What Does Sustainable Fashion Really Mean?

In a world awash with buzzwords, few terms are as widely used yet poorly understood as "sustainable fashion." Nearly every brand today—from luxury labels to fast-fashion giants—claims some version of environmental or ethical responsibility. But what does it actually mean to be a sustainable fashion brand? And how can consumers tell the difference between genuine commitment and clever marketing?

This in-depth guide explores the true essence of sustainable fashion, maps the entire lifecycle from crop to consumer (and back), explains stakeholder responsibilities, critiques carbon offsetting, demystifies greenwashing, and examines the systemic challenges smaller brands face in aligning with sustainable ideals.

Defining Sustainable Fashion: A Systems Perspective

Sustainable fashion refers to the holistic approach of designing, manufacturing, distributing, and disposing of clothing in ways that minimize environmental harm, uphold human rights, and ensure long-term economic viability. It encompasses:

• Materials & Inputs: Sourcing renewable, regenerative, or recycled materials with low environmental impact

• Processes & Labor: Employing ethical, low-impact production methods with fair wages and safe working conditions

• Product Design & Longevity: Creating durable, repairable, and seasonless garments

• End-of-Life Management: Promoting reuse, resale, recycling, or compostability

Sustainability is not one decision—it’s a network of intentional choices across the supply chain.

The Sustainable Fashion Lifecycle: From Seed to Soil

1. Raw Material Stage

• Organic cotton, hemp, flax, bamboo, TENCEL, recycled wool, post-consumer waste

• Grown or recovered without harmful pesticides or excessive water

• Inputs certified by GOTS, OEKO-TEX, FSC, etc.

2. Yarn & Fabric Production

• Low-impact spinning, weaving, knitting

• Dyeing with plant-based or low-water techniques

• Energy-efficient and wastewater-treated mills

3. Garment Construction

• Ethical factories with verified wages and working conditions

• Minimising fabric waste via pattern optimisation or zero-waste cutting

4. Packaging & Distribution

• Plastic-free or compostable packaging

• Localized supply chains to reduce transport emissions

• Shipment via sea or low-carbon logistics where possible

5. Retail & Consumer Use

• Minimal launches, timeless collections

• Repair programs, care guides

• Education on conscious consumption

6. End-of-Life

• Biodegradable materials returned to soil

• Closed-loop recycling programs

• Second-hand or upcycling initiatives

7. Regeneration

• Brands reinvesting in sustainable farming, carbon farming, or reforestation

What is Closed-Loop Recycling?

Closed-loop recycling refers to the process where materials from a used product are reclaimed, processed, and reintroduced into the manufacturing of new products—without degrading quality or turning into waste.

In fashion, this means:

• Recycling old garments into new yarns and fabrics

• Eliminating downcycling into rags or insulation

• Avoiding reliance on virgin resources

Technologies are emerging to recycle cotton, wool, and even blended fabrics chemically or mechanically. While the infrastructure is still evolving, closed-loop systems offer a path to true material circularity.

Stakeholders in the Sustainability Cycle

Each phase involves specific stakeholders with critical responsibilities:

• Farmers & Raw Material Suppliers

  • Grow crops using regenerative practices

  • Maintain soil health, water efficiency, and biodiversity

• Textile Mills

  • Ensure energy-efficient and clean production

  • Minimize water and chemical waste

• Manufacturers & Garment Workers

  • Uphold labor rights, provide safe conditions and fair wages

  • Use resource-efficient and low-waste processes

• Brands & Designers

  • Choose sustainable materials and ethical vendors

  • Design for longevity, circularity, and low impact

• Retailers & Platforms

  • Promote transparency and discourage overconsumption

  • Provide resale and take-back channels

• Consumers

  • Buy less, choose better, and care for garments responsibly

  • Support brands with traceable, ethical supply chains

• Governments & Certifiers

  • Regulate environmental standards, enforce labor laws

  • Certify genuine sustainability (e.g., GOTS, Fairtrade)

The Role of Carbon Offsets

Many brands offset their emissions by investing in renewable energy, reforestation, or carbon farming. While offsets can help mitigate residual emissions, they are not a substitute for direct reductions. Concerns include:

• Verification: Many offset schemes lack rigorous monitoring or permanence.

• Delay of Action: Offsets can become a license to maintain business-as-usual practices.

• Additionality: Projects must prove that their carbon reduction would not have occurred without the offset.

Best practice: Brands should measure emissions, reduce them across scopes 1–3, and only then offset the unavoidable remainder through verified carbon credit programs (e.g., Gold Standard, Verra).

The Rugged Soul’s Stance on Sustainability

At The Rugged Soul, we don’t claim to be a sustainable brand—yet. Sustainability isn’t a badge we wear, but a path we’re actively pursuing.

As a small, independent startup, we face the same economic constraints many emerging brands do. Sourcing certified organic or regenerative fabrics, working with fully transparent certified supply chains, and investing in closed-loop production methods all come at a cost—often pushing the retail price far beyond what customers are willing or able to pay.

For instance, a certified organic cotton hoodie with fair-trade wages and closed-loop dyeing processes could easily retail for ₹6,000–₹8,000. A hemp-cotton shirt made under GOTS-compliant conditions might cost over ₹4,000, compared to fast fashion’s ₹900 equivalent. These realities make it difficult for small labels to scale while remaining fully sustainable.

But this doesn’t stop us from taking meaningful steps:

• We design non-seasonal collections in limited quantities to reduce waste and overproduction.

• We work with natural fabrics like hemp, cotton canvas, cotton flax, and twill.

• We choose local manufacturing to minimize transport emissions.

• We avoid synthetic embellishments or blends wherever possible.

• And through our blogs and storytelling, we encourage people to buy less, buy better, and think deeper about what they wear.

Our ambition is to move toward certified natural fabrics and even more transparent supply chains—when the economics of our scale support it. Until then, we commit to making fewer, better garments with rugged character and thoughtful intent.

Greenwashing in the Fashion Industry: Spotting the Tricks

While genuine sustainable brands struggle to survive, others market misleading narratives. Common tactics include:

• Vague Language: Using words like "green," "eco-conscious," or "planet-friendly" without supporting data

• Token Collections: Launching one “sustainable” line while continuing mass production practices elsewhere

• Imagery Deception: Using natural colors, leaves, or recycled textures in visuals to suggest environmental responsibility

• Recycled Polyester as a Catch-all: Claiming recycled PET bottle use without discussing end-of-life disposal or microplastics

• Offset-Only Strategy: Promoting climate neutrality solely through offsets without lowering actual emissions

A notable example includes major brands launching capsule collections with just 5–10% recycled content and calling them “sustainable,” while producing millions of other garments through traditional fast fashion pipelines.

Final Thoughts

Sustainable fashion is not a product attribute—it’s a systems change. It involves transforming how raw materials are sourced, how people are treated, how products are designed, and how waste is eliminated.

For small brands like The Rugged Soul, sustainability is a journey—not a marketing claim. And for the consumer, it starts with a question:

Is this built to last? Built to matter? Built with care?

If the answer leans yes—you’re already part of the shift toward a slower, saner fashion future.