the same philosophy and applying it to apparel,” he said. “Most apparel is abominable in its opaqueness. But being honest with the consumer, and sharing with them how you make the product, has become more important.” Mainstream brands like New Era, which recently launched a cap for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers made with recycled plastic bottles, also are embracing the trend. “People have a lot of hats in their closet, so when they’re purchasing another one, it really helps that the materials are making a difference,” said Chi-Kay Lam, senior category manager, brand partnerships at New Era. Sustainability and ethically produced clothing increasingly will factor more into shoppers’ value equations, said Mary Brett Whitfield, svp at Kantar Retail. “Over the past few years, consumers have placed more importance on whether products stand for something, and they’ll continue to do so,” she noted.
MAY 1, 2017 | ADWEEK
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MORE SHOPPERS ARE SEEKING OUT ECO-FRIENDLY APPAREL THAT’S BETTER FOR THE PLANET AND THE WORKERS WHO PRODUCE IT. BY CHRISTINE BIRKNER
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