Tattoo clothing redefined: The art and ethics of sustainable fashion

Using the human body as a canvas for artistic expression is far from a modern concept. Judging from the discovery of a skeleton exceeding 30,000 years in age and stained with red ochre, body painting might be among the earliest art forms practised by humanity.

The popularity of tattooing has evidently persisted for centuries. Ancient Egyptians have left the world with elaborately tattooed mummies, while British Vogue tells of European sailors who amassed tattoos as mementoes during travels in the South Pacific.

In the 20^th century, fashion designers started adding tattoo-like markings to clothes, imbuing them with the kind of rebellious vibe long reserved for people who had their bodies inked directly. Now, tattoo-inspired style is seeing another change — this time sparked by the climate crisis.

Why has tattoo clothing become popular?

If individuals have long been tempted to get a tattoo but remained indecisive about which one to get, they may have understandably held off getting inked.

However, the notion of wearing tattoos on clothes rather than on the skin could put them at ease. After all, in this situation, there wouldn’t be the big question of how to conceal the tattoos if they grew tired of them. All that they would have to do is swap out the clothes for alternative attire.

Otherwise, tattoo clothes are appealing for many of the same reasons as ‘actual’ tattoos. In both instances, individuals would be able to effectively express their individuality — and help other people to discern straight away what type of person they are and what they stand for.

What is sustainable fashion?

The Emeritus Institute of Management has cited ‘sustainable fashion’ as an “all-inclusive term” referring to “products, processes, activities, and stakeholders (policymakers, brands, consumers) aiming to achieve a carbon-neutral fashion sector”.

Principles followed by sustainable fashion can include not only ecological integrity, but also equality and social justice. What this basically means is that, inevitably, some brands can be more committed than others to ‘true’ sustainability in clothing production.

Why is sustainable fashion necessary?

Of course, the fashion world can be very much centred around trends — and in a bid to keep pace with these, many companies have opted to produce clothes both inexpensively and rapidly.

This has given rise to a ‘throwaway culture’ where customers use specific clothes only for as long as they are deemed ‘trendy’. When the clothes reach the stage where they are perceived as ‘out of fashion’, they might be simply discarded and end up on a landfill.

As revealed in research reported by Statista, it is expected that 3.4 billion metric tons of municipal solid waste will be generated by 2050 — an increase of about 70% on today’s figure.

How can tattoo clothing be made sustainable?

One reason why the world’s excessive waste production is no small problem is that many materials chosen for clothes can have lasting adverse implications for the planet. These materials include plastic, which is known to have negatively impacted marine life.

This situation does a lot to explain why it would bode well for producers of tattoo clothing to make them from recycled or biodegradable components.

Compared to plastic and other synthetic materials too often selected for clothing, biodegradable materials are grown in a way that does not require any pesticide or fertiliser to be used.

Another good idea is for tattoo clothing to be made in a manner that minimises — or even virtually eliminates — waste at the production stage. This is why the UK-based Broken Society prints tattoo style t shirts fresh to order.

As a result, the company is also able to lower the amount of electricity it could otherwise have had to expend in making these garments. Through pursuing this strategy, many fashion brands can reduce their carbon emissions.

Tattoo clothing can be truly “built to last”

Many fashion companies that put eco-friendliness at the forefront of their production processes know that the clothing still needs to be capable of staying the course for the long haul.

This isn’t just a reference to the physical resilience of the fabrics or how firmly they are stitched together. It is also about how the garments look.

The longer one keeps hold of a piece of clothing, the more one can help to rein in its ecological impact. This is why one doesn’t have to assume that eco-friendly clothing one does buy is destined to go ‘out of style’ and be left in a drawer for months on end.  

With tattoos having remained stylish for centuries, tattoo clothing makes a lot of sense in an increasingly eco-conscious age.

The editorial unit