Sustainable Fashion: Recycled Cotton & Natural fabrics
We know that sustainable fashion is more than recycled cotton and natural fabrics, but we don't want to mislead or make false claims to suggest Casa de Vera it’s more eco-friendly than it actually is.
On the other hand, sustainability is an important topic for us and we feel very proud of where we are right now. That´s why we would love to share our sustainable baby steps with you.
Casa de Vera is on a constant journey to provide a better user experience and find a sustainable balance in the fashion industry. Our family environment, working alongside Venezuelan artisans, and our commitment to charity: water to bring clean water to communities in need are a few of our philosophies that keep us motivated year after year, but we can always make it even better.
Did you know our women's espadrilles could be sustainable?
Since 2019 we start using recycled cotton mixed with virgin cotton, improving the percentages of it every year. By using at least 20% recycled cotton over virgin cotton this year 2021, we are very happy to announce that the items from the new collection "Botanical SS21" were made using less water, dye, energy, and waste.
Working with natural fibers and recycled cotton is a small but meaningful way that produces a positive impact in the environment. Reusing materials leave a smaller footprint and a lower environmental impact and lets fabrics live longer and cut down on waste-reducing emissions.
GRS - Global Recycled Standard
The Global Recycle Standard is one of the leading and most trusted certifications for products made from recycled content. Products with this label are made with at least 50% recycled content and every stage of the supply chain is independently certified, to ensure environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing all the way to the final product.
Lily is the most sustainable espadrille on our product catalog, it has up to 80% recycled cotton plus a sole made of natural fiber. We are very proud of the sustainable results this year and we will keep improving the footwear manufacture.
Discover our newest footwear collection made of GRS recycled cotton and walk through a greener and more eco-friendly world with Casa de Vera!
Natural fabrics
Natural fabrics are created from fibers that are occurring in nature like, plant seeds, leaves and stems, and even minerals. They are valued for their comfort against the skin, their natural luxurious look (imagine silk, linen, and wool), and the fact that they are made from renewable fibers. Most of these steps involve a lot of chemicals (bleach, dyes, fabric finishes) and this is causing some concern because we live in an environmentally conscious age and people are questioning all these age-old processes that can spell trouble for the earth, if not now, but soon enough.
They are made from short-staple yarns and they may shed with wear. One major problem is shrinkage but it is of no concern when you buy fitted garments – clothing that fits just right will become a little too tight after a wash or two.
What is recycled cotton?
Recycled cotton is also commonly referred to as regenerated cotton, reclaimed cotton, or shoddy and it can be used as an alternative to conventional or organic cotton.
Cotton is the most comfortable, absorbing, soft (depending on the make), and the most commonly used textile in the world. The fabric burn test is simple and simple to be sure that you have the real thing.
It can be recycled from pre-consumer (post-industrial) and post-consumer cotton waste, for example, old garments or textile leftovers. Pre-consumer waste comes from any excess material arising from the production of yarn, fabrics, and textile products.
Virgin Cotton vs. Recycled Cotton
The quality of recycled cotton may be lower than virgin cotton and the production of recycled cotton is still very limited, but when it is blended with new cotton reduce the amount of energy, water, and chemical products is much less than if virgin cotton had been used.
Sustainable fashion
Sustainable fashion concerns more than just addressing fashion textiles or products. It addresses the whole system of how clothing is produced, who produced it how long the life span of a product is before it reaches a landfill. This means dealing with interdependent social, cultural, ecological, and financial systems. Sustainable fashion is the responsibility of citizens, the public sector, and the private sector. An adjacent term to sustainable fashion is eco-fashion which is a term used to refer to sustainability.
Slow fashion
Slow Fashion encapsulates awareness, responsibility, quality over quantity, protection of cultural identities, choice, and information. There is now a growing contingent of slow fashion brands embodying these slow fashion principles. Slow fashion means sticking with what you have for a long time, so this can get difficult to practice when your tastes change.
It's best to start with basics, so check how you can get it repaired before you toss it. Slow Fashion means producing fewer new items and producing fewer new items. It is also environmentally friendly by producing fewer items.
Invest in sustainable fashion brands
Buying better can also mean supporting designers who promote sustainable practices. Narrowing your search for specific items can also help, whether that’s activewear or swimwear. Support designers who use upcycled textiles in their designs.
Eco-Age’s chief brand officer Harriet Vocking advises that you ask yourself three all-important questions: “What are you buying and why?” What do you really need? Will you wear it at least 30 times? Will it be a good thing to wear it more than once? What are you buying for yourself? What are the things you need to wear more than 30 times at least? We ask you to buy less and buy better, says Harriet.
Textile recycling
According to an ABC News report, charities keep approximately 10% of all donated clothing. Textile recycling firms process about 70% of the donated clothing into industrial items such as rags or cleaning cloths. 20–25% of second-hand clothing is sold into an international market. Used jeans collected from America, for example, are sold to low-income customers in Africa for modest prices. Most end up in landfills as the average US-sized customer is several sizes bigger than the global average.
Transparency
Over 150 major brands including Everlane, Filippa K, and H&M have answered by publicizing information about their factories online. The focus on transparency has so far not bridged information with systemic action and impact. While the agenda of transparency is honorable and important, it is toothless if not paired with real improvements, policy change, and legal action which holds corporations and factories responsible for misconduct.
Cultural critics have remarked that the cult of transparency risks fueling consumption and social stress, instead of promoting accountability of brands and power-brokers.
Zero or low waste design
A lot of waste in the fashion industry comes from cutting out patterns, so some fashion brands are designing patterns that result in zero wasted material. Brands may strive to minimize the amount of water and energy use from the manufacturing process.
Look for brands that prioritize minimizing product waste in their manufacturing process and excessive packaging materials during transport. In addition to eliminating excessive plastic packaging, reduce waste by eliminating excessive packaging when transporting from the manufacturer to the warehouse, and the customer, use recycled or biodegradable shipping materials.
Sustainability is in!