Sustainable Apparel Market

Sustainable Apparel Market Outlook (2023-2033)

The global sustainable apparel market is anticipated to be valued at US$ 11.2 million in 2023 and it is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% to reach US$ 27.2 million by the end of 2033.

Sustainable apparel is manufactured utilizing textiles that are constructed, manufactured, and marketed in a conscious and reliable way that recognizes and accounts for their socioeconomic and environmental impacts. Further, consumer preference towards the adoption of eco-friendly products to supplement sustainable apparel sales.

Report Attributes	Details
Estimated Market Value (2023E)	US$ 11.2 Million
Forecasted Market Value (2033F)	US$ 27.2 Million
Global Market Growth Rate (2023-2033)	~9.3% CAGR
North America Market Share (2023)	~27.3%
US Market Growth Rate (2018-2022)	~9.0% CAGR
UK Market Growth Rate (2023-2033)	~9.3% CAGR
East Asia Market Share (2023)	~15.2%
Key Companies Profiled	Finisterre Patagonia Pact Clothing Everlane Able Tentree Boden Kotn

Historic and Future Path for Sustainable Apparel Market

Sustainability is one of the issues that have gained more traction since the Covid-19 pandemic. Consumers are now more aware of how various industries are contributing to climate change. Growing textile waste is also a major problem.

Designers, entrepreneurs, and researchers have seek this problem as an opportunity and adopted groundbreaking strategies that encourage businesses to produce processes and apparel that are more environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable because the general textile and fashion industry are one of the most polluting sectors.

Hence, there is an increasing demand for sustainable apparel with rising awareness coupled with increasing environmental concern. Such factors are anticipated to spur the sustainable apparel market's growth outlook.

• Growth Factors for Short Term (2023-2026): Rising trend of recycling and reusing textiles to augment the market’s growth. Popular brands are also adopting a textile recycling approach for the circular economy.
• Factors for Medium-Term Growth (2026-2029): Consumer shift towards sustainable products to spur the sustainable apparel market’s growth outlook.
• Long Term Growth Opportunities (2029-2033): Promotion strategies by market players coupled with the pricing strategy to upsurge the sustainable apparel market’s growth outlook.

Over the 2018-2022 historical period, the global sustainable apparel market registered a CAGR of 7.8%, according to the Fact.MR, a market research and competitive intelligence provider, the market is projected to exhibit growth at 9.3% CAGR between 2023 and 2033.

Market share analysis of sustainable apparel based on product type and region is provided in a nutshell in the above image. Under the product type segment, the organic cotton sub-segment dominates with a 37.0% market share in 2023.

“Textile Waste Management: An Initiative Towards Sustainable Apparel”

Apparels made of recycled or eco-friendly material are part of sustainable clothing or fashion. With the idea of a circular economy and sustainable clothing, the recycling of textiles has increased. Previously, textile waste or old clothes are either disposed of or donated to needy ones. However, in the end, the clothes were either incinerated or ended up in landfills choking pipelines or polluting the environment, and others.

Nowadays, with rising awareness regarding environmental safety and recycling, waste clothes are now being recycled and used for various purposes. For instance, H&M, a clothing brand had installed a clothes recycling machine that turns old cloth into yarn or thread and further knits it into a new desired piece. Such initiatives have paved the way for the sustainable apparel market. The circular economy and government initiative towards a sustainable and greener future drive the demand for sustainable apparel at the global level.

“Lack of Infrastructure: A challenge to be Bridged”

Sustainable apparel is not just a piece of cloth made up of eco-friendly material, it involves the ideology of clean and ethical clothing, circular economy initiatives, and efforts to produce less textile waste. Textile waste has a highly negative impact on the environment as it takes decades to degrade.

• Growing textile waste, for instance, an estimated 11.3 million tonnes of textile waste, or 85% of all textiles, are disposed of in landfills each year in America alone. This is equal to about 2,150 pieces per second nationwide and 81.5 pounds (37 kilograms) of textile waste per person annually.

The growing textile waste and insufficient infrastructure to recycle textiles and reuse them lead to rising piles of textile waste. Further, the lack of awareness regarding sustainable apparel challenges the mushrooming growth of sustainable apparel.

Country-wise Insights

Why Indian Sustainable Apparel Market is Gaining Traction?

Since two-thirds of consumers are willing to pay more for environmental friendly clothing. Further, the shift in consumer preference towards the adoption of organic and sustainable products is encouraging the sustainable apparel market.

Even though the industry is still in its infancy, the market for eco-friendly clothing in India is expanding steadily. Advanced manufacturing techniques are used by manufacturers to create clothes with minimal environmental impact.

With the Indian government's initiative, the use of plastic bags in numerous states, campaigns against the disposal of trash in the oceans, and the growing concern over global warming, and others, the country's textile industry is following suit and turning to environmentally friendly clothing.

Earlier this year, major players like Zara, TCNS Clothing, Levi’s, H&M, and others declared their gradual evolution to ethical and sustainable fashion trends. Small-scale retailer brands such as Doodlage, Akira Ming, YarnGlory, and others have entered the market to fabricate garments in an organic way. Among these, many major brands have high penetration in the Indian market, owing to which the Indian market is anticipated to be highly lucrative over the forecast period.

What Role does Germany Play in the Expansion of the Sustainable Apparel Market?

Many sustainable fashion brands in Germany are shifting consumer preferences and adopting various groundbreaking strategies to spread awareness regarding sustainable apparel.

Fashion that is ethical, ecological, and sustainable is no longer a niche product. Germany's market is expanding steadily, and it is anticipated that the global market for sustainable apparel will accelerate significantly.

This encouraging development is reflected in the growing visibility of numerous businesses and stores in Germany that have been diversifying their product lines to include affordable sustainable fashion. Thus, efforts led by brands and the government toward a sustainable future and effectively managing waste will augment the demand for sustainable apparel. Also, Germany nourishes various popular clothing brands which will spur the sustainable apparel market's growth outlook.

Category-wise Insights

Why Organic Cotton Industry Increases the Demand for Sustainable Apparel?

A more environmentally friendly option over other textiles is organic cotton. It is grown from seeds that are not genetically modified without the use of pesticides. Organic farming practices aim for environmental sustainability and the use of fewer resources while avoiding the use of harmful chemicals.

This, in turn, propels the use of organic cotton in the sustainable apparel market. Organic cotton is healthy for the human skin and highly preferred material during summers, especially across tropical regions.

Will Market Growth Be Led by the Cruelty-Free Leather?

Cruelty-free leather here refers to plant-based leather or leather obtained without any cruelty to animals. R&D has enabled brands to prepare leather from various organic and inorganic things, hence, now the consumer has a wide range of options to choose from among cruelty-free leather options.

Additionally, rising awareness of vegan leather increases the funding for companies producing vegetable leather, and a ban on the use of animal-derived leather is also boosting the growth of the overall market.

The cruelty-free leather is poised to grow at a CAGR of 9.0% during the forecast period from 2023-2033 and reached a valuation of US$ 17.7 million in 2033.

Market Titans Key Strategies

Prominent sustainable apparel manufacturers Finisterre, Patagonia, Pact Clothing, Everlane, Able, and Tentree, among others.

Sustainable apparel manufacturers are inclined towards the adoption of sustainable solutions to reduce their carbon footprints and also contribute to the circular economy. Market titans in order to attract potential customers adopted the metaverse to conduct fashion shows and display their ideology and closet. This, in turn, gain high customer recognition and an innovative approach influenced a diverse customer base. Further, digital platforms also enable market players to gain high-profit margins.

Also, new entrants are increasing the competitive rivalry and also redefining the fashion industry in the field of sustainability, to supplement the sustainable apparel market growth.

Fact.MR has provided detailed information about the price points of key manufacturers of sustainable apparel positioned across regions, sales growth, production capacity, and speculative technological expansion, in the recently published report.

Segmentation of Sustainable Apparel Industry Research

• By Product Type :

  • Bamboo fabric
  • Organic cotton
  • Polyester

• By Material Type :

  • Cruelty-Free Leather
  • Vegan Fur Made
  • Animal-Free Wool
  • Cruelty-Free Silk
  • Eco-Friendly Rubber

• By End-User :

  • Women
  • Men
  • Kids

• By Sales Channel :

  • Offline Channel
    • Modern Trade Channels
    • Direct-To-Customer Brand Outlet
  • Online Channel
    • Brand Websites
    • E-Commerce Websites

• By Region :

  • North America
  • Latin America
  • Europe
  • East Asia
  • South Asia & Oceania
  • MEA