Photo: William Lords
When buying a new item of clothing, how often do you check the clothing label to see what it’s made out of? Do you know that your wool-blend sweater may contain polyamide (most likely nylon)? Or that your satin or mesh dress is actually made from polyester – another fossil-fuel derived synthetic?
That’s why The Woolmark Company has launched its new Filter by Fabric campaign, which calls for retailers to use accurate material descriptions for their garments, as well as allowing customers to filter their searches accordingly online, to help them make more conscious purchases. “Everyone’s trying to develop their own version of what sustainability means,” John Roberts, Woolmark’s CEO, tells Vogue. “And the first step in doing that is actually understanding exactly what’s in your garments.”
The use of the term “fleece” – often made from polyester – is one example of confusing labelling, says Woolmark, which represents merino wool producers across Australia. “Fleece by nature is a product that comes from sheep or an alpaca,” Roberts continues. “A synthetic garment using the term fleecy is a bit misleading, intentionally or unintentionally.” Another example is the word “silky”, which again is frequently applied to clothes made from polyester.
According to a Woolmark survey, 60 per cent of people say they would find it easier to make more sustainable purchases if they were able to filter by material, or if brands included the fabric in the product name. The Filter by Fabric campaign says it could help shoppers move away from synthetic materials and opt for natural fibres instead, with one of its slogans reading: “Synthetic clothes will outlive our grandchildren. Choosing better fabrics should be easier.”
While there’s no doubt that fashion needs to kick its addiction to synthetics (around two-thirds of our clothes are made from materials like polyester), some experts argue that the move…
