Sustainable Fashion provides a unique and accessible overview of fashion ethics and sustainability issues of the past, present and future. This book is the first to situate today's eco-fashion movement in its multifaceted historical context, investigating the relationship between fashion and the environment as far back as the early nineteenth century. Employing an expanded definition of sustainability that also considers ethical issues, Farley Gordon and Hill explore each stage of the fashion production cycle, from the cultivation of raw fibers to the shipment of the finished garment. Structured thematically, each of the six chapters is dedicated to the discussion of one major issue, from recycling and repurposing to labor practices and the treatment of animals. Including interviews with eco-fashion designers, Sustainable Fashion will appeal to students and scholars of fashion, as well as students of design, history and cultural studies.

Contents IntroductionChapter One: Repurposed and Recycled Clothing and Textiles - Colleen Hill Secondhand Clothing: A Brief History Repurposed Clothing Eighteenth-Century Materials Nineteenth-Century Materials Twentieth-Century Materials Recycled Textiles ConclusionAt a Glance: Vintage ClothingAt a Glance: Make Do and MendChapter Two: Quality of Craftsmanship - Colleen Hill The Eighteenth Century Technological Advancements The Nineteenth Century The Jacquard Loom Dressmaking Techniques The Sewing Machine The Twentieth Century World War II and the Golden Age of Couture The 1960s and 'Disposable' Fashion Contemporary Fashion ConclusionAt a Glance: Fast FashionChapter Three: Material Origins - Colleen Hill Natural Fibers Cotton Wool Hemp Manmade Fibers Rayon Bamboo Lyocell Synthetic Fibers Nylon Polyester Conclusion At a Glance: 'Futuristic' Materials of the PastChapter Four: Textile Dyeing - Jennifer Farley Gordon Introduction Synthetic Dyes Poisoning People Poisoning the Environment Past Meets Present in the Search for Solutions ConclusionAt a Glance: Lowering the Impact of Dyeing Processes At a Glance: Indigo At a Glance: GreenpeaceChapter Five: Labor Practices - Jennifer Farley Gordon Introduction Textile Mills Garment Factories Unionization History Repeating: The Resurgence of Sweatshops, Subcontracting, and the ' Runaway Shop' Awareness and Action: Combating Poor Labor Practices Conclusion At a Glance: Madeleine Vionnet, Elizabeth Hawes, and Max Meyer: Historical Perspectives on Labor Practices At a Glance: Labels: Advocacy and AwarenessChapter Six: Treatment of Animals - Jennifer Farley Gordon Introduction Nineteenth-century Feather Debate Fur in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries Fur Trapping Fur Farming Rise of the Anti-Fur Movement Sustainable Alternatives ConclusionAt a Glance: Tortoiseshell, Ivory, and Reptile SkinsAt a Glance: Faux FursConclusionGlossary