Sustainable fashion: the trends of 2023

February 16, 2023 3 min read

One of the internet's trending words in 2023 is green. Sustainability is the social imperative of our time: we are all called to be more mindful about issues such as reducing consumption, decreasing waste, and paying attention to recycling. The fashion sector is called upon to do its part, especially since it currently ranks second among the most polluting commercial sectors. For this reason, in recent years, fashion houses have been keen to change the perception that the fashion industry cannot be compatible with sustainability. The common idea is that a world driven by often seasonal products encourages more consumption and therefore more waste; in reality, the real difference is made by user behavior and production methods. In short, no one will force us to give up shopping or follow the advice coming from the catwalks; we are simply called to buy less but better, focusing on quality products that may be a little more expensive, and then saving by avoiding impulse purchases. There is a need to simplify, to have fewer objects in our homes – clothes included, in fact –, and to move towards a minimalist style, abandoning the concept of accumulation under the guise of “you never know when it might be useful one day.” For their part, companies are doing their part by developing new packaging methods that reduce waste and have less of an impact on the environment. Let's therefore look at the trends of 2023, not only in terms of style and colors, but also in terms of sustainability.

Eco-friendly materials

As mentioned, one way to make fashion more environmentally friendly is to intervene at the production level, both in terms of the choice of fabrics and materials and in reducing energy consumption. A dual objective achieved thanks to recycled fibers: this means using fewer new fabrics, reducing production, and recycling those that would otherwise increase the waste pile.

Circular fashion

Is circular fashion another way to talk about the buying and selling of used clothes? Yes and no. Yes, because even large companies, such as the Kering giant that owns Amazon, among others, including Gucci, are opening up to the sale of second-hand clothes. No, because we must forget the idea of market stalls with clothes sold in bulk at bargain prices. In this case, we are talking about luxury second-hand, clothes and accessories from major brands returning to the market. These are clothes worn even just once for a unique and unrepeatable event; at that point, you have to choose whether to leave them in the closet for years – or decades – or sadly toss them into the waste pile. The third option is resale, thus keeping high-quality clothes alive, and therefore designed to last, even if you certainly cannot wear them every day.

Genderless fashion

Designers have brought fluid-style flowing clothes to the catwalks, capable of adapting to a world that is slowly softening the boundaries and differences between people. And it is precisely genderless fashion that can help sustainability. Clothes that can be worn by both men and women, or by anyone who does not want to fit into these categories but creates new ones, allow us to produce less, transport less, and take up less space in stores, with an overall saving of energy sources and materials. And it is also an advantage at home: the same jacket can go from him to her, thus renewing the wardrobe without tapping into the market.

Focusing on technology

Always in terms of eco-friendly production, help comes precisely from technology. Automating some processes means producing in faster times, and therefore with lower energy consumption. But it also means improving some production stages that today only have a polluting impact, but are also unethical towards workers. Today, consumers are very attentive to the impact a brand has on society; they want to know the production chain of a fabric or garment, and they would be willing to stop buying from a brand that does not behave ethically. Improving working conditions therefore not only helps the workers themselves and the environment, but enhances the company's brand identity with a medium-term economic return.