Slow down your fashion consumption to achieve a wardrobe full of 'slow fashion' items.
Fast Fashion is defined as "inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends" by the Oxford Dictionary on Google. Slow fashion is the opposite of that - it is clothing that is meant to last. Why does pursing slow fashion over fast fashion matter?
Fashion is one of the most polluting industries, with 16 million tons of textile waste just in America! This problem is just getting worse and requires action from both corporations and individuals. Here are a few ideas of ways you can slow down the cycle of fashion in your own wardrobe:
Buy Clothing Second-Hand
Not only does buying clothing second hand reduce the amount of clothing that gets thrown out it's also a little easier on your wallet! You can find name brands/high quality products thrifting and can even occasionally find items that are new.
Nowadays, you don't even have to leave your home to go thrifting. Businesses like Poshmark or Depop have made it possible to buy and sell second hand clothing online.
Take Care of What You Already Have
The best way to create a sustainable wardrobe is to take care of what you already have! People often think that in order to have a sustainable wardrobe, that they need to throw out all their clothes and buy things that are specifically eco-friendly. However, this just adds to the large amount of textile waste that already exists and using your clothing up is much more beneficial.
Instead of starting over, take good care of what you’ve already purchased. Learn how to mend to extend the life of the clothing already in your closet.
If you ripped a tiny hole in your shirt, instead of getting rid it, you can sew it back up. If you have ripped jeans, you can turn them into shorts. Or, if you are more ambitious, you can turn your clothing into something totally new - such as turning a men’s shirt into a dress.
Be a Smart Consumer When Buying New Clothing
The biggest reason why fast fashion is such a big issue is because of how much people are consuming without thinking. Instead of buying trendy, cheap clothing you'll wear for a short time and then donate, save your money and buy things you’ll actually love and be able to keep for a long time.
Some questions you can ask yourself the next time you are contemplating a purchase (whether new or second hand) can be:
“Is this something I’ve been wanting for a while, or is it something that’s just trendy?”
“Is this clothing good quality or is it going to fall apart quickly?”
“Do I already have things to wear with this item or will it sit in my closet until I buy more?”
Buying items from 'fast fashion companies' is fine as long as you do it with a slow fashion mindset!
The article was originally published 2/15/2022.
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