Upcycling, reusing, recycling…in 2019, we’re all thinking about going green. Why not start by going green with five sustainable fashion trends to wear now?

1. Stella McCartney: Vintage-Tee-Come-Yarn

Stella McCartney is known for her dedication to sustainable fashion; her lean toward the green never leans towards compromise on style. Her fabrics are not sourced from just anywhere; her viscose is harvested from sustainably managed forests in Sweden, and her2019 Fashion Week collection quirky jewelry was upcycled (paper clips and rubber bands, anyone?), as were her vintage-tees-come-yarn. No one but Stella could weave vintage tees into dresses by ripping the t-shirts up to be knitted back together, but here we are and so she has.

2. Stella Again: Faux Tattoos Make a Statement

Not only did Stella continue to use signature eco-friendly fabrics for her 2019 collection at Paris Fashion Week, but she took her message one step further by adorning her models with temporary tattoos that read “vegan”,  “regenerate”, or “earth day every day.”
Turns out this is a genius idea, because tattoos are eye-catching, even ones as small as Stella’s faux tats were, and what better way to get a message out? Beyond that, we can all recreate them easily with temporary tattoo pens.

3. Save a Worm; Look for Peace Silk

Peace Silk is woven by hand in India and is also known as Ahimsa Silk. According to the Yoga Sutras (a sort of guide to bliss), ahimsa means essentially non-violence or non-harming. Traditionally, silk worms are boiled in the cocoon and are part of the silk. Alternatively, Peace Silk worms are given a chance to go through metamorphosis and silk is made from their vacant cocoons.

4.  Start Small With Deadstock Fabric

Deadstock isn’t a perfect solution but it’s a start. Textile and fabric mills and factories have leftover fabric because of excess orders or small defects. The leftover fabrics are known as deadstock.

Designers like Collina Strada, whose Fashion Week collection was 75% deadstock, use the leftover fabric to save it from its demise: the landfill. You can do the same by checking labels and wearing deadstock textiles.

5. Can’t Go Wrong with Classic

The most effective way to wear fashion sustainably is to choose pieces that won’t die out with the season’s trends. Neutral pieces that will stand the test of time aren’t only found in stores with iffy fabrication policies. Sustainable fashion is about quality; a cozy knit sweater, a classic white tee, a jean that fits just so, and vegan leather boots are the base pieces of any sophisticated wardrobe and can be eco-friendly. Keep your classic wardrobe going indefinitely by mixing in trendy pieces each season. Who knows? Some of the trendy pieces might become classics if you choose wisely.

Confused about where to start? Sites like RankaBrand.org were created to help shoppers find the right sustainable brands for them.