Gen Z Wants Sustainable Apparel and ComfortWash is Bringing It to Them
arment-dyed apparel is hot in fashion right now, but not as hot as sustainability is becoming. Awareness of the fashion industry’s effect on our environment and human rights is at an all-time high, and no one is more conscious of this than today’s college students. How seriously are they taking it?
Forever 21 failed to address the growing concerns of its main audience in Gen Z, and is now filing for bankruptcy. College campuses like the University of Massachusetts, are dedicating whole sections of their stores, specifically to highlight sustainable spiritwear. Fashion schools are starting to implement courses that educate students on the impact of the industry’s practices, and some institutions may even go as far as making understanding these concerns a requirement that affects your overall grade. All of this is signaling that a shift is happening in the expectations of young consumers throughout the world.
As the new shopping generation’s demands for a renewed sense of corporate responsibility becomes louder and louder, brands and organizations nationwide are taking notice and taking action. So the question is, what does this mean for your business?
If you’re a decorator or distributor, knowing the brands that align with the demands of Gen Z is paramount to helping you separate yourself from the competition. Enter ComfortWash™, a sustainably made garment-dyed line by Hanes® that will satisfy not just Gen-Z, but also your need for something that’s easily printable, and leaves you with no worries of dye-migration bleeding ink into your designs.
Hanes® knows how important responsible manufacturing is for the environment and for their employees. That’s exactly why they’ve been working extremely hard for years on reducing energy use, carbon emissions, water usage and increasing the addition of recycled materials in their products. They’ve even gone as far as building wastewater-treatment plants on the site of their manufacturing operations. As an added bonus, the entire ComfortWash™ line is sourced from U.S. Cotton.
But don’t take our word for it. In an effort to connect with today’s generation of shoppers, Hanes invited 3 students, from the College of Textiles at NC State, to take a tour showcasing their sustainability efforts within the ENTIRE ComfortWash™ manufacturing process. See some of their journey from the cotton farms in Garysburg, NC, all the way to the sewing facility in El Salvador, in the posts below.
Although some clients might not ask for sustainably made apparel, educating them on this shift and offering them these options will make you look knowledgeable, make them look good, and keep them coming to you in the long-term. You’ll also become their go-to, whenever they have sustainable needs in the future. Customers want to do business with people who feel more like a partner, and keeping them informed, will assure them that they can trust you to provide them the best options possible for all of their needs. And, you can be sure that the need for sustainable apparel, made by responsible brands, will keep growing more and more every day.
