16 Simple Ways to Discover and Embrace Slow Fashion
simple and effective guide to learning about slow fashion!
Are you looking to discover the world of Slow Fashion? We have you covered!
Have you ever wondered where your clothes go after tossing them into the bin?
They land in an empty area called a landfill. According to McKinsey Reports, “Nearly 60% of all clothing produced ends up in incinerators or landfills within a year of making”.
What is a landfill, you may wonder?
The literal definition is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is an area where tonnes of non-degradable clothes lie around for years. And every day, a new set of clothes is thrown in the pile. Imagine what it could be doing to our planet!
The surge of fast fashion brands in the past 20 years has caused irreversible damage to the environment and the mentality of consumers. Advertisers, brands, and social media have encouraged the constant urge to shop without a thought.
The weekly additions of new designs and styles at competitive rates have made consumers indulge in mindless purchasing patterns. Along with using the psychology of FOMO, fast fashion brands have gotten most people hooked on them.
Alas, after the initial buzz drowned, consumers started realizing the issues with fast fashion. The clothes began breaking down as the materials were of bad quality, and the seams of the stitches started unraveling as the workers didn’t get time to stitch correctly. Eventually, throwaway culture was introduced, and donation centers got new clothes with tags.
All this fast consumption and throwing away items resulted in a new movement called SLOW FASHION! Where consumers decide to pause, breathe, and then determine if it’s worth investing in the products.
What is the meaning of Slow Fashion?
Coined by Kate Fletcher of the Center for Sustainable Fashion following the phenomena of the slow food movement. She saw a need for a slower pace of production and consumption after the disastrous failure of fast fashion trends!
Slow fashion is about creating and consuming fashion consciously with integrity and intention. It represents a mindful approach where producers and consumers are responsible for fast fashion’s social and environmental effects—resulting in designers intentionally designing well-made and lasting clothing. And consumers, on their part, love and take care of the clothes to avoid reaching landfill!
The whole concept of slow fashion is to slow down the fashion process. Right from the sourcing of materials, production, and consumption.
At their core, slow fashion is all about quality over quantity, having a few products will last for years.
Slow fashion follows these basic ethics:
- Fair Labour
- Supporting Local Communities
- Sustainable Design
- Ethical Production Process
- Mindful, Holistic Approach
- Made To Last
SLOW FASHION v/s FAST FASHION:
HOW TO EMBRACE SLOW FASHION:
1. Develop Your Style:
Deciding your unique style preferences based on your body type, color theory, and lifestyle will help you become a better shopper. This results in buying what looks and feels good for you, reducing wastage and unnecessary buys. You will also remove your dependency on trends that don’t last and invest in classic, timeless pieces, making you an ultimate slow fashion expert.
2. Buying When Necessary:
Slow fashion is about making mindful purchases. With constant notifications on sales, newsletters, and product launches, it is easy to get swayed. To avoid this, it’s better to wishlist products and take a day or two to see if you need to buy them.
3. Always Choose Quality Products:
Fast fashion reinstated a mentality that the more products you have, the more looks you can create. This concept holds no truth. Having more clothes that don’t last long will break the bank in the long run. Instead, buy better quality products in less quantity and style them endlessly for years.
4. Take A 30 Wears Test:
The 30-wear challenge is a great way to reduce unnecessary impulse purchases. Whenever you are buying something new, ask this critical question yourself:
Will I wear that 30 times? If yes, go ahead and purchase it without hesitation; if not, don’t buy it!
5. Show Love to your Current Wardrobe:
The most sustainable clothing is already in your wardrobe. The first part of embracing slow fashion is to develop a love story with your existing clothes. Learning to care for your current wardrobe will add more years to the item and show your commitment to caring for the environment.
6. Learn About Fabrics:
Basic knowledge about sustainable and ethically made materials will also benefit shoppers. It would help you invest in non-toxic, animal and environment-friendly, durable fabrics.
7. Stitch In Time, Saves Nine:
Mending clothes is one of the best ways to show your Love and commitment towards slow fashion, and it shows your gratitude towards the clothing as you save it from reaching the landfill. Not only will you learn a new skill, but you’ll also save the planet!
8. Build a Love Story with your Clothes:
When you start buying with gratitude and mindfulness, you will develop connections with your clothes. Each item in your wardrobe should have a unique story and a special place in your heart. Thus, making it hard to discard.
9. Think Twice Before Discarding:
It’s always possible to get rid of the throwaway mentality. Throwing away clothes without thinking about the environment has been encouraged in the last 20 years by fast fashion brands, and it takes 200 years for a polyester dress to degrade.
10. Support Local Businesses:
Slow fashion is all about supporting localism. It means supporting businesses that get their raw materials from local farmers. Brands that give skilled local artisans and tailors an opportunity. Supporting local and mindful businesses over fast fashion corporations is the best way to embrace the slow fashion movement.
11. Recycle and Repeat:
Recycle and repeat should be your go-to mantra while embracing slow fashion. In the past 20 years, repeating outfits were looked down upon, and this trend was exhausting for consumers and the environment. It is always fantastic to re-wear outfits in different styles and take care of the planet!
12. Make a Brand Shopping List:
Found a brand that is sustainable, ethical, and mirrors your values? We recommend making a list or saving brands that you want to invest in the future. A handy list of slow fashion brands will be helpful in your next shopping expedition.
13. Stop Jumping On Trends:
The best way to combat fast fashion trends is to eliminate the FOMO mentality. Jumping to new trends will make you a mindless consumer, and these trends usually only suit some body shapes and sizes.
14. Be A Proud Renter:
It is always better to rent an outfit if you know you will not wear it more than once. Special occasions, like weddings, require outfits for different occasions, and most of the time, people don’t end up wearing them again. Here it is better to be a proud renter than a mindless buyer!
15. Build A Capsule Wardrobe:
A capsule wardrobe is a limited collection of clothes styled in multiple ways for different occasions. Creating your version of a capsule wardrobe will limit purchases and instill a habit of buying meaningful and quality products based on your style.
16. Break Old Habits:
To embrace slow fashion is to break up with your old buying patterns. It will take time, but the results will be worthwhile for your personal, mental, and environmental health.
Embracing slow fashion is all about pausing before making any decisions. The fast fashion culture over the years has developed an impulsive trait of purchasing without thinking. Not only has it affected the environment, the garment workers, but also the mental health of consumers. Being conscious of every purchase gives you a sense of empowerment and a right to make informed decisions. It won’t happen overnight, but you will become a mindful, grateful, and conscious shopper with time and awareness!