Whether you’re looking for a conscious gift for yourself or anyone you love, giving away a book is always a wise choice. And why don’t seize the opportunity and choose an eye-opening book that teaches you something?
From insights on human slavery and environmental pollution to practical tips for mindfully changing your shopping habits, this ultimate guide on must-read books on sustainable and ethical fashion is made up of some of our all-time favorite titles so that you no longer need to look up and down to find the perfect one for you!
But please, before you buy new books – and we know how addictive the smell of a new book can be – consider more sustainable alternatives: buying second-hand, swapping, and borrowing are evergreens. Let’s make the fashion industry – and the world – more sustainable one book at a time!
1. Slave To Fashion
Author: Safia Minney
Main topic: how fast fashion fuels slavery and exploitation
Slave To Fashion is an edgy book on a mission to raise awareness on modern-day slavery that fast fashion brands are fueling in the developing world. The book is made up of real facts and stories of people, mostly fashion workers – men, women, and even children – enslaved and exploited to make clothes then sold in the developed countries (how dare we keep defining ourselves “developed”?).
But there’s a brighter side, a way out. Indeed, this book also brings in best practices of cutting-edge fashion brands and designers to prove that a slave-free and empowering fashion industry is achievable. Slave To Fashion wants to inspire designers, but also consumers, governments, and business leaders to demand change from the companies that produce our clothes.
Not sure which brands are fast fashion? These are the top brands to boycott: 30+ Fast Fashion Brands To Avoid For A More Sustainable Future
2. Fashionopolis
Author: Dana Thomas
Main topic: the high environmental and human price of fast fashion, and the future of clothes
Let’s start from evidence: the clothing industry churns out 80 billion garments a year and employs every sixth person on Earth. The fashion industry, from time immemorial, has been exploiting labor, the environment, and intellectual property. The price of fast fashion is out of control and we – and I mean people, animals, and the planet – can’t afford it.
Fashionopolis aims to further educate on the impact of the fashion industry by telling the stories of visionary designers and companies who are propelling the industry into a more positive future. By reviewing the latest tech developments – from 3-D printed clothes to clean processed denim to fabric recycling and even lab-grown materials – Fashionopolis shows that producing fashion sustainably and for the better is possible.
Do you want to inspire more people to care about sustainable and ethical fashion? 120 Powerful Conscious Fashion Quotes To Share On Social Media
3. Made On Earth
Author: Wolfgang Korn
Main topic: the globalized journey of what we wear – where it comes from, where it goes, who made it
Made On Earth is the story of a red fleece made in Bangladesh. Yes, you got that right: from the initial order through to shipping, recycling, and eventually landfill, this book explores how one single item can connect so many people’s lives and offers an overview on both environmental and ethical trading concerns.
In a globalized and hectic world, we can’t avoid some tough and not trivial questions: How does a piece of clothing end up in my wardrobe? Where does it come from? How far did it travel? Where does it go? Who made it? Yes, indeed, the journey of a garment is not just a story about how it’s made, but also about who made it. It’s a story about people, their livelihoods, and their life expectations. Read Made On Earth to travel together with your clothes.
4. Loved Clothes Last
Author: Orsola de Castro
Main topic: how to rewear, repair, and love our clothes to make them last
According to the author, Orsola de Castro, repairing and rewearing clothes is a powerful and revolutionary act against the human and environmental exploitation of the fashion industry. It all starts with your wardrobe: thanks to the simple steps illustrated in this book, you’ll straightaway learn to make the clothes you love last longer.
Loved Clothes Last is a collection of a myriad of practical tips to mend, rewear, wash, and breathe new life into your wardrobe to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle. Teaching you to check your shopping habits first and make sustainable purchases then, this book says that buying better, caring more, and reducing your carbon footprint by simply making your loved clothes last longer it’s not a mirage but a reality.
Why is rewearing clothes better for the environment as well as for your budget? We’ll explain everything here: Cost Per Wear: The True Cost Of Your Clothes
5. How To Break Up With Fast Fashion
Author: Lauren Bravo
Main topic: the harmful environmental side of the fast fashion industry and how to change buying habits for the better
How To Break Up With Fast Fashion is meant to be “a guilt-free guide to changing the way you shop – for good”. It’s a starter and easy-to-read book to learn more about how polluting and harmful our current way to shop for clothes is and how we can change that.
Lauren Bravo, the author, defines fast fashion as the ultimate toxic relationship, both for the planet and for us: global clothing production has roughly doubled in just 15 years, and every year an estimated 300,000 tons of used clothing ends up in landfill alone in the UK. These statistics are insane! That’s why this book wants to inspire and practically guide you to repair, recycle, and give old items a new lease of life without sacrificing your style.
Bonus: A Life Less Throwaway
Author: Tara Button
Main topic: how to let go of the superfluous and how to make wise choices going forwards
At The Pretty Planeteer, we firmly believe that sustainability and ethics – which most of the time also go hand-in-hand with minimalism – are a mindset, a way of living our daily life. That’s why we couldn’t help but recommend a book that covers every and each aspect of our consumption habits, not only fashion. A Life Less Throwaway is a book that has it all and starts from an assumption: we’ve lost the art of buying for life.
We keep wanting new and shiny things and we’re harming the environment. That’s why Tara Button, the author, has become an advocate for the ‘mindful curation’ lifestyle. Mindful curation is a way of living in which we carefully choose each object in our lives, making sure we have the best, most classic, most pleasing, and longest-lasting.
No matter if it’s furniture, accessories, or clothes: instead of surrounding ourselves with throwaway stuff, let’s advocate a life that celebrates what lasts and suits us.
From freeing yourself from external manipulations to finding your purpose, core tastes, and style, in this book, you can find 10 well-explained steps to master mindful curation. Tara guarantees that this lifestyle will make you happier, healthier, and more fulfilled spiritually.
Want to stay inspired after reading these books? Here are some of our favorite ethical fashion quotes to live by: 120 Conscious Fashion Quotes To Stop You From Impulse Shopping
Alberta Bernardi
Alberta Bernardi is a Ph.D. in Management, Innovation, and Sustainable Development. She likes to call herself a “sustainability warrior” because she aims to spread knowledge on the environment, ethics, and plastic pollution day after day. Her love of nature and battle against plastic around the world are on Instagram @together_no_plastic
