30 Sustainable Fashion Quotes Inspiring Better Choices

Excessive consumerism in clothing often feels like keeping up with the Joneses—always wanting more. Amidst the frenzy of sales and fleeting trends, let's look at sustainable fashion quotes. 

The voices of designers, founders, and activists light a fire under the movement. Let their words open your eyes. From aspects of ethical fashion to helpful tips to change shopping habits, this post has it all.

Table of Contents:

Best Sustainable Fashion Quotes We Should Always Remember

We've always known that quality always trumps quantity. In choosing clothes, this statement means more.

Aside from looking at craftsmanship, we should also scrutinize the state of the people involved in giving us clothes. Additionally, the fabric and manufacturing process must have minimal impact on the environment.

Here are top quotes reminding us why we should support the sustainable fashion industry.

Demand quality, not just in the products you buy, but in the life of the person who made it.
- Orsola de Castro, Co-founder of Fashion Revolution.

Fashion can be incredibly wasteful and damaging to the environment, but it doesn’t have to be. We can all make a difference by choosing to support companies that are committed to sustainable practices.
- Stella McCartney, British fashion designer.

Cheap fashion is really far from that, it may be cheap in terms of the financial cost, but very expensive when it comes to the environment and the cost of human life.
- Sass Brown, Author of ReFashioned and ECO Fashion.

The clothes we wear say something about who we are. Let’s make sure they’re saying the right thing.
- Colin Firth

There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness.
- Mahatma Gandhi

Ethical Fashion Quotes About The People Behind The Clothes

Fast fashion is everywhere. They may be the cheapest option. But let's remember that someone else is paying. Some companies don't pay fair wages and allow poor working conditions. The exploitation of labor reminds us how companies prioritize profit. 

We often only see the affordability of a garment through marketing and discounts. So, if we want to be better shoppers, we must expand our view behind the scenes. Here are some quotes to keep in mind the next time you buy clothes.

Ethical fashion is the recognition that there are human beings behind the clothes that we wear.
- Elizabeth Joy

Sustainability is about being responsible for the impact of our actions on the environment, on society, and on future generations.
- Christina Dean

When an industry doesn’t care about how people are treated, no consideration of sustainability is possible. You can’t just care about the environment and forget about the fair and ethical treatment of people.
- Simone Cipriani

Cheap consumer products are sold to us as some grand achievement of globalisation, but they’ve come at the price of middle-class jobs, craftsmanship and stable communities.
- Elizabeth L Cline

What is ethical fashion? It’s a confusing term. Sometimes it’s easier to define by what it isn’t – and unfortunately that is most of what can be found on the high street. Unethical fashion means very very little transparency, accountability and knowledge of the supply chain. It means demands of very quick lead times and production turnaround. It means producers played off against each other. It means a wage that doesn’t even afford the worker an adequate salary for two meals a day.

-Safia Minney, Former CEO of People Tree and a fair trade fashion pioneer

Eye-Opening Perspectives On Fast Fashion

Nowadays, it is easier to look for fast fashion brands. Some high-end brands even deceivingly hide their poor quality and practices. Skip the research. Embody the message the following quotes convey by browsing our list of sustainable clothing brands.

Fast fashion is asking you to forget about other humans in favour of low prices.
- Amanda Lee McCarty

Fast fashion is like fast food. After the sugar rush, it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
- Livia Firth, Founder and Creative Director of Eco-Age.

Fast fashion isn't free. Someone, somewhere, is paying.
- Lucy Siegle

We, the lucky few, who are purchasing rather than making the garments, are beneficiaries of a fashion system of injustice.
- Jennifer Ewah

When you buy into fast fashion, no matter how many times you wash your clothes they will never be truly clean. They’re stained by the sweat of those who made them, and the footprint it leaves on this planet.

-Laura François

Insights On Practicing Slow Fashion As A Society

Real change happens when we join forces. Practice thrifting, donate clothes, and learn about fashion certifications. It's okay if it isn't instant, perfect, or consistent. 

When we put the word out and start modeling it, the majority of consumer demands will soon shift the whole industry to a better path.

If we're going to build a sustainable fashion movement, we need to invite as many people as possible along for the ride.
- Clare Press

There is no doubt in my mind that to slow down the pace of the fashion industry, we will all have to redefine our relationships with our clothing and focus on what style really means to us, instead of what fashion tells us is trending.
- Stella Hertantyo

Clothes could have more meaning and longevity if we think less about owning the latest or cheapest thing and develop more of a relationship with the things we wear.
- Elizabeth L. Cline

What if we started by slowing down and not consuming so much stuff, just because it’s there and cheap and available. It’s amazing how that process makes sense financially, it makes sense ethically, it makes sense environmentally.

-Andrew Morgan

Slow fashion is also about returning to a personal relationship with fashion. One where trends and seasons don’t matter, but where your ethics and aesthetics seamlessly unite, and you can escape the stress of constant consumption, focusing on the style that truly appeals to you.

-Emilia Wik

Messages On Being Careful Of Our Fashion Choices

Support sustainable fashion brands on your next purchase. If it is out of budget, practice thrifting and upcycling clothes. If you're attending a grand event, you can also check out local online clothing rentals. 

We have lots of choices! We only need to be more conscious about what to pick.

As consumers, we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy.
- Emma Watson

As the sustainable fashion movement is growing, so do our options to choose from.
- Csilla Herbszt

Realize the political power of your money and spend it with the brands you know are treating their workers and the environment in the best possible way.
- Lily Cole

Becoming more mindful about clothing means looking at every fibre, at every seed and every dye and seeing how to make it better. We don’t want sustainability to be our edge, we want it to be universal.

-Eileen Fisher

Short Sustainable Fashion Captions To Post Online

Spread the word on mindful consumption of clothes using the succinct messages below. Don't forget to share tips on how you walked in your slow fashion journey.

No one wants to wear clothes that were made from someone's blood
- Amber Valetta