The Goodnewspaper The Fashion Edition

In the same way that art, music, books, technology, sports, and any other manifestation of culture and creativity can be a vehicle to make the world a better place, fashion is an extension of our selves and our values. Fashion — whether you opt for comfort, style, or a little bit of both — speaks on our behalf and gives us yet another opportunity to identify ourselves to the outside world. There are graphic tees and logos that catch our attention, sure, but even smaller details and accessories have been connected to the social movements of our time. A sea of pink knitted hats at the 2017 Women’s March. The hand-sewn and accessorized cloth masks of the early pandemic days. An “I dissent” enamel pin reminiscent of Supreme Court Justice…

Fur, once considered “soft gold” at the turn of the 19th century, has lost its shine in the last decade — largely thanks to animal welfare activists. According to Humane World for Animals, formerly known as the Humane Society, the number of animals farmed and killed for fur production plummeted from 140 million in 2014 to just 20.5 million in 2024. Tracking the use of animals — including minks, foxes, chinchillas, and the raccoon dogs of East Asia — the data revealed dramatic drops in fur production across China, Russia, North America, and the European Union, all traditionally leaders in the industry. According to PJ Smith, the director of fashion policy at Humane World For Animals, the downward trend reflects a larger history of anti-fur activism that began in the…

Over 300 million people worldwide can’t afford shoes — and yet, over 300 million shoes are thrown away each year in the United States alone. Over 30 to 40 years, those shoes slowly leach dyes and adhesives into soil and groundwater as they sit in overcrowded landfills. “Most people throw away their athletic shoes and sneakers after 8-12 months of wear without ever considering recycling them,” Sneakers4Good, a global recycling program, wrote in a mission statement. “Since sneakers are not biodegradable, this can have drastic consequences for the environment.” Looking to meet a need — and counter environmental waste at the same time — Sneakers4Good began a national program to recycle gently used shoes to people in need. “Our Sneakers4Good program was built for the running community with sustainability in…

For years, neighbors Mauren Castro and Marta Sosa stayed home to care for their children as their husbands fished for the household in Costa de Pajaros, a small village in Costa Rica. Then, in 2022, they took on new roles and joined Piel Marina, a cooperative of women who turn fish skins into sustainable fashion. At first, Castro was skeptical. “We said, ‘How can a skin, which is something that gets smelly, which is waste, be the raw material for women to be able to get ahead?’” Castro told Agence France-Presse. But after three years at Piel Marina, Castro knows just how far fish skin can go when it’s not destined for the dumpster. Sporting rubber gloves, she and Sosa led a demonstration, gently rubbing the scales and flesh off…

GOOD Donate unwanted clothes to a wide net of charities in your community through the Give Back Box. Pick a donation route and request a free shipping label online. givebackbox.shop BETTER Send your gently used sneakers to Sneakers4Good to give them a second life in your community — and around the globe. Request a “Sneaker Recycling Kit” and free shipping label online. sneakers4good.com/start BEST Host a clothing swap. Invite friends and family to bring five to 10 clothing items that they no longer wear and swap them among one another. Guests will leave with new pieces and a more intentional closet. clothingswap.com…

Billie Eilish is well aware of the toll that the music industry has on the environment. For years, the Grammy Award-winning musician and her mother, Maggie Baird, have found innovative ways to reduce the carbon footprint that inevitably comes with world tours and best-selling albums, from creating vinyls out of recycled plastics to performing on solar-powered stages. In July, Eilish and Baird turned their attention to another facet of waste in the music industry: unsold concert merch. Together with Universal Music Group’s merchandise arm, Bravado, they spearheaded an initiative to take a decade’s worth of “deadstock” — roughly 400,000 T-shirts — and transform them into something new. In an interview with Fast Company, Bravado president Matt Young said that, until recently, the merch had gone “forgotten,” gathering dust in a…