The Cost Of Ethical Fashion: What Goes Into Sourcing Ethical Clothes/Accessories And What Are You Paying Extra For

ethical-sustainable-fashion

Most people often consider ethical fashion to be costly, exclusive, and only catering to the elite class. However, the ground reality is quite different. To understand the driving factors which affect the cost of ethical fashion, we’ve created this guide to help fashion lovers understand the effort that goes into making ethical products. 

Labor Costs

One of the major cost deciding factors when manufacturing sustainable products is the cost of labor. A majority of fashion designers source their labor from countries where labor costs are way below the minimum wage. However, trusted brands ensure the workers are paid an adequate wage so they earn a secure living. Paying more than the specified wage affects the total cost of production. Besides giving workers a decent daily wage, most ethical fashion brands also help workers get basic life necessities like family insurance, transport fees, cover the cost of healthcare services, and offer many other benefits, ultimately improving their employees’ quality of life. 

Sourcing of Materials

Noble fashion brands focus on environment-friendly manufacturing products. Besides never compromising on the quality of materials, these brands make sure the manufacturing material is procured humanely. Demand for ethically sourced clothing options is on the rise, as described in the graph from Compare the market. 

The issue arises when costs are factored in. It can be very difficult to source some clothing and accessory materials ethically, which naturally increases costs. So it’s no surprise that ethical clothing options are more expensive than what most customers are willing to pay.

Top Craftsmanship

In addition to manufacturing environment-friendly fashion, these brands prefer using authentic and age-old techniques for the production of their merchandise. Since these craftsmen never compromise on quality, it takes a lot of time to manufacture a very small batch. However, factory-produced merchandise is never preferred by sustainable fashion brands so their goal of preserving craftsmanship is fulfilled. 

Avoiding Chemicals

Most factory-produced merchandise use toxic dyes and add to the pollution in the environment. These factories fail to dispose of these chemical pollutants adequately. The dyes seep into canals and rivers, ultimately affecting marine life. On the other hand, sustainable fashion brands always use natural dyes to promote good values and business practices. Mass-producing clothes might be cheaper but it does harm the surroundings in the long run. Sustainable fashion companies continue to introduce innovative methods to avoid these consequences at all costs. 

Ethical fashion brands are on the rise, challenging the fast fashion industry. While you might see fast fashion trends vanish in an instant, sustainable fashion is timeless and gives fashion-savvy customers a unique style. Nowadays, ethical fashion has gained a loyal customer base as they understand the positive impact their clothes make on the environment and society. 

From one-of-a-kind materials to fulfilling workers’ necessities for quality living, ethical fashion is a great concept for individuals to follow. Not only are these concepts fashion-forward, but it is far more compassionate to wear accessories that benefit everyone and the world we live in.

Written by Megan Taylor
Megan is a beauty expert who is passionate about all things makeup and glam! Her love for makeup has brought her to become a beauty pro at Glamour Garden Cosmetics.