As the global climate crisis intensifies and environmental awareness grows, the fashion and sportswear industry is undergoing a critical transformation. At the forefront of this revolution is circular fashion, a concept that aims to minimise waste and extend the lifecycle of clothing. But what exactly is circular fashion, and how can we create truly sustainable clothes?
In this blog post, we’ll explore the principles of circular fashion, how it’s changing the future of the apparel industry, and actionable steps you can take to design or buy clothing that supports a more sustainable world.
What is Circular Fashion?
Circular fashion refers to a regenerative process in which all clothing is designed, produced, worn, and disposed of in a way that is sustainable and restorative by design. Unlike the traditional linear fashion model (take-make-waste), circular fashion emphasises longevity, reuse, recycling, and responsible production.
Circular fashion aims to:
- Design out waste and pollution
- Keep products and materials in use longer
- Regenerate natural systems
The goal is to close the loop of fashion by ensuring garments are made from safe, sustainable materials, used responsibly, and either reused, recycled, or biodegraded at the end of their life.
Why Circular Fashion Matters
The fashion and sportswear industry is the second-largest consumer of water and accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions. Every year, over 92 million tonnes of textile waste ends up in landfills globally. This unsustainable model of consumption contributes to global pollution, climate change, and exploitation of natural and human resources.
Circular fashion provides a roadmap to reverse this damage. By embracing sustainable practices, we can:
- Reduce environmental impact
- Limit textile waste
- Promote ethical labour practices
- Preserve natural resources
- Create new economic opportunities
Principles of Circular Fashion
Circular fashion is guided by core principles rooted in sustainable fashion design and life cycle thinking. These include:
1. Design for Longevity
Create garments meant to last — both physically and aesthetically. This includes:
- Using durable, higher-quality materials
- Choosing timeless styles over trendy ones
- Reinforcing seams and finishes
2. Use Sustainable Materials
Select eco-friendly, biodegradable, or recycled textiles like:
- Organic cotton
- Hemp
- Tencel (Lyocell)
- Recycled polyester
- Piñatex (pineapple leather)
Using certified fabrics (e.g., GOTS, OEKO-TEX) ensures they are produced with lower environmental impact.
Explore certified sustainable fabrics at Textile Exchange.
3. Optimise Sustainable Production
Implement low-impact manufacturing processes, such as:
- Reducing water usage
- Eliminating toxic dyes
- Using renewable energy
- Minimising offcuts and waste
4. Enable Recycling and Disassembly
Design with end-of-life in mind. This means:
- Avoiding mixed fibre blends that are hard to recycle when blended together
- Using biodegradable buttons, zippers, and trims
- Constructing garments that can be easily disassembled
5. Promote Reuse and Repair
Encourage consumers to repair, resell, or donate their garments. Brands can offer:
- Repair kits or services
- Resale platforms
- Take-back programs
- Repair service in stores
See how Patagonia’s Worn Wear promotes circularity through repair and resale here.
How to Create Sustainable Clothes
Whether you’re a fashion or sportswear designer, entrepreneur, brand, creating sustainable clothes requires intentionality. Here’s how to approach it:
1. Start with Eco-Conscious Design
Design with purpose. Before sketching, ask:
- What is the garment’s purpose and lifespan?
- Can it be repaired easily?
- Is it seasonless and versatile?
- What happens to it at the end of its life?
- Is it long lasting?
- Is it timeless?
This is called circular design thinking.
2. Source Ethically and Sustainably
Choose suppliers with transparent, ethical, and sustainable practices. Tools like:
…can help you find certified suppliers and materials.
3. Reduce Waste Through Smart Patterning
Use zero-waste pattern cutting, digital sampling, or modular design to minimise fabric waste.
Popular techniques include:
- Tetris-style layouts
- Draping to use entire fabric widths
- Digital 3D fashion software like CLO or Browzwear
Look to use surplus fabrics by producing accessories or trims on future production orders.
4. Adopt Circular Business Models
Fashion brands can build circularity into their business models by offering:
- Rental services (e.g., Rent the Runway)
- Resale platforms (e.g., ThredUp)
- Subscription fashion
- Take-back or recycling schemes
5. Empower the Consumer
Educate buyers on sustainable garment care:
- Wash less and with cold water
- Educate them about the power of antimicrobial fibres that can be worn for weeks without washing
- Line dry instead of tumble drying
- Mend instead of replacing
- Recycle or donate when done
For tips on sustainable clothing care, check out The Good Trade’s guide.
Examples of Circular Fashion Brands
These trailblazing fashion and sportswear brands have embraced circularity:
Their Renew and Waste No More programs recycle or repurpose returned garments into new products.
A leader in sustainable fashion, Stella McCartney uses circular materials like mushroom leather and supports regenerative agriculture.
This zero-waste brand offers a “Swap” model — send back old clothes to be recycled and earn credits toward new ones.
Sustainable cyclewear using eco fabrics and manufacturing that biodegrade after use.
Discover more circular fashion leaders via Fashion Revolution.
How You Can Support Circular Fashion
Even if you’re not a designer or brand owner, your everyday choices as a consumer really matter:
1. Buy Less, Choose Well
Support slow fashion. Invest in fewer, better-quality pieces. Sure, they cost more but you will love them more because they have purpose and you will love the quality. If you buy less, you can therefore spend more per item.
2. Support Circular Brands
Buy from brands committed to sustainability, transparency, and circular models. Stop wearing cheap, low quality brands that use fibres such as Polyester and Nylon because it’s a cheap fabric.
3. Extend the Life of Your Clothes
- Repair small damages
- Repurpose old items
- Host clothing swaps
- Donate to charities or textile recycling centres
4. Recycle Responsibly
Use local textile recycling programs to dispose of worn-out clothes.
Find a textile recycling centre near you via Earth911.
Challenges of Circular Fashion
Transitioning to a circular fashion economy isn’t easy. Common challenges include:
- Higher production costs
- Lack of recycling infrastructure
- Low consumer awareness
- Supply chain complexity
However, as technology improves and consumer demand grows, these barriers are becoming easier to overcome.
If you own a brand, then this change in products will give your brand added purpose. Sustainability becomes part of your brands DNA.
Circular fashion isn’t just a trend — it’s a necessary transformation in how we create and consume clothing. By embracing circularity, we can combat the environmental impact of the fashion industry while promoting innovation, responsibility, and long-term value.
Whether you’re a designer looking to create sustainable clothes, or a conscious shopper seeking better choices, the principles of circular fashion empower you to be part of the solution.