By Ushara Shamini A sustainable fashion brand upholds ethics and values over profits and money. This does not mean that sustainable brands don’t make profits, but they do not prefer to do so at the cost of harming humans, animals, or the environment. A sustainable brand is aware of its actions and its consequences. Such brands stand strong on their values, and avoid harming the environment and its elements in any way throughout the process of production and selling. They also set up principles for the betterment of the workers and labour force working for the brand. A sustainable brand knows how to create profits by being conscious and responsible.   How do you identify sustainable and eco-friendly fashion brands? Sustainable fashion brands generally use natural and high-quality fabrics like cotton, hemp, linen, etc. These brands are unlikely to use synthetic fabrics like nylon, polyester, and acrylic, which are big contributors to the fabric sitting in landfills today. They take years to decompose and have serious negative impacts on the environment. When the synthetic fabrics are washed, they tend to release microscopic plastic fibres into the environment, which is a threat to marine life and causes water pollution. Prioritising the use of natural and organic materials can make an important change to the global pollution level. You should look out for brands that don't use animal-derived fabrics like leather, fur, silk, and exotic skins. These fabrics aren't sustainable as well as ethical to use. The process of tanning the leather causes a lot of water pollution as the toxins get released into the water bodies. The other practice of a sustainable brand is to use recycled fabrics. These fabrics are collected, recycled, and redesigned. This prevents the fabrics from laying in the landfills and reusing the existing resource. Using plant-based fibres is much more environmentally and animal friendly. Let’s investigate sustainable clothing brands that are reducing carbon emissions, sourcing eco-friendly fibres, and taking into account their impact on people and the environment. Amour Vert is a small batch manufacturer of women’s clothing. They use only the most eco-friendly materials and ethical manufacturing practices for production, keep pre-owned clothing in circulation through their ReAmour resale marketplace, and plant a tree for every tee that they sell. The company also follows a zero-waste policy and finds creative solutions to recycle and reuse items. Everlane which prides itself on "radical transparency" in its supply chain offers a stylish collection of business casual and everyday wear for both men and women. Everlane has quickly become one of most favourite direct-to-consumer brands for everyday business casual staples like chinos and sweaters. H&M Conscious is moving away from its fast-fashion roots with the conscious collection, made of materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester. By using eco-friendly fabrics and more sustainable production methods, the company hopes to reduce its environmental footprint. Customers can also recycle unwanted garments as H&M has a goal to use only sustainably sourced materials. For Days – not only does For Days create 100% recyclable clothing, but they also have developed a zero-waste system that keeps clothing in circulation and out of landfills. As a way to make an impact in their factory workers’ communities, For Days has also allocated a percentage of their sales towards the construction of a fully-furnished school that will provide free tuition to the children of their factory workers. Tentree is another excellent option for environmentally friendly essentials, particularly loungewear. Think hooded French Terry dresses for women and comfy Tree Fleece sweatpants for men. This brand doesn’t have the word “tree” in its name for nothing: the sustainable fashion company plants a whopping ten trees for every item purchased.   Concluding paragraph Total and complete sustainability is impossible. It is an unreachable goal and no company has come anywhere close. What companies do is add eco-friendly pieces and then make that their definition of sustainability. One might wonder if this effort falls short.   PHOTOS © REFINERY29, DEXIGNER, FITFEVER, PINTEREST