SUSTAINABLE STYLE:
YOUR SUMMER STAPLES
When it comes to sustainable fashion, you don’t have to compromise on style. With natural fabrics such as cotton and linen made with eco-friendly production practices, we have planet-kind clothing covered
Trousers and shorts
As the weather heats up, we’re on the hunt for trousers and shorts that are light and breathable, a quest that chimes perfectly with sustainably sourced fabrics containing Tencel Lyocell. Smooth and durable, Tencel Lyocell is made from sustainably sourced wood pulp in a closed-loop production process, making it an eco-friendly choice for the conscious shopper. Not only that, but Tencel Lyocell is breathable, gentle on skin and drapes beautifully. The bottom line: it’s a great choice for your bottom half.
Tencel is a trademark of Lenzing AG
Tops and T-shirts
The first thing to look for in eco-friendly clothing is the material. Natural fabrics produced in a sustainable way – such as M&S’s cotton and linen – are a good place to start. Linen is made from flax, one of the oldest continuously cultivated plants in the world. Thanks to northern Europe’s rich soil and frequent rain, producing flax here, as M&S does, creates no waste, whereas in other parts of the world, irrigation and fertilisers are required. We love this update on a classic white linen shirt, featuring utility detailing and a bold, boxy shape.
Summer dresses
Easy, breezy dresses are the name of the game for summer, and this black midi – made from pure cotton – hits the sweet spot perfectly. At M&S, 100% of the cotton for our clothing is sustainably sourced, and we’ve worked with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to support practices that are better for farmers and the planet, such as saving water and cutting down on toxic chemicals. Great dresses that are also guilt-free? Yes, please.
Good jeans
Where would we be without our staple skinnies or oh-so comfortable boyfriend jeans? While denim is a wardrobe essential for any season, it’s not always the most sustainable fabric to produce, but M&S is making great progress in reducing the amount of water and toxic chemicals used in the process. And that’s not all. Using recycled plastic bottles to create our Supersoft jeans is another exciting development. You’d never guess that each luxuriously soft pair contains the equivalent of about 10 plastic bottles.
Words: Sophie Hines
