The majority of Americans already have closets full of clothes. You’d think that would be enough to keep them from buying more, but you’d be wrong.
In 2018 alone, the average American purchased 68 items of clothing, with only a handful of them lucky enough to be worn once more. That figure was before mega-retailer Shein entered the market and stole the hearts of consumers who wanted stylish, affordable clothing. Just imagine the number of clothes we’re buying now and how many more are being disposed of before they need to be.
Fast fashion has created an environmental and social crisis. This is evident in the following facts and statistics:
- Due to its long-winded supply chain and energy-intensive production, the fashion industry contributes 10% to global carbon emissions. (UN Climate Change, 2018)
- An equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is either dumped into landfills or burned every second. (UNEP, 2018)
- About 60% of the material used in garment production is plastic. While it makes fabrics lightweight, durable, and affordable, it leaves behind microplastics, 9% of which make their way into oceans annually. (UNEP, 2019)
- Garment manufacturing uses 1.3 trillion gallons of water each year just to dye fabrics. It also contributes 20% to the world’s industrial water pollution. (World Resources Institute, 2017)
- Fast fashion exploits workers from developing countries where regulations are often indifferent. It is estimated that only 2 percent of the 75 million factory workers involved in the fashion industry get paid a living wage. (Columbia Climate School, 2021)
- The majority of garment workers are young women, and many of them work under hazardous conditions (Center for Biological Diversity)
Fast fashion’s questionable practices and the harm they bring to the environment and people are drawing attention from conscious consumers. Fortunately, more brands are taking notice and are fighting against the trends by embracing “slow fashion.”
So, What is Slow Fashion?
Slow fashion is the exact opposite of fast fashion. Rather than the linear and wasteful approach to garment production that leaves a significant impact at every stage, slow fashion exercises responsible production from start to end. You can observe this in the following areas of priority:
Sustainable materials
Synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, and acrylic textiles are often the materials used in fast fashion, whereas slow fashion embraces sustainable materials from renewable or recycled resources and is produced using resource-efficient processes. Some notable samples are organic cotton, bamboo, linen, hemp, cork, ECONYL®, Tencel, and Lyocell.
We have a comprehensive list here if you would like to learn more about sustainable fabrics.
Quality craftsmanship
Cheap, disposable clothing is what defines fast fashion. Slow fashion challenges that by focusing on well-made and stylish pieces, usually created by skilled artisans. The attention to quality may mean more time is spent on the design process. But, it also ensures that garments can be worn for years, preventing frequent replacements and contributing to the reduction of textile waste.
Fair labor practices
The pressure to churn out up to 5,000 styles a week and sell them for dirt-cheap prices is fueling the exploitation of workers in developing countries–often working under poor conditions and not getting paid enough to support their families.
Contrary to that, slow fashion follows the principles of fair trade and ethical production, ensuring workers are protected, respected, and given a living wage for workers. In fact, many slow fashion brands maintain domestic manufacturing operations so they can have greater visibility over their supply chain and support local artisans and economies.
Transparency
The fashion industry has long been known for its opaqueness, which makes it difficult to know which brands are actually “walking the talk,” especially regarding sustainability.
Slow fashion brands are trying to change that by putting transparency at the top of their priorities. They regularly publish a sustainability report, providing a clear view of what exactly goes into making their garments. In return, consumers can make purchasing decisions based on the information they have about a brand’s supply chain practices.
Circularity
The slow fashion movement embraces some of the circular fashion’s principles.
Waging war against textile waste, several slow fashion brands purchase excess fabrics (deadstock) from textile mills and transform them into new pieces that can be used to their fullest potential.
Some might argue that this encourages selling unethically produced textiles. The truth, however, is that using deadstock fabrics is more sustainable than making new ones. It does not require sourcing virgin materials and using other resources for production. It also saves more textiles from getting dumped and incinerated, helping reduce waste and emissions.
In addition to using deadstock, other circularity initiatives that some slow fashion brands use that also boost their inventory efficiency, sustainability, and savings include:
- On-demand production
- Running second-hand shops
- Collaborating with recycling companies
- Take-back and repair programs
Put simply, slow fashion respects everything involved in the supply chain, including people, animals, and the environment.
Why Go Slow with Fashion
Embracing slow fashion has several merits for you as a consumer:
- It helps you become intentional about your wardrobe choices, encouraging you to buy fewer quality pieces that you can wear repeatedly without immediately losing their form. Investing in them can help reduce your carbon footprint and save you money in the long run.
- It can contribute to your well-being. Evidence from several studies has shown that consciously choosing garments for their quality, longevity, minimal design, and living with a minimal wardrobe helps reduce the stress linked to following fashion trends. It also increases the sense of joy and satisfaction in styling pieces a person already owns.
- It enables you to support brands that value responsible manufacturing practices, ensuring fair treatment of workers, supply chain transparency, and minimal environmental impact.
What You Can Do to Make Your Wardrobe More Sustainable
Moving away from mainstream fashion and the pressure of competitive consumerism is one of the best things you can do to make your wardrobe more sustainable. Here are some tips to make your switch to slow fashion easier.
- Understand the values, principles, and practices of slow fashion to know how you can align them with your personal style and values.
- Research the growing list of slow fashion brands and read reviews before purchasing. Doing so will help you support businesses that are genuinely sustainable and ethical in all their practices.
- Stick to ‘quantity over quality’ when shopping for new clothes. Build your wardrobe with high-quality, timeless pieces that you can mix and match and wear longer.
- Go for pieces made from sustainable fabrics, which are more durable and eco-friendly.
- Adopt circularity by shopping for second-hand and vintage clothes. You can also participate in clothing swaps and/or donate or sell clothes you no longer wear but are still in good condition. All these can freshen up your wardrobe and reduce the demand for producing new clothes.
- Learn basic sewing so you can repair minor damage on clothes, which would help increase their lifespan.
We understand that taking the first step is often the hardest, especially when you’re used to following quick trend updates. But, we can assure you that you won’t regret being intentional about your clothing purchases. You’ll develop more appreciation for the pieces you own and develop increased joy from styling while also feeling good about helping the environment.
Some Slow Fashion Brands to Check Out
If you’re serious about transitioning to slow fashion, you need to steer clear of trend-driven brands that produce cheap, disposable clothing. Yes, we’re talking about the likes of Shein, Forever21, Zara, and H&M.
Instead, support brands with a strong track record for quality over quantity, sustainability, ethical practices, and transparency. Here are some of our recommendations:
- Pact. A favorite among conscious consumers, Pact makes ultra-soft organic cotton basics and underwear. We love that this brand ensures its entire supply–from material sourcing to final sewing–is truly responsible. It even offers carbon-offset shipping for its products.
- Tentree. This Canadian brand is known for creating wardrobe essentials for the whole family using sustainable materials and ethical manufacturing processes. Tentree plants 10 trees for every item consumers purchase, helping address deforestation while making consumers look and feel good.
- Patagonia. From using recycled and organic materials and defending environmental ethics to operating fair trade factories and running a second-hand collection platform, we know why Patagonia is one of the go-tos for consumers looking for sustainable, ethical, and stylish outerwear.
- Eileen Fisher. This B Corp-certified brand proves that slow fashion doesn’t mean sacrificing style. Eileen Fisher sells well-made, sustainable clothes, shoes, and accessories, all while overseeing its entire supply chain to ensure fair trade practices and promote circular systems.
- Cariuma. For super comfy sneakers made from eco-friendly materials, we definitely recommend Cariuma. The brand is truly transparent about its sneaker-making process and contributes by rebuilding rainforests through its Plant 2 Trees initiative.
Closing Thoughts
As the antithesis to fast fashion, slow fashion is one of the best solutions for excessive garment production, complicated supply chains, and overconsumption. It’s the breather the fashion industry needs to rethink the way it treats people, animals, and the environment.
We’re glad to know that slow fashion is gradually gaining ground, with more consumers and brands joining the movement. This gives us hope that the fashion industry will become more responsible and sustainable in the future, and consumers will focus more on mindful consumption and not give in to competitive consumer pressure.
