For us, the making has always mattered as much as the final piece itself. Every step before something feels ready carries its own kind of work. The cutting, the measuring, the tiny trims, the parts we redo because something feels slightly off. None of it is dramatic, but each decision shapes what finally reaches you.
We have always tried to create with care, but care is not a straight line. It’s all about adjusting, rechecking, fixing small slips, and trying again. Over time, we began paying even closer attention to the fabric we use, the fabric we don’t, and the quiet responsibility that comes with those choices. That awareness slowly became a part of how we think about making, especially as we stand true to our promise of thoughtful sustainable fashion production.
Today, we want to share with you, that very side of the process. The everyday, not-so-glamorous parts that sit behind the softness you eventually hold. The parts that remind us that better choices are usually small but steady ones and how we are doing our bit for the planet.
Where the Waste Quietly Starts
Everyone imagines waste as something that happens after clothes are worn out. The reality, however, is quite different. Most waste begins on the cutting table, long before a dress finds its shape.
A pattern gets adjusted. A neckline feels slightly off. A panel needs to be redone. Someone trims a little extra because the curve has to fall just right. Sometimes designs are adjusted. Suddenly, yesterday’s perfectly reasonable fabric order becomes the wrong colour, the wrong weight, or the wrong width. Entire metres of cloth sit waiting for a purpose that no longer exists.
Watching these offcuts grow taught us that thoughtful production is not poetic. It is practical. It requires planning, restraint, and sometimes the courage to pause and think, rather than rush forward. This shift is what slowly nudged us toward true textile waste management - a mindset and practice we hold close to everything we do.
Returns: The Invisible Waste That Hurts the Most
Returns are one of fashion’s quietest forms of waste.
Globally, studies from Optoro and UNCTAD estimate that e-commerce returns contribute about 24 million tonnes of CO₂ each year, simply from the journeys pieces make back and forth. In India too, returns are a growing concern; industry reports place overall online return rates at around 15%, and 25-40% in fashion alone. A portion of these returned garments never make it back into circulation again.
This is where all of us can step in and take actions for a larger impact.
Return culture has a high environmental cost, not just a logistical one. Every additional movement of a garment increases its footprint, which makes more mindful purchasing an important way to reduce avoidable impact on the planet.
We have been trying to understand the root cause of returns. With time, we learned that a lot of returns begin with tiny doubts, about fits, fabrics, cuts. That’s why our team is always available to help someone understand the outfits of choice better, before any purchase is initiated.
Small moments of clarity often save outfits an unnecessary journey.
Why We Choose Small Batches (Even When It Scared Us at The Beginning)
Let us be honest. Large batches feel safe. They make forecasting easy. They make planning simple. They make spreadsheets look very optimistic. But they also create the biggest waste when anything changes. And in fashion, something always changes.
Choosing a small batch design was not glamorous. It was nerve-racking. It meant we were often working with just enough fabric, sometimes even a little short. It meant rejecting the idea that bigger is better. But it also meant we were not left with unsold stock. It kept us honest. It forced us to correct mistakes before they multiplied. It allowed us the space to pay attention.
And this is a blueprint in motion, for us. These crucial steps are slowly teaching us the true meaning of the slow fashion process - it is not about moving slowly, it is about moving deliberately. It is about letting each piece matter. It is about understanding that fewer pieces made thoughtfully are better than many pieces made in a hurry.
The Quiet Choices That Shape a Gentler System
We have learned that sustainability begins with noticing. Noticing what we waste, what we choose, what we let go of, and where we insist on doing better.
Sometimes the choice is as simple as redrafting a sleeve to reduce offcut fabric. Sometimes it is the decision to remake a returned skirt by changing the waistband instead of discarding it. Sometimes it is pausing before buying more cloth and exploring whether our existing materials can be utilised first. Sometimes it is choosing sustainable fabric choices even when they come with complications. Each action feels small, even invisible, but together they shape a gentler system.
These decisions move us closer to the spirit of zero waste clothing, not in a perfect way, but in a human way. Our process is not spotless. It will never be. But it is sincere. It is ongoing. And it is built on the idea that respecting fabric is part of respecting the planet and its future.
Paying Attention What Drives Real Sustainable Change
Here is the truth. Sustainability is less about perfection and more about awareness. The more we noticed, the more areas we identified that needed our thought.
When we paid attention to waste, our fabric orders became intentional.
When we paid attention to returns, our repair processes became gentler.
When we paid attention to patterns, our leftover cuts reduced significantly.
When we paid attention to overproduction, the process of curating our collections became tighter, clearer, more thoughtful.
When we paid attention to materials, our choices aligned more closely with real sustainable fashion production.
Paying attention changed everything.
It also reminded us that the fashion world does not need a revolution. It needs a shift in perspective. A softer, more conscious way of choosing. A willingness to learn through trial and error, just the way we did with our packaging.
We made mistakes. We corrected them. We made more mistakes. We corrected those too. And every time, it helped us stay true to what Endless Affair is all about.
The Belief We Keep Returning To
After all our trial and error, here is what we now know. The path to reducing fabric waste in fashion is not paved with grand solutions. It is shaped by hundreds of small, imperfect, persistent choices. Choices rooted in care. Choices rooted in attention.
We are still learning. Still adjusting. Still starting over when something does not feel right. And honestly, we would not have it any other way. Because each misstep teaches us how to make fashion softer, kinder, and more intentional.
If there is one message woven through every thread we cut and every piece we make, it is this - the gentlest fashion is the one that pays attention.