In conversation with Sara Dubbeldam

We have all fallen for it at one point or another. The pretty words and vague promises of recycled fibres and imagery of women in beige clothing gently embracing and smiling – probably frollicking in a field. The big fashion giants employ expert marketing teams to do just this, make us buy shit, sneakily twisting words, facts and figures to convince us that they (pinky promise) hand-made this item lovingly from triple recycled local organic cotton when in actuality this fast-fashion fantasy is far from the truth. A once fast fashion devotee, Sara Dubbeldam, decided to break free from the toxic cycle of overconsumption and began her journey towards a more sustainable fashion future – there began ‘When Sara Smiles’ an online personal diary, which has since blossomed into a renowned platform championing sustainable fashion. Since then Sara's role has evolved into that of a pioneer in the fashion activist space, culminating in a significant victory in 2023 with her successful greenwashing case against Primark. Central to her work is a nuanced perspective on sustainability, coupled with an infectious enthusiasm to involve others in her inspiring journey. TFB mag writer Emily Cooper sat with Sara to discuss the many peaks and valleys of a sustainable fashion journey, where people can make a start and how she envisions the future of fashion. 

Sara Dubbeldam photographed by Taylor Bennett for TFB Magazine

Emily: Can you discuss a little more on the impact that false marketing or ‘green-washing’ has on consumer buying habits from your experience?
Sara: There’s SO MUCH greenwashing - the outcome of a Changing Markets report in 2021 was that 59% of the investigated brands were guilty of some form of greenwashing. I’ve been doing brand analyses for years now and if you look at brands closely, you’ll see that most of them indeed are; even sustainable brands. The lack of proof (/transparency) really stands out here (compared to other forms of greenwashing), for example: so many companies state on their website that their products are ethically produced, without sharing any evidence. For me, the danger of greenwashing mostly lies within the confusion it creates about which brands and products are genuinely sustainable and which are not. The ultra fast fashion giants have the budgets and visibility to reach the masses compared to truly sustainable pioneers – who have tiny budgets that they rather invest in innovation and fair pay instead of marketing. Then we have the consumers who possess limited knowledge about sustainability, and who tend to believe brands quickly, especially if they like to shop from them and utilise the green claims by fast fashion brands to alleviate their guilt about overconsumption

Emily: How has the prevalence of greenwashing in fast-fashion marketing affected consumers' perceptions of sustainability – and to what extent do you think it has contributed to a sense of consumer complacency regarding overconsumption?

Sara: It’s important to acknowledge the current unequal playing field in which powerful polluters reach and influence the masses instead of truly sustainable brands. They get to shape and narrow people’s perception of sustainability, which is mostly focused on materials or recycling only. Any brand that only communicates with so-called sustainable materials and leaves important topics such as social sustainability or conscious consumption only keeps consumers from changing their behaviour.

Sara Dubbeldam photographed by Taylor Bennett for TFB Magazine

Emily: What role can regulations and industry standards play in preventing greenwashing?
Sara: ESSENTIAL! In the eight years I’ve been writing about this, I’ve always focused on changing consumer behaviour. But still, even people who’ve followed me all long, and even myself, find it hard to determine if a brand is lying or not. This is frustrating and this year, and especially in my Primark case, it made me realise that true systemic change comes mostly top-down. So I will focus more on putting pressure on politics and maybe building more law related cases to create awareness and work on bigger impact.

Emily: What are the current shortcomings of the existing regulations around greenwashing and sustainable misinformation?
Sara: So many, but transparency and consumer psychology and the allowing of overconsumption culture are my biggest issues. It’s insane that lots of brands still use vague and misleading terms without consequences, although it is slowly changing. The current legislation demands no transparency at all!

Emily: Chances or improvements to governance and consumer consumption that are necessary to ensure more transparent and accurate communication about the environmental impact of fashion & textiles. 

Sara: Push brands to disclose their production numbers -  how can we ever compare sustainable ambitions to the real impact brands have if we have NO clue how much they’re overproducing? I love the British Speak Volumes campaign! (make sure to check that out online) We also need to create an equal/fair playing field for advertising: big polluters should be restricted in their visibility. I’ve seen Gemeente Utrecht banning fast fashion and fossil fuel polluters bus posters from now on and I’d love to see something similar everywhere else and the same for online – Temu is for most people the first brand that pops on Google when searching for anything and it's the same for Shein’s visibility on socials like TikTok, which is extremely addictive itself. This buy trap makes it almost impossible not to buy. I think the regulations around sales, like Black Friday, need to be managed. We can have unlimited sale periods here, putting so much pressure on the system and the production chain. Belgium has two fixed ‘solden’ periods during the year. That’s a big step in the right direction. Finally I think people deserve transparent & validated information – like an obligated eco label in our clothing that says how and where it’s made and has information about the quality and what to do at the end of life. The government is working on something, but it’s complicated to develop and will take a while. 

Sara Dubbeldam photographed by Taylor Bennett for TFB Magazine

Emily: What are some ‘best practices’ people can make towards becoming, for lack of a better term, better consumers?

Sara: Think before you buy! And don’t always believe everything a brand is saying. Always check external platforms, Google and read the news and of course speak up & ask critical questions! Ask for more transparency! On social media, through sending emails to brands. They won’t change unless we demand them to.

Emily: Where would you encourage people to start or things to keep in mind or resources to recommend when initially starting with sustainable fashion?

Sara: The most sustainable item is already in your closet, be aware of what you have. I’m now digitising my wardrobe through the Whering app. I really recommend it! Consumers need to be aware of the fact that there’s no perfect ‘sustainable’ way – something people new to this often think, that everything is very black and white. There are many choices to be made in sustainability and what is often better is producing locally in Holland to minimise the environmental impact and re-build the maker industry here; or to produce in a high risk country and actively improve labour conditions from within to improve the inhumane system WE created there in the first place. There are so many apparent contradictions and every choice is right. I miss the nuance in most stories.

Sara hopes that through sharing her experiences and through her platform she is able to help consumers develop a more critical mindset and inspire people with brands that do better. 

*This piece was written originally for TFB Magazine in 2024.