Top conscious fashion trends for the year – are you with it?

The current year is forecast to be exciting fashion-wise. Work from home garments and comfortable clothing such as loungewear, sports wear and night suits have become trendier as the pandemic has largely influenced our fashion sense. Consequently, there is a reduced necessity to buy new clothes, increase responsible consumption, and encourage more sustainable fashion choices.

Here are few important trends emerging in 2021 that you need to look out for:

1. Upcycling old outfits

Due to lockdown measures in place, there has been less need to buy new outfits as more time was spent by staying at home.

By creating a sustainable capsule wardrobe with high quality and durable items, you can easily save money in the long term. For example, instead of purchasing a brand-new outfit for each occasion, try to reuse items already in your wardrobe to create ‘new’ styles.

If you are desperate to wear different clothes that aren’t your own, why not borrow from a friend, purchase second-hand clothing from charity or vintage shops. Renting outfits is another great option! These are all guilt-free and cheaper alternatives to wearing new clothing without harming the environment.

Purchasing second-hand clothes is a great way to help reduce material wastage and plastic pollution as you are preventing the garment from ending up in a landfill.

By raising the need for pre-worn clothing, you can help to reduce overproduction by large fashion retailers, which is consumer-driven.

Upcycling is a new, effective way to convert old items in your wardrobe into brand new ones. So if you enjoy being creative and have some spare time, this could be a great option. Infact, we at Paaduks upcycle old tyres, cloth and corks to create stylish and fashionable footwear for both men and women. In this way, we ensure that we create a sustainable, eco-friendly and ethically sourced brand that is equally comfortable on you as it is on the environment.

You can also take restored clothing to a seamstress to help extend the product longevity. It is not the best practice to donate your used garments to charities unless they are in mint condition. Charities cannot cope with the vast quantities of donations (caused by poor quality fast fashion). It is much better to donate your discarded clothing to friends or relatives or recycle them.

2. Digital suitable fashion

In 2021, an increasing number of people have started to shop online as well as in the vicinity. Websites like Etsy support handmade items and ethical styles which are far more sustainable! Due to the pandemic, E-commerce and online shopping has soared drastically.

As a result, there have been hardly any fashion shows due to lockdowns and travel restrictions. Instead digital fashion shows have been initiated for the online target audience. Infact, 3D fashion designs and virtual models have been used instead of real-life models.

Fashion brands must adapt to digital technologies to remain competitive in the marketplace and stay connected with their target customers. Digital fashion shows are definitely more sustainable and increasing in popularity these days

3. Inclusivity matters

This year will showcase a more inclusive language from brands incorporating more diversity into their products, from more comprehensive size ranges, models, visual marketing, and merchandising. In addition, fashion labels will employ models that look approachable and feel more relatable to the audience. Now, through Artificial Intelligence and technological advancement, ecommerce brand sites already allow their customers to visualize how a particular apparel will look like on different body sizes as the customer makes their purchasing decision.

Do not let unrealistic fast deals fool you. It is better to avoid ‘fast fashion’ trends and values that look too good to be true. For example, how can a t-shirt be cheaper than the cost of a coffee? Low prices often mean inferior quality materials, while the workers receive extraordinarily little pay. It is also prudent to read the care label before purchasing to check whether the materials are sourced sustainably and production conditions are ethical.

For example, try to avoid animal by-products such as fur and leather to discourage animal killing for the sake of fashion. Instead, make use of sustainable options like upcycled latex or plant materials like pineapple leather.

2021 is a year of vibrant colours, patterns & sustainable styles. Sustainable clothing has traditionally used plain and natural colours with classic, timeless designs to make it easier to create minimal yet trendy fashion styles. However, there will be a rise in vibrant colours and bold patterns to make up for the complex, depressing, and disappointing year and a half caused by COVID -19.