6 Must-Read Books on Sustainable Fashion

At the beginning of your sustainable fashion journey, you start to uncover a ton of information and issues, like just a lot of stuff you didn’t know before. You might start watching some documentaries, or TED talks to start fueling your thinking, but then you might feel like you need to dive deeper.

That’s when the good ol’ books come in handy. I know they helped me a lot when I first started learning about ethical and sustainable fashion, and the more the movement is growing, the more books are being written and released into the wild. I’m still super curious about what’s going in the world, and I find reading allows me to get a better comprehension of the challenges the fashion industry is facing.

So whether you’re starting on your journey or are a more seasoned ethical fashionista, here are six must-read books on sustainable fashion:

To Die For — Lucy Siegle

In To Die For, Lucy Siegle does a brilliant expose on the fashion industry, examining the environmental and social impacts of the clothes we mindlessly buy and wear. This book opened up my eyes to the behind-the-scenes of the fashion industry, and it truly changed the way I see and think about my wardrobe. Not only does Lucy Siegle passionately explore how fast fashion became viral, but she does so with an incisive discourse.

Cradle to Cradle — Michael Braungart and William McDonough

Braungart and McDonough’ visionary book challenges the traditional “cradle to grave” business model and provides the framework with a circular economy. This book was on my Masters reading list, and I’m sure glad I chose to read it. It changed my perspective on design and waste, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is starting to question our traditional business models and economies.

Slow Fashion: Aesthetics meets Ethics — Safia Minney

Safia Minney is the founder and CEO of ethical and sustainable fashion pioneer brand People Tree. In her book, she explores the alternative to fast fashion, slow fashion, by focusing on amazing projects and people from all around the globe. This book helped me get a better understanding of what’s already happening around the world in the ethical and eco-friendly movement.

Let My People Go Surfing — Yvon Chouinard

In his memoir, Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, another ethical fashion pioneer, shares his story and how he built one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth. This book is inspiring and gives you a better idea of what a more conscious business looks like.

Slave to Fashion — Safia Minney

Another great book by Safia Minney! ‘Slave to Fashion’ raises awareness of modern slavery in the fashion industry, highlighting the dark reality of millions of garments workers. However, Minney also provides tools and best practices for companies and consumers, giving us hope that modern slavery can be eradicated if we all work together.

Fixing Fashion — Michael Lavergne

Michael Lavergne, an ethical supply chain professional, explores the aftermath of the collapse of the Rana Plaza and how consumers have become more aware of the negative environmental and social impacts of cheap and disposable clothing. A bit similar to ‘To Die For’, ‘Fixing Fashion’ challenged me to take full responsibility for understanding the hidden cost of my clothes.

Have you read one or more of the books on this list? Are there any other books that you read and particularly liked? Let me know in the comments below!