In the last decade, sustainable fashion has gone from a niche idea to a global conversation. As shoppers demand eco-friendly clothing and lower-impact materials, brands have responded with a flurry of green claims, but not all of them are as clear as they sound. Words like sustainable, compostable, biodegradable, and recyclable show up on clothing tags, product descriptions, and lookbooks. They feel reassuring, but without context, they can be more confusing than helpful.
This guide breaks down what these buzzwords actually mean in the fashion world, how to tell if a brand is using them honestly, and how to make choices that truly benefit the planet.
The push for environmental language in fashion grew in the late 20th century as awareness of fast fashion waste, pollution, and labor issues increased. In the 1980s and 1990s, brands began experimenting with “eco” labeling, but without much regulation.
By the early 2000s, consumer demand for ethical fashion and transparency pushed governments, NGOs, and textile industry groups to set guidelines for environmental marketing. Today, there are more certifications and standards than ever, but there’s still no universal law that defines every sustainability term in fashion. This leaves room for both genuine progress and greenwashing.
Let’s unpack them one by one so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Definition:
A product or process that minimizes environmental harm and supports long-term ecological balance. In fashion, this can apply to materials, manufacturing, transportation, and end-of-life disposal.
What to know:
How to spot the real thing:
Definition:
In fashion, compostable refers to clothing, shoes, or accessories made from natural materials that can break down into non-toxic components in a composting environment, leaving no harmful residues behind.
Types of compostable fashion products:
What to watch out for:
Tip: Always check product details for a complete material list and remove synthetic elements before composting whenever possible.
Definition:
A garment that will naturally break down into non-toxic materials over time.
Key points in fashion:
Better indicators:
Definition:
A material or garment that can be collected, processed, and transformed into a new product.
What affects fashion recyclability:
Signs of real recycling potential:
Now that we’ve unpacked what each term really means, it’s important to notice how brands apply them in practice. This is where greenwashing often sneaks in, when claims sound eco-friendly but don’t hold up under closer look.
Spotting Greenwashing in Fashion
Once you start recognizing the red flags of greenwashing, the next step is knowing how to respond as a shopper. Slow fashion isn’t about perfection, it’s about asking better questions and making mindful choices that add up over time.
Here’s how to put that awareness into action:
Slow fashion is about more than labels - it’s about learning as we go, asking better questions, and choosing pieces that last. If you’ve ever felt lost in the buzzwords, you’re not alone. But now you’ve got the tools to read between the lines and shop with clarity, not confusion. Together, we can hold brands accountable and build closets that feel as good as they look.
As a single-member business founded in 2024, Made by Good Karma is committed to thoughtful, small-scale production that honors both people and the planet. Our pieces are made with azo-free dyes and handwoven cotton sourced from Jaipur, India, as well as natural cotton and naturally dyed gauze from Chiangmai, Thailand. We use cotton stitching and wooden buttons to avoid plastic wherever possible, and we release only a couple dozen styles per year in limited quantities—keeping overproduction out of the landfill. While we are not yet B Corp certified, achieving that recognition is one of our future goals. By making clothing in small batches with natural fibers and responsible processes, we aim to create garments that feel good, last long, and leave a lighter footprint.
