20 of your most pressing sustainable style questions answered
Eco-conscious dressing is higher than ever on the fashion agenda. But where to begin? And how to get it right?
21 April 2021 • 5:00am
The sustainable crowd - brands that are becoming more eco-friendly
What does ‘sustainable’ actually mean?
There is no formal industry definition for the word ‘sustainable’. While it suggests environmental awareness, it has become so widely and carelessly used, even Stella McCartney admitted in a Telegraph interview last year, “I barely know what sustainability means anymore.” More telling is other language a brand might use to describe its sourcing and manufacturing, such as carbon neutral, renewable or recycled - these speak to specific practices and indicate that it isn’t ‘greenwashing’ (marketing bluster that sounds eco but doesn’t promise any actual action).