Irish Sustainable Fashion Trends: Is Ethical Clothing The New Luxury?

 With the prevalence of environmental impacts on the fashion industry, Irish consumers are becoming more and more conscious of the true meaning of luxury. The consciousness that is driving change is spawning a slew of sustainable fashion brands across Ireland.

You love a piece of clothing, it looks good on you, you can afford it, so you buy it! 

That’s not how conscious people shop nowadays. The paradigm of luxury is no longer limited to price tags and how fancy the items look; it has a long way to go in satisfying the concerns of eco-friendliness, fair trade, ethicality, and several other things. The Irish sustainable fashion scene is shaping up as the new face of luxury and the idea is here to stay. Where life is more valuable and breathing clean air has become more important than glossy synthetics! 

Why Sustainability Is a Luxury

In the 1990s and early 2000s, fast fashion was defined by placing visual codes on items that were physically, monetarily, and culturally more inaccessible. Rarity used to be a notion of exclusiveness and class apart from trends. That concept is finally changing. 

At first glance, luxury appears to be well-positioned to move freely in the sustainability space: its products are naturally lasting due to their use of high-quality materials, and culture of transfer across generations pervades the whole industry. Saving becomes a luxury.

Consumer values are used to shape the interaction between culture and commodities. From the 2020s onwards, the new luxury market is evolving in tandem with the evolving culture of environmental concern and demand for conscious, forward-thinking products and behaviours. Sustainable luxury is on the increase in today's climate of conscientious consumption.

Irish Sustainable Brands Making An Impact 

The impact comes with awareness. This is not a trend, but a cause that will bring a smarter and more positive-thinking generation to act fast before it is too late. There are hundreds of brands making a great impact on the Irish fashion scene. Brands that produce basic t-shirts or sustainable hoodies in Ireland are finding a strong fanbase and giving high-fashion luxury brands good competition. Here is why. 

Sustainability has a classification. What is eco-friendly is not always ethical, such as silk or wool being sourced from animals, and the treatment of the animals has to be cruelty-free. 

What is ethical is not always eco-friendly, like cruelty-free synthetic materials and hazardous substances used to produce textiles, causing water contamination. 

What is organic is not always energy efficient. What is eco-friendly and cruelty-free may use tonnes of water and energy to produce! 

And what are all these things, which mean sustainable, organic, and ethical, but not always fair trade! Meaning, that production and supply meet all standards equally and that all workers are treated fairly. There is no child labour involved. Where there is a safe and healthy working environment with fair compensation for all workers. Brands that are bringing a full circle to all these environmental and societal concerns are affecting real change. 

Bringing Affordable Ethical Clothing Closer To The Masses

The majority of sustainable fashion products are expensive. In Ireland, the cost of basic, sustainable hoodies may exceed €70! But while the cost is making their exclusivity and status symbols more luxury-focused according to the yesteryear concept, brands that are making this more and more affordable are affecting the real change. 

Because sustainability is definitely not a change, it is the need of the hour. The more affordable and practical it becomes, the more important it gets. And people have more reasons to choose the green side!