Consumers, especially the millennial, have become increasingly demanding when it comes to clothing. This has enabled brands with distinct selling points to distinguish themselves. Today, eco-conscious denim is becoming one of the more noteworthy trends in fashion.

Reformation, The Los Angeles-based brand, noted that while jeans may be one of the most popular garments in the world, denim is the worst polluting type of clothing. Besides the use of insecticides to treat cotton, which is generally indigo-dyed, such dyes frequently result in runoff that pollutes nearby bodies of water. An example, is the Pearl River in Xintang, China. The average pair of jeans requires the use of 2,000 gallons of water.

Reformation introduced a collection of “super sustainable” denim this Fall. Ref Jeans, as the collection has been branded, is made of denim that saves 1,468 gallons of water per pair on average and uses 100 per cent recycled materials. The brand discloses, they use about 50 per cent dead stock denim and 50 per cent new fabrics that are made of 60 per cent or more of Lenzing Tencel and Model. These fibres are made from sustainably harvested tree pulp that require a fraction of the water, pesticides, and resources as cotton”

Reformation’s nearly 1 million Instagram followers and the fashion press responded enthusiastically to the brand’s latest offerings. RE/DONE another success story, takes vintage Levi’s jeans and recreates new – and inherently limited amounts – of jeans, using water conserving methods and no harsh chemicals. Everlane launched its eco-friendly denim line in September retailing at $68 a pair, they are made from 2 per cent stretch Japanese denim at Saitex factory in Vietnam. The brand owner says, all of the stuff that washes out of denim, people can dump into the water supply, based on different standards within different countries….”