The colors we choose for our clothing can actually have an environmental impact. As the science project from Education.com explains, darker colors absorb more heat from the sun compared to lighter colors. When we wear fabrics like black cotton t-shirts on a sunny day, the fabric gets hotter faster due to the dark color absorbing more solar radiation.
This extra heat absorption has consequences. For one, it means we often need to wash our clothes more frequently to remove sweat and odors caused by the higher temperatures on our bodies. More frequent washing puts more strain on water supplies and contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions from doing more loads of laundry. It also means the fabrics likely wear out more quickly from the additional thermal stress of getting hotter. This accelerated wear and tear leads to clothes being discarded earlier and ending up in landfills.
Sustainable fashion is changing this scenario by considering color choices and fabric technologies that lessen environmental impacts. Many sustainable brands now offer clothing in lighter, more breathable natural fibers like linen and select colors like white that stay cooler. This allows clothes to be worn more occasions before needing to be washed. It also means fabrics likely maintain their structural integrity for longer before breaking down.
Innovative dyeing and printing methods in sustainable fashion also play a role. Low-impact dyes that don’t contain heavy metals or other toxic chemicals lessen pollution from traditional textile dyeing. Some brands even focus on upholstery-weight cottons that, despite being dark-colored, use phase change dyes engineered to stay remarkably cooler than untreated fabrics.
By selecting apparel with both ecologically-sound colors and production methods in mind, consumers can both stay stylish and reduce their clothing’s environmental impact through less frequent washing, longer lifetimes, and less waste sent to landfills. The small choice of what colors we wear can compound to significant sustainability gains if considered through a systems lens.
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