Sustainable fashion is amazing advocacy, but it comes with a challenge: finding and qualifying pretty products that could fit the responsible fashion category.
Going the more responsible route means finding sustainable accessories above other options that get a rap for looking basic, or lacking in durability.
Now enters a trendy fashion accessory that fights its case as sustainable: woven products.
In this blog, we’re going to talk about why woven is sustainable, and why 100% handmade banig and straw products are a great pick for anyone who advocates for responsible fashion.
What Makes Fashion Products Sustainable?
Are woven bags sustainable options? To answer that, let’s dive into the criteria of what makes fashion products sustainable.
#1 Environmental Impact
To check if a product is sustainable or not, it helps to ask this question: what’s the long-term impact that comes with making this product?
A sustainable fashion piece is one that doesn’t contribute to increased factory hours, and the piling fast-fashion carbon footprint.
Responsible fashion products use renewable resources in their production, are energy efficient, are made from recycled or biodegradable materials, and have a long lifespan.
#2 Social Impact
One of the best ways to see if a product fits the sustainable fashion category is to check how it impacts the people involved in its creation.
Sustainable products should be produced in a way that is fair and equitable for workers and does not use child labor or other unethical practices.
#3 Economic Viability
The number one question to ask when checking for a product’s sustainability, the number one question is this: can this product make long enough sales to support those involved in its creation?
Sustainable products should also be profitable in the long run.
#4 Longevity
What better way to promote sustainability than a product that you can use for years? Sustainable accessories need to be in for the long run.
This longevity is achieved when fashion products and accessories is spoting a classic style, use durable, high-quality materials, and pay close attention to the design of the product to ensure that it is built to withstand normal wear and tear.
A Caveat on Woven and Sustainability
Are all woven accessories sustainable? The answer is not always a yes. Woven fashion products only qualify as sustainable when they are made with natural, recyclable, organic raw materials, and with processes that don’t hurt the environment of the artisans involved in the creation.
Some woven products made with synthetic materials and poor working processes don’t qualify as sustainable.
Ten Reasons Why Woven Fashion Accessories is Sustainable
#1 100% Handmade Woven Accessories Use Natural, Organic Materials
Handmade woven fashion bags and accessories commonly use traditional natural materials such as dried straw, pandan leaves, and rattan. These leaves are dried up in a traditional manner to create sturdy woven accessories and bags.
#2 Handmade Fashion Accessories Are Created Without Harm to People or the Environment
Woven bags and accessories – especially created by local artists and not mass-produced – use an intricate technique that involves little to no machine use. Even the dyes are made from natural ingredients.
#3 Because They Are Made by Hand, Woven Accessories Come Off as More Durable, Enabling Them to Last Longer
Unlike machine-made, mass-produced accessories that do not go through meticulous quality checks, handmade woven bags and accessories are a win in sustainability as their weaving usually is done with expert hands. This unique weaving enables banig fashion accessories to last for a long time.
#4 Buying Handmade Woven Accessories Helps You Support a Community of Artisans
When buying a woven bag, you also extend help to those dedicated local artists who put their tradition, art, and heart to a beautiful woven piece. Most artisans – especially the ones in countries known for their woven products like the Philippines – thrive in their communities by selling woven.
Woven is sustainable because it also enriches and upgrades the lives of those that make them.
#5 Woven Bags Usually Come with Classic Designs That You Can Mix and Match for Years
Handmade woven bags have now become a year-round staple and not just for summer. Should you keep them in their closet for a while, you can still be assured that you can use them without worrying that you’re going to have a fashion mishap.
#6 You can Recycle Woven Accessories
Since handmade, all-natural woven bags are made from natural fibers such as straw or rattan, they can be composted after their useful life.
Go The Sustainable Fashion Route with Haraya
If you’re unsure how to start embracing more responsible fashion accessories, you can start with handmade, natural woven bags.
Our team from Haraya is dedicated to helping advocates of sustainable fashion find a fashion piece that’s both beautiful and sustainable.
Find your best pick here.
