Why Fast Fashion Should Quickly be Forgotten!

A call to join the slow fashion movement

Thanks to my teenage daughter, I am here writing to you about fast fashion and why it should be quickly forgotten. It’s beyond my knowledge base, but thanks to her and some research, I landed on it coming down to sustainable over disposable. Do I sound like a broken record?

It’s a call to get back to a pre-fast fashion era where clothing was a long term investment and not a throwaway hobby. it’s about conscious consumption and understanding the impact of what we consume on people and the planet. The more we support fast fashion the worst the problems get.

On average, Americans buy a new piece of clothing every five days. Prices are so cheap that clothing is now seen as essentially disposable. According to a McKinsey study, for every five new garments produced each year, three garments are disposed of. Incredibly, research has shown that 90% of our clothing is thrown away before it needs to be.

What is slow fashion?

 Kate Fletcher first used the term in a 2007 article for The Ecologist.

She described fast fashion as being not much about speed but rather greed, about “selling more” and “making more money.” Instead, slow fashion “is about designing, producing, consuming, and living better”. “Slow” – she added – “is not the opposite of fast – there is no dualism – but a different approach in which designers, buyers, retailers, and consumers are more aware of the impacts of products on workers, communities, and ecosystems”.

Why fast fashion is such a problem?

Clothing is so cheap and easy to buy these days, we don’t realize how it’s made, where it comes from and it’s environmental impact. We might feel like we are saving money when buying cheap clothing, but we are all going to pay in the long run.

According to the UN Environment Programme, the industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.

Based on an article by Business Insider, fashion production creates as much carbon emissions as the European Union. The industry dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year. Even washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.

As if those numbers aren’t staggering enough, consider that they also don’t take into account the social impacts of fast fashion. The True Cost documentary is worth a watch, it is quite eye opening. It mentions that 1 in 6 people work in some part of the global fashion industry. Most of which have substandard wages and labor practices. Can you remember the factory in Bangladesh that collapsed and killed 1134 workers and injured more than 2500?

When you consider all the stakeholders, fast fashion doesn’t seem like a sweet deal to me.

Slow Fashion philosophies

Here are some of slow fashion’s key philosophies from Earth.org

• A shift from quantity to quality, both in production and consumption. It’s not hell-bent on constant growth or accumulating more.
• Manufacturing that respects the environment by using low-waste processes and avoiding harmful chemicals.
• Providing workers a living wage and healthy working conditions. 
• Producing collections in small batches or on a pre-order basis to avoid unsold inventory.
• An uncomplicated supply chain where raw materials and labour aren’t scattered across the globe. It uses local materials and employs local workers as much as possible.
• Transparency and honesty in its supply chain and practices. A great example is Patagonia, they work hard to make ethical choices.
• Using natural fibres, deadstock fabrics, or old textiles for upcycling.

You might also like Earth.org’s: How to Recognize Fast Fashion Brands and Which Ones to Avoid

How to join the slow fashion movement

How do you quickly forget fast fashion? I believe it all comes down to conscious consumption.

The convenience and price of fast fashion can be extremely hard to give up even you’re well informed.

The good news is, it won’t cost you anything to get you started.

Reduce

• Do more with less. Check out Project 333 by Courtney Carver. The minimalist fashion challenge that proves that less really is so much more.
• Follow the care instructions, wash at reduced heat and hang dry to extend the life of the things you already own.
• Shop your own closet, using what you already have is always more sustainable.
• Pack your seasonal clothes away. Like kids with toys that they haven’t seen in a while, it’s alway exciting when you pull them out again.

Repair

• Learn basic sewing and de-staining practices to keep your clothing looking good as new. Can’t do it yoursel? Find a professional that can.
• Partipate in a free pop up repair cafė
• Get creative and make something different out of what you have.

Re-use

• Buy second hand. Thrifting is having a new moment for good reasons. Quality is quality even if it used. Even the most fashion conscious are doing it.
• Participate in, or organize clothing swaps. They are such a great way to keep perfectly good clothes out of the landfill. One person’s recycling is one person’s treasure.
• Share hand-me-downs, this is especially good for kids and young families. Quality items will outlast even the roughest kids and will keep them warm and looking good. You can take the money you’ve saved and put it towards an adventure.
• Thrift online. Check out websites like Poshmark, Facebook local Buy and Sell and free pages.
• Share and borrow with friends and family! Sometimes you need something special just for one event.

Buy less but better

• Shop mindfully, ask yourself if you truly need it. Check out Intention before Impulse, Simply buying Less but Better for tips. Remember 50%- 80% of people’s wardrobes go unused.
• Shop local
• Choose natural fibres over synthetics. Look for long lasting garments that will ideally biodegrade or be recycled at end of life.
• Support eco friendly companies and look for certifications.
• Always opt for quality before quantity. One piece that washes and wears well easily wins over multiple pieces that change shape after washing and are uncomfortable.
• Be aware that price doesn’t always correlate to quality. Some of the biggest brands are made to fall apart.

In the End

Slow fashion is a movement that is aware of the impact of products on people, places and the environment.

Hopefully after reading this, you can better answer why fast fashion should quickly be forgotten. Simply put, it’s disposable trash in transition and it ultimately cost us all.

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Thanks for reading,

Pat