Let’s Stop Pretending We Care About Sustainability

When did environmental “sustainability” become a thing in menswear?

If I remember correctly, it gained footing right around 2018 or so. I know this because at that time I worked in the marketing department of a large, international, menswear company.

Along with product features and discount offers, we needed to put little blurbs in our marketing communications about how “sustainable” our products and processes were.

We thought customers really cared about the environmental impact of the clothes they were purchasing.

Now it’s 2026 and I don’t really see “sustainability” in too many advertisements anymore. I suppose that’s for the best because being concerned with “sustainability” was all a farce to begin with.

Let me explain…

It’s no secret that the fashion industry is mind-bogglingly wasteful. Buying/Merchandising teams purchase A LOT of clothes for upcoming seasons. Much of those clothes sell, but whatever doesn’t is then discounted heavily. If they still can’t sell it, they sometime donate it or destroy it. When people consider how wasteful the fashion industry is, this is usually what they think about.

But it’s not just the clothes that don’t get sold… even the clothes that DO get sold contribute to overall waste. Think of the factories that produce the clothes, the trucks and ships that transport the clothes, the paper and electricity used to market the clothes, etc.

Participating in the machine of the fashion industry in any way contributes to overall waste and negatively affects the planet.

My point is that the people who squawked about “sustainability” while still buying clothes either didn’t really understand what they were doing, or were massively hypocritical.

But, what about people who advocate shopping at thrift stores or buying vintage? Surely they have more of a right to be on their high-horses about sustainability, right?

Not really.

Is buying your clothes second-hand marginally better for the planet than buying new items? Yes, because ultimately a new item didn’t need to be created. BUT what about the water and chemicals that needed to be used to launder that item before it was placed on that shelf? What about the gas that needed to be burned and released into the atmosphere by the employee driving to work to stock that shelf? Purchasing an item off a Goodwill rack means there is now an empty spot on that shelf that needs to be filled by another item, which means more water/chemicals/gasoline.

You also can’t claim you care about sustainability while doing things like ordering delivery takeout or buying anything off of Amazon.

The only way to do it is if you completely abstain from purchasing things altogether.

That might be hard to hear for some people because most people LIKE buying stuff! They like to think that because they buy vintage or from companies with prominent sustainability messaging that they are “doing their part”.

But they’re not.

And here’s the thing… that’s ok. We live in an interconnected world where it is nearly impossible to not negatively affect the planet in some way or other. It’s not something to feel bad about. But it is something to be real about.

 Again, the only way to REALLY say that you care about sustainability is to not buy anything at all.

Take a look at your wardrobe. You probably have enough stuff to last you for the rest of your life. Ok, maybe you’ll need to replenish your undies and socks at some point, but you definitely don’t need any new suits, sport coats, or jackets, right?

Be honest.

But you’ll probably buy more junk at some point. Which, again, is ok. I’ll probably do the same. Buying stuff is what makes the world go ‘round. Those same people whose cars are belching toxins into the atmosphere need your periodic clothing purchases in order to keep their jobs and feed their children. The continued existence of the human race is inherently antithetical to the concept of sustainability.

Why am I griping about this?

Because as dads, we’re busy. Like, really busy. Also, and I don’t think I am the only one, as a dad I am constantly second-guessing myself and wondering if what I am doing or how I am handling this-or-that is correct. Fatherhood is a never-ending succession of feelings of inadequacy. I don’t need yet another thing on my plate reminding me that I am not doing enough.

That’s why getting tied up in knots over sustainability is just not worth it to me. I have way too much to think/worry about as it is. I don’t really buy much for myself anyway, but when I do, I don’t want to feel bad about it because I purchased from a company that didn’t promote their program of recycling the plastic bottles from their office canteen or whatever.

And while buying anything contributes to overall waste and pollution, it’s not like I am flying a private jet or strip-mining the side of a mountain.

Industry itself is not sustainable. Companies used sustainability messaging to SELL MORE STUFF, which is in direct opposition to the concept of environmental sustainability.

Now, would I be less likely to buy from a company that I knew had egregious environmental practices? Yes. But I wouldn’t lie to myself that patronizing another company instead would be a thousand times better.

So, if you really care about sustainability, you need to stop buying stuff altogether. That has a much wider-reaching impact than just the drop in the bucket of the environment, though. Buying less stuff, as you know, allows you to develop real connections to the items you already have, which makes this whole menswear thing THAT much more fun!

Buying less stuff also demonstrates to your kids that they do not need to chase new, shiny objects in order to be happy. If kids see their dad buying new things all the time, it teaches them that happiness can only come from spending money and that the only satisfaction they can get out of something is when it’s new.

Worrying about the environment is good. But sustainability in menswear is so far down the list of priorities I have as a busy dad. And the reason for that is because the “sustainable” companies aren’t really all that sustainable to begin with.

What I’m trying to tell you is that you have enough on your plate. We all have a finite amount of energy and focus. I vote we stop devoting any more of either to the charade of “sustainability”.