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How to Reduce Retail Return Rates
Discover how 3D design technology can reduce high return rates in fashion by improving fit accuracy and enhancing customer satisfaction.
In 2025, sustainable fashion trends will remain a central focus for the industry. Fashion brands will continue investing in sustainability efforts. The new legislation will push companies to be more transparent about their environmental and social impacts and disclose data related to supply chain operations, carbon emissions, and sustainable material usage.
Companies will have to adapt to new regulations. For example, in July 2024, the EU passed the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. Starting in 2025, fashion companies in the EU will be required to report on unsold textiles. In early 2026, it will become illegal to destroy unsold items.
Fashion brands will need to adopt more rigorous sustainability measures, including reducing waste, improving recycling processes, and creating eco-friendly product lines. In this post, we will highlight the important trends, including new materials and technology, that will shape sustainable fashion in 2025.
Sustainable Fashion Trends to Watch Out For
Regenerative Agriculture for Fashion Fibers
Regenerative agriculture is a transformative approach to farming. It prioritizes soil health, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. Unlike conventional agriculture, regenerative practices restore the ecosystem. They help to rebuild degraded soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This shift has significant implications for fashion, particularly for natural fibers like cotton, wool, and hemp.
By supporting regenerative farming, brands can access more resilient, sustainable materials that reduce environmental impact and promote long-term fiber health. Leading brands are increasingly investing in regenerative initiatives by collaborating with sustainable suppliers who practice eco-friendly methods to produce high-quality, responsible fashion materials.
Expansion of Digital Product Creation
With digital product creation (DPC), fashion brands can virtually create, test, and perfect garments in real time while significantly reducing the waste and energy used by physical sample-making. With tools like 3D fashion design and virtual sampling, designers can bring concepts to life without the need for physical prototypes.
This process saves large quantities of fabric, water, and other resources. Studies show that digital apparel design can reduce material waste by up to 70% and cut carbon emissions from sampling by as much as 30%.
In addition, precise virtual twins allow fashion brands to reduce returns caused by poor fit and quality.
Improving Transparency and Traceability with Blockchain
Companies like Everledger, LVMH, and H&M are using blockchain applications that allow customers to track the lifecycle of their purchases, from raw materials to the final product. Blockchain is set to become an essential tool in sustainable fashion as a growing number of consumers are demanding transparency. This technology will help brands build credibility and trust.
Rise of Bio-Based and Biodegradable Materials
Bio-based and biodegradable materials, including innovations like mycelium leather, algae-based textiles, and lab-grown fibers, are offering exciting alternatives to conventional fabrics. These materials are both renewable and biodegradable. They drastically reduce reliance on petrochemicals and minimize long-term environmental impact. Bio-based and biodegradable materials decompose more naturally at the end of their life cycle and also require fewer resources to produce, lowering overall emissions.
Brands are increasingly experimenting with bio-based materials. For example, Stella McCartney and Adidas are partnering with biotech firms to incorporate these textiles into their collections.
Browzwear's Fabric Analyzer helps designers make more informed decisions about fabric choices. And aid in selecting materials that align with their sustainability goals. As well as optimize garment fit and performance from the outset.
Designing Garments for Energy Efficiency and Recyclability
This approach focuses on design development that minimizes energy consumption during production and is easy to recycle at the end of its life. Fashion brands can reduce their carbon footprint and resource consumption by using energy-efficient processes, low-impact materials, and modular or mono-material designs.
To facilitate a circular lifecycle, designers can create garments that are easy to disassemble or with materials that can be easily sorted and processed. These fabrics are typically made from a single material, as mixed fibers can be difficult to separate during recycling. Some of the examples of these materials are 100% cotton, 100% silk, 100% linen, etc.
On-Demand and Made-to-Order Production
On-demand and made-to-order production address one of fashion's main issues: overproduction. Instead of producing large quantities based on forecasts, brands can create small batches tailored to specific customers' preferences. In addition, on-demand models allow for customization, giving consumers a more personalized experience.
One example is Nike's "Nike by you" customization program, which allows customers to design their own shoes, which are then manufactured on demand. This model helps Nike reduce overproduction and increase consumer engagement.
We will also see more brands adopting AI demand forecasting capabilities in the future. With these tools, brands can plan their inventory levels and style selections that will cater to their target audience ahead of time.
Optimization of Manufacturing Processes
Optimization of manufacturing processes is focused on reducing waste, conserving resources, and improving efficiency. 3D prototyping and automated cutting help minimize fabric waste, while energy-efficient machinery and renewable energy sources lower carbon footprints. Automation and digitalization can also achieve resource efficiency and error reduction.
Cloud-based collaborative platforms further boost efficiency by improving coordination across the supply chain. As a result, they reduce lead times, prevent overproduction, and lead to a more sustainable and agile production process.
Furthermore, fashion companies will need to make long-term strategic commitments to suppliers on sustainable material development, low-cost energy efficiency, production planning, and overstock management.
Sustainable Packaging Solutions
Some fashion brands are adopting the use of biodegradable, recyclable, and reusable packaging materials. This shift to eco-friendly packaging minimizes plastic use, reduces waste, and aligns with the goals of a circular economy. Some of the sustainable packaging options are made with recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable materials like recycled paper, plant-based plastics, and mushroom-based packaging.
Solutions like reusable garment bags, dissolvable shipping labels, and minimal packaging design can help lower environmental impact. Digital solutions, like placing QR codes with product information on packaging, can reduce the need for extra paper inserts.
Innovative Recycling Solutions and Fiber Regeneration
Chemical recycling and fiber-to-fiber regeneration are some of the innovative recycling methods. They allow fabrics to be broken down at the molecular level and repurposed into new fibers. These solutions help tackle fabric waste in landfills. Brands such as H&M, in partnership with the recycling innovator Renewcell, and Patagonia, through its partnership with Recycled Down, are leading efforts in this area.
Conclusion
In 2025 fashion industry will continue to test and adopt new sustainability measures. Fashion brands will face challenges like complexity and fragmentation across the value chain, joined by consumer reluctance to pay high prices for sustainable fashion. 80% of fashion professionals agree that technology will be the key to meeting supply chain visibility and traceability regulations. As the climate problem worsens, the fashion industry must work together to make a difference and adopt new sustainable practices.