EcoStyle: “Go Green, Wear Blue” with H&M’s New Conscious Denim Collection

Finding eco-conscious fashion at most retail stores in my town is like finding a needle in a haystack.

And it’s no easy feat in other cities either!

Corporate social responsibility, fair working practices and the inclusion of some eco-conscious clothing

among their offerings is important to me when I decide where I am going to spend my green dollars.

That’s why I have always enjoyed shopping at H&M.

I know that I can usually find an organic cotton shirt or an eco-friendly garment at most H&M stores,

when I need one.

It’s one company that has made a commitment to sustainability and conscious fashion–and they

have been increasing their commitment for more than a dozen years.

For example, this past April, H&M published its twelfth Conscious Actions Sustainability Report

for 2013.

The report contains a wide range of achievements covering every stage of H&M´s product life cycle,

from design to how the customers take care of their garments.

Some of the highlights during 2013 were the launch of H&M´s road map for fair living wages, the first

closed loop collection made with recycled material from collected garments and a doubling of the share

of more sustainable cotton in the last two years.

“We take a long-term view on our business, and investing

in our sustainability means investing in our future.

This gives us the opportunity to contribute to the development

of communities around the world, and better lives for millions of people.”

 Karl-Johan Persson, CEO, H&M

Introducing Conscious Denim

In keeping with their commitment to sustainability and conscious fashion, on October 2,

H&M will introduce Conscious Denim, a collection with clean styling and contemporary fits,

that not only uses more sustainable materials, but also more conscious processes.

In a first for H&M, the washes used on its denim have been graded to assess their environmental

impact, including energy and water use.

The collection includes pieces for women, men and children, and will be available worldwide in

around 1,000 stores for women and 700 stores for men, as well as online.

“We’re so excited about Conscious Denim at H&M.

We’ve worked hard to reduce the environmental impact from 

the washing processes alongside using materials that are more sustainable.

 The collection is full of great pieces, and proves how sustainability can

equal great style.”

 Helena Helmersson, Head of Sustainability, H&M

The result is a full collection with modern cuts in deep indigo tones.

Women

For women, Conscious Denim has the essential styles of the season, from low-waisted or

high-waisted skinny jeans to boyfriend cut and tapered ankle.

Alongside these denim essentials, there are also pieces made from conscious materials that

wear just like denim, to create the full look.

Jogger jeans in knitted indigo have the softness of sweatpants, while an indigo boilersuit in

Tencel has a sharp, slim fit.

Men

For men, classic 5 pocket styles in raw denim are joined by jeans in different cuts and washes.

As well as a deep indigo denim jacket, there’s a twill workers jacket while an indigo wool coat is

the perfect outer layer for the season.

Meanwhile for kids there are different styles, including jeans and dungarees, all in conscious

materials.

When creating Conscious Denim, H&M used criteria from Spanish denim consultants Jeanologia

to test its denim washing processes, including water consumption and energy consumption.

To meet the Conscious Denim standards at H&M, the materials have to be more sustainable, and

the washes have to achieve the highest status according to Jeanologia’s criteria.

“H&M again sets the bar in sustainability reporting.

It’s commitment to sustainability and the transparency

on targets and achievements serve as an inspiration for
other brands in this sector.

Considering the fact that H&M sources from 1,900 factories reaching

1,6 million people, the potential for change is immense.”

Janet Mensink, International Programme Coordinator

Cotton & Textiles for Solidaridad Network

Each garment in the Conscious Denim range will feature the Clever Care label, with details on

sustainable wear and care, while in store hang tags will describe the conscious qualities of each piece.

It’s all part of H&M’s long term commitment to more sustainable fashion, details of which can be

found at hm.com/conscious

For more information about Jeanologia please visit jeanologia.com

What do you think about the Conscious Denim Collection?

Which pieces are your favorites?

What are your favorite places to find eco-friendly clothing?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.