In accordance with the above concepts, the examples proposed are based on an approach focused on services and alternatives to traditional consumption instead of showcasing products that, even though are created with a more conscious purpose, are still produced from scratch, having a bigger impact than a product that already exists. Below is a selection of what we believe to be the best practices to achieve a more responsible consumption:

• Swap shop events - public events where participants take their unused clothes to swap for others in the same conditions. A good example of this, are the events organized by Fashion Revolution
• Vintage for a Cause  that defines itself as a circular economy brand focused on reusing textile waste through upcycling while empowering unemployed women over 50, where the design process starts with the selection of rescued deadstock fabrics.
• Béhen, that embraces local Portuguese craftsmanship

For further options, check Good on You, an online directory that rates fashion brands based Planet, People and Animals sustainability.

There are more and more emerging brands already reflecting on these problems within the clothing industry. However, it must be taken into account that it is not possible to catalog any fashion brand as an example due to the lack of transparency of its processes and the social and environmental practices of its businesses. Within this framework, some brands are worth being mentioned as they have aspects that can be considered good practices:

• One of these is Vinted, an online peer-to-peer marketplace to sell second hand clothes, very popular mostly among young people
• Another one is the Portuguese brand Nae that uses sustainable materials to produce footwear, with no animal exploitation
• Knickey is an organic cotton underwear brand, offering the best-fitting basics for everybody; its factories are certified by Fairtrade International - Small Producers Organizations’, ensuring payment of a living wage in most of its supply chain

For further options check Good on You, an online directory that rates fashion brands based on Planet, People and Animals sustainability.

Consumers and companies should be equally involved in the observation and implementation of good practices.

Consumers can look for sustainable brands that work and present value chains in a transparent way, that is, in which it is communicated where and how raw materials are extracted and how their transformation process is.

They can also find out about brands that respect environmental certifications such as the Fairtrade Foundation (its website, among different kinds of information, also provides campaign materials to alert on the topic) or the Fair Wear Foundation (its website also presents the joint position on the European Union strategy for ensuring human rights on sustainable textiles).

Moreover, companies influence the behavior of their customers through their communication campaigns, as Patagonia did, on Black Friday, with its campaign “Don´t buy this jacket”, encouraging their customers not to buy clothes on that day. This type of campaign not only conveys the brand's commitments and values to the public, but also encourages consumers to behave more sustainably.

The Clean Clothes Campaign is a global network operating in 45 countries that connects industry-wide actors, civic organizations and labor rights unions. It aims to ensure that fundamental workers' rights are respected by educating and mobilising consumers.

As a general rule, it should be considered that, due to the lack of transparency in environmental processes and practices, it is very difficult to classify a fashion brand as a perfect example to be followed. However, and in this framework, some brands deserve to be highlighted for presenting aspects that can be considered as good practices, while others deserve to be highlighted for the contrary action:

• The Ellen MacArthur Foundation developed the project “The Jeans Redesign” in which, with the support of several brands and entities, a manual was compiled demonstrating that it is possible to design and produce fully circular jeans (from the choice of materials, to the design of the piece and possibilities of reuse at the end of the product's use)

• The Italian brand Napapijri manufactures winter clothing and accessories differently from conventional brands. Normally this type of clothing needs different types of materials for insulation and to be waterproof; however, this brand managed to use only one material (a type of polymer) to make the whole piece. The material is durable and easily recyclable, above all because it is not mixed with other materials. The company also encourages its customers to recycle old coats and therefore return them to the brand in exchange for a discount to be used on the brand products.