Denim
We all have our favourite staple pair of jeans, our go-to whenever we have “nothing to wear” pair that makes us feel good and confident. And yes, jeans, despite being the wardrobe staple or go-to for us, can be quite a disastrous item for our environment.
We believe it is possible to take a more mindful, sustainable approach to fashion with some of the tips and brands below.
Why denim is not sustainable:
Water
Approximately a whopping 7,000L of water is used to produce ONE single pair of jeans, from the cotton to dying the denim. Almost the equivalent of ten years of the recommended volume of water we should drink per day!
Dyes
But the huge quantity of water needed to produce denim isn’t the only issue. Most of the dyes used to get these different denim colours are artificial and on most cases extremely toxic for the ecosystem it pollutes. This leads to the contamination of many waterways, and on longer terms, can become a health hazard for some populations.
Microfibers
The microfibers shed when washing garments, and especially jeans contributes in the bad impact of denim on the environment! And with almost 2 billion of jeans (not taking into account every other items made of denim, skirts, dresses etc…) you can imagine the scope of this issue.
Tips
But not to worry- there are ways to accommodate your favourite pair of jeans with your ecological concerns!
1. Denim doesn’t require frequent washing! Obviously, it depends on how often you wear your jeans, but in general the less you wash your jeans, the better, both for the environment, and your jeans.
2. To help decrease the shedding of microfibres, for when you do wash them. , laundry bags and filters are a great and easy way to prevent that shedding into our water systems!
Laundry bag: https://guppyfriend.com
3. The high content of artificial dyes and the metalware used to make denim is difficult to recycle, so instead of throwing away your old jeans in the trash, why not upcycling them, making a pair of shorts out of your old ripped trousers, or taking it to a thrift store if they don’t fit! They’ll always find a second home!
4. Find brands that have responsible denim at the core of their business intentions.
Brands
DL1961 ( shop at The Jacksons) , Pangaia or Nudie are devoted to develop new, more durable ways to produce denim. For instance, DL1961 only uses 45L of water per jeans on average, compared to more than 7000L for other denim makes! They also recycle plastic and old denim, weaved together with new yarn, in order to produce sturdy, long lasting yet fashionable piece of clothing!
This is something that really matters to us and this is why we love all our DL1961 products!
The Zita shirt is such a great layering element!
Fastened on top of a turtleneck and underneath a perfecto jacket, or opened up on top of a t-shirt in the summer, you can really this shirt all year round!
The extra little thing that make them even more great is the fact that DL 1961 makes a point to produce ethical denim! A great stylish versatile and sustainable addition to a wardrobe!
The Coco jeans are also a great pick, the wash makes them super trendy and they go with everything, and the curvy feature makes it so flattering on most body type!
SHOP DL1961 online or in store: https://www.thejacksons.co.uk/search?q=dl1961
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