Fast fashion seems fun at the outset. There are brand new clothes on the rack every other week to choose from.
But taking a closer look, these brands are getting you to spend more and more money on cheaply made apparel that’s ready to fall apart at any moment. Not to mention the disastrous consequences for laborers and the environment.
Fast fashion is responsible for nearly 20% of wasted water worldwide. Making these clothes en masse is also highly polluting.
Fortunately, individuals are becoming more aware of these unsustainable practices in fashion and are calling for change.
Now we know better, and we can do better.
The fashion industry needs to leverage its designers’ creativity and innovation now more than ever. It’s time to radically change the entire apparel industry.
Circular fashion is the solution. Circular design is the key to transforming clothing production into a restorative and regenerative part of the global economy.
The typical lifecycle of apparel is linear — it takes without giving back. And then the items are thrown away, usually after only a few wears. When looking at the total effect worldwide, this type of production and use creates enormous amounts of waste.
In contrast, circularity involves closing the loop in production, so clothes are made more thoughtfully.
The circular economy is in a large part inspired by nature. It takes its cue from ecosystems, which have an endless, ‘circular’ flow.
The goal of circular design is to reshape the fashion industry as we know it, shifting the clothing production process from destructive to restorative. Circular fashion has the potential to lessen greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
Many clothing brands, Allwear included, have gotten the message. We go beyond seeking the next trend and are working to help reshape the entire industry. Allwear innovates and designs athleisure wear that works with instead of against the planet.
Our vision in creating apparel for all is not only to enable authentic self-expression freedom of expression, but to lessen production and extend the product life cycle. Our relentless commitment to slow fashion results in products ethically made for shareability, durability, and versatility. We strive to end waste in the hopes that our apparel never touches a landfill.
Allwear’s move towards circularity is made possible through our traceability. We track all of our materials and products as they move through the supply chain. That way we know that the materials we use are actually sustainable and our clothing is being manufactured ethically.
Using renewable resources as the clothing material is one way to create circular apparel. We design timeless, versatile technical apparel from eco-friendly, renewable materials. Additionally, we try to minimize energy, water and waste during manufacturing. Less is more in sustainable fashion.
Our greatest strength in circular thinking — especially compared to other sustainable fashion brands — is our commitment to extending the life of our athletic apparel.
A big part of sustainable fashion is slowing down production and consumption. Our athleisure is designed for durability, making it perfect for a capsule wardrobe and long-term use. We also encourage sharing, swapping, and re-wearing apparel to promote a holistic vision that doesn’t rely on increased production or waste.
We even launched the The Rewear Marketplace to give people a platform to buy or sell pre-owned Allwear. We want to keep our clothing in the mix for as long as possible. We promote the reuse and maintenance of our clothing to extend product life and help our customers should get the most out of Allwear apparel.
Circular fashion items can usually be re-made into clothing or other products. Apparel made from natural materials is also often biodegradable, providing an opportunity to regenerate the Earth.
We want to keep our athletic apparel out of landfills. Our team is in the process of creating resources that give customers an alternative to discarding items at the end of their useful life to ‘close the loop’ and achieve full circularity.
At Allwear, we’re against trendy, fast fashion that is quickly discarded when the next season or trend comes around. Instead, we believe in quality apparel that is designed to be wardrobe staples that can — and should — last decades.
Incorporating circular design into our apparel is part of our contribution to creating a resilient fashion industry that benefits society and the environment.
Together, let’s make fashion more circular.