Encourage slow fashion with these powerful sustainable fashion quotes.
Fashion is an incredibly influential part of culture. It has the power to shape how we view ourselves and how we interact with the world around us. This makes it essential that fashion be created responsibly, in a way that respects our planet and its people. Thankfully, there are many inspiring voices championing this movement towards sustainable fashion. From famous designers to everyday activists, here are some of their most insightful quotes on sustainable fashion.
For more on sustainable fashion see: - 20+ Online Second Hand Clothing Sites - 10 Best Baby and Kids Second Hand Clothing Stores Online - 10 Tips To Thrift Shop Like A Pro
Want quotes about sustainability mor generally? Check out these powerful sustainability quotes that will inspire change and action.
1. “What if we started by slowing down and not consuming so much stuff, just because it’s there and cheap and available. It’s amazing how that process makes sense financially, it makes sense ethically, and it makes sense environmentally.”
– Andrew Morgan, filmmaker of The True Cost documentary which explores the impacts of fashion on people and the planet.
2. “As consumers, we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy.“
– Emma Watson, actor and activist
3. “Fast fashion isn’t free. Someone, somewhere is paying”
– Lucy Seigle, journalist and broadcaster on environmental issues
4. “The fashion industry was built on secrecy and elitism; it was opaque. Transparency is disruptive – in that sense, it’s a breath of fresh air and a useful weapon of change.”
– Orsola De Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution and author of Loved Clothes Last
5. “Slow fashion is also about returning to a personal relationship with fashion. One where trends and seasons don’t matter, but where your ethics and aesthetics seamlessly unite, and you can escape the stress of constant consumption, focusing on the style that truly appeals to you.”
– Emilia Wik, former head designer of BYEM
6. “Think deeply about each piece you own, or are to looking to own, and find a memory connected to it. This will encourage you to keep it and wear it longer, repair it when it’s worn, add more stories to it, and might make you more likely to hand it over to a new owner when you’re not in love with it any longer.“
– Simone Agius, founder of sustainable label Simétrie
7. “There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness.”
– Mahatma Ghandi, political leader and activist
8. “The goal of being a sustainable shopper or consumer isn’t perfectionism! It’s leading with an intention and effort, and taking small steps that in turn, will help to create the change we need.”
– Cassandra Dittmer, sustainable stylist
9. “Buy less. Choose well. Make it last.”
– Vivienne Westwood, fashion designer
10. “Clothing is a really excellent place to start thinking critically about our values.”
– Elyse Holladay, fashion stylist
11. “Sustainable fashion is not just about using so-called eco-friendly materials, it is also about rethinking how the whole industry works, foreseeing social consequences and environmental impacts in the long run.”
– Yoshiyuki Minami, founder of Manonik and Minami Design
12. “Clothes could have more meaning and longevity if we think less about owning the latest or cheapest thing and develop more of a relationship with the things we wear.”
– Elizabeth L. Cline, author of The Conscious Closet
13. “The whole thing of clothes is insane. You can spend a dollar on a jacket in a thrift store, and you can spend a thousand dollar on a jacket in a shop. And if you saw those two jackets walking down the street, you probably wouldn’t know which was which.”
– Helen Mirren, actor
14. “Realise the political power of your money and spend it with the brands you know are treating their workers and the environment in the best possible way.”
– Lily Cole, environmental activist, actor and filmmaker
15. “Care for your clothes like the good friends they are“
– Joan Crawford, actor
16. “Fashion should be sustainable without having to tout it’s sustainability.”
– Yoshiyuki Minami, founder of Manonik and Minami Design
17. “Ethical fashion is the recognition that there are human beings behind the clothes we wear.”
– Elizabeth Joy, Founder of Conscious Life & Style
18. “To slow down the pace of the fashion industry, we will all have to redefine our relationships with our clothing and focus on what style really means to us, instead of what fashion tells us is trending.”
– Stella Hertantyo, sustainability writer
19. “I want to own/use things that are beautiful and well made, respect makers and materials.”
– Clare Farrell, environmental activist
20. “To truly transform the fashion industry into a good one, we need to change the way we purchase, not just what we are purchasing.”
– Kate Hall, sustainability inspirer and founder of Ethically Kate
21. “If fashion is redefined as beautiful, long-lasting garments, then it can only become innately sustainable.”
– Tamzin Rollason, sustainable fashion researcher
22. “Whenever you face the decision of buying a new dress, first ask yourself if you really need it and imagine that the item will stay for you for a long time.“
– Michelle Yeoh, actress and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador
23. “Frankly, you shouldn’t be buying a t-shirt for under $10 – it’s not frugal, or a bargain – it’s unethical and unsustainable for our planet.”
– Bernadette Olivier, CEO and co-founder of luxury dress rental The Volte
24. “We are using too many resources to make fresh garments, buying and discarding too fast, things that just don’t simply go away.”
– Kriti Tula, fashion designer of sustainable label Doodlage
25. “Buying some recycled polyester stuff won’t solve plastic pollution — to do that, we need to decrease society’s dependence on plastic, investment in recycling infrastructure, and regulation to hold polluters accountable.”
– Alec Leach, author of The World Is On Fire But We’re Still Buying Shoes
26. “No one will notice that you are outfit repeating and who cares if they do! Isn’t that the reason we own a washing machine?!“
– Jenna Flood, sustainable fashion stylist at The Ironic Minimalist
27. “Every garment or product has a footprint, some are of course better than others.”
– Siri Johansen, co-founder of Waste Yarn Project
28. “Fashion can be a universal player in protecting the earth.”
– Pharrell Williams, music producer
29. “It’s no good being climate positive if your workers can’t afford to feed their families; it’s no good being vegan if your product materials cause major environmental pollution.“
– Gordon Renouf & Solene Rauturier, co-founder and digital strategist respectively of Good On You
30. “Clothes worth wearing are worth repairing.”
– Unknown
31. “No one wants to wear clothes that were made from someone’s blood.”
– Amber Valetta, actress and model
32. “It’s not enough for me anymore that it’s a beautiful item. I want to know who made it and where it came from.“
– Emma Watson, actor and activist
33. “Demand quality, not just in the products you buy, but in the life of the person who made it.”
– Orsola De Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution and author of Loved Clothes Last
34. “My bank balance doesn’t have to suffer for me to create a sustainable wardrobe. I just need to care for what I already own by mending and washing carefully.”
– Jenna Flood, sustainable fashion stylist at The Ironic Minimalist
35. “The most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe.“
– Orsola De Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution and author of Loved Clothes Last
36. “Call it eco-fashion if you like, I think it’s just common sense.”
– Livia Firth, co-founder and creative director of Eco-Age
37. “Cheap fashion is really far from that. It may be cheap in terms of the financial cost, but very expensive when it comes to the environment and the cost of human life.”
– Sass Brown, fashion educator and author of Eco Fashion
38. “Fashions fade, style is eternal”
– Yves Saint Laurent, fashion designer
39. “Ethical and sustainable fashion is not a product. It’s a practice. Everyone is invited to participate. There’s no obligation to buy. And you can get started right now. Today.”
– Elizabeth L. Cline, author of The Conscious Closet
40. “If we’re going to build a sustainable fashion movement, we need to invite as many people as possible along for the ride.”
– Clare Press, founder of The Wardrobe Crisis
41. “Consumer demand can revolutionise the way fashion works as an industry. If everyone started to question the way we consume, we would see a radically different paradigm.”
– Cary Somers, founder of Fashion Revolution
42. “Ethical fashion is the recognition that there are human beings behind the clothes we wear.”
– Elizabeth Joy, Founder of Conscious Life & Style
40 Ethical fashion quotes to inspire you
More on slow fashion
- 20+ Online Second Hand Clothing Sites
- 10 Online Second Hand KIDS Clothing Sites
- Buy Local: 14 Australian made baby clothes brands
- Repairing shoes
- 8 Tips To Dress Your Child More Sustainably
- What is fast fashion?
These are great!!!
Thanks for sharing. You know I always look for money quotes, inspiration and spiritual stuff, never thought about fashion quotes. I really like this one “Buy less. Choose well. Make it last.”
“Fast Fashion isn’t free. Someone somewhere is paying” That is such a true statement! The ones who pay are the developing nations and someplaces have clothes pollution from all the unwanted clothes often from. Western,developed nations. Great article that really gets you to think about how much you buy.
I love these quotes for sustainable fashion! I’m a big believer in living with less and only buying what I need. There is so much waste out there, especially with fast fashion and stores that sell cheap clothing that you end up throwing away because it is poor quality. Thanks for the inspiring quotes!