How To Ease Yourself Into Slow Fashion
With summer around the corner, we’re all tempted to re-stock our wardrobes with insta-ready pics and thirst traps . But instead of grabbing a fleeting fast fashion trend, get creative and explore fashion in a more sustainable and unique way! In a society of instant gratification, taking the time to find, create, tailor or even wait for clothes to arrive is a habit that’s grown difficult to break. Fortunately, guest writer Kristen has shared her top tips on how to ease into slow fashion while being conscious of our life-sustaining resources.
We live in a society of instant gratification. Our food, clothing, shopping and conversations all come with ease. We’re so used to instantly seeing something we want and quickly obtaining it with limited effort. Fast fashion is one way that we instantly indulge ourselves. Shops both on the High Street and online pride themselves on churning out the latest trends. There’s an endless selection of products to choose from, plenty of stock available and low-price offers are plastered across shop windows and appear in our inboxes — encouraging us to obtain more and more items.
How much thought have we really given to the effects this lifestyle has on the world around us? Driven by economic growth, fast fashion refers to a garment’s speed of production at every step of the fashion supply production chain; from the farmers who grow the raw materials, workers producing the garments in factories and even the exploitation of shoppers’ insatiable need for novelty. This mode of producing garments has detrimental effects on our environment and the ethics surrounding production are sketchy to say the least.
Inspired by the Slow Food Movement (created in 1986 as a response to the globalisation of fast-food chains that eventually developed into an understanding of food production methods), slow fashion has often been positioned as the remedy to fast fashion. The movement encourages an understanding of the impact our actions have on the environment, resource depletion, pollution, society at large and the livelihoods of garment workers for example — all of which are affected by fast fashion.
Slow fashion however, goes further than just slowing down the production line. According to Kate Fletcher and Linda Grosev in Fashion and Sustainability: Design for Change, Slow Fashion, ‘Slow Fashion...represents a different worldview that names a coherent set of fashion activity to promote the pleasure of variety, the multiplicity and the cultural significance of fashion within biophysical limits.
Slow fashion requires a changed infrastructure and a reduced throughput of goods.’ Simply put, slow fashion provides us with an option to be creative through clothing while being conscious of our life-sustaining resources.
When it comes to adopting slow fashion practices it is ultimately up to the large corporations pulling the strings for the impact to be felt. But, there are actions we can take right now as consumers to make small but long-lasting impacts on the fashion industry. Moving away from a lifestyle we’re accustomed to isn’t easy, so here are some tips to get you started — from a fellow slow fashion newbie:
Release yourself from external pressure
In our fast-paced society, there is constant pressure on us to adhere to certain trends that are here one day, gone the next. We live in a world where the latest trends are shamefully thrown at us from all angles — social media, our inboxes, TV ads, in store sales techniques. Not adhering to the latest trends, styles and fads can definitely make some of us feel like we’re missing out in some way. Part of adhering to a more slow focused fashion lifestyle is shifting our mindset and differentiating between the things we desire and the things we need.
What you wear should be something that makes you feel good. Purchase with a conscious mindset. More often than not, something that we see and like is not something we necessarily need. Apply the 10-day rule if you can. If you see something that catches your eye online or in-store, wait 10 days to purchase and then see how you feel. It’s very likely that you won’t even desire the very item you were coveting 10 days ago.
Charity Shop Chic
Once upon a time, charity shops were dreary places that no-one would want to be caught dead in. Today, they’re all the rage. You can pick up some stylish gems for a fraction of its original price, or support a charity and have absolutely no impact on the fashion supply chain.
Both Oxfam and Barnardos have seriously stepped up their game and taken huge efforts to make charity-shop-shopping a stylish affair. Last year Oxfam collaborated with Micheala Cole for their #SecondHandSeptember campaign which highlights the impact our Fast fashion choices have on the fashion supply chain. Barnardos have a dedicated Vintage Store in Stockport and their Instagram page is popping.
ASOS MarketPlace is also a great place to stop by. This hidden corner of ASOS stocks pieces from independent designers as well as troves of second-hand garments.
Shop smarter
The whole concept of fast fashion is a quick turnover often using cheap materials that don’t last. Invest in staple, long-wear, quality pieces that you can wear again and again. It may be a higher price tag in the short run but the longevity will outweigh the cost. Spending small amounts of money overtime definitely costs us more.
Take stock of your current wardrobe
Instead of convincing yourself, you need a new fit for the next function you’ve been invited to, be mindful and think about what pieces you have hiding in the back of your wardrobe. If we look hard enough there always seem to be hidden gems. Something may not be ‘in season’ but if it looks good, make it work. You could also think about how different accessories — think jewellery, belts, scarves, hats— can completely switch up an existing outfit.
Upcycle old pieces
Upcycling is about repurposing what we already own. Old jeans can be cut and transformed into some stylish shorts, dresses can become skirts or t-shirts can be cut into crop tops. Use the material of a dress you like to patch up holes or re-work it completely. Possibilities are endless!
Transitioning into a lifestyle more focused on slow fashion will definitely take time and deliberate effort — especially when the likes of Pretty Little Thing and ASOS are all over the gram. You don’t have to make drastic changes all at once. All the pressure will definitely result in you feeling frustrated and giving up. Start small by making one meaningful and realistic change at a time. If we all do what we can to adopt small practices into our daily routines, there will definitely be a much larger impact.