29th March 2021
Clothing is more than a basic need; it provides a means of self-expression. But like the disposable fashion that falls apart quickly, the comfort that retail therapy gives doesn’t last. Getting something new may seem like fun, but sustainable fashion is better for your bank account and the planet. The following are ten reasons to ditch fast fashion and embrace eco-friendly slow fashion.
Fast fashion seems cheap until you consider the true cost of only wearing an item once or twice before needing another one. Having to replace office outfits on a regular basis can get expensive. Quality items that are made to last can save you a lot over the long term.
Some of your most valuable real estate is inside your closet. We all know the 80/20 rule, that we wear twenty per cent of our clothes eighty per cent of the time. Rather than buying something just because it looks nice in the shop, stop and decide whether you really need it. When you buy less stuff, you free up your closet and get some space to organize the things you really love.
The creators of fast fashion are exploiting you. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is all part of the fast-fashion loop. Rather than worrying about what the latest 15-minute trend is, wear clothes that you love, and free up your mind to ponder more important things. Who knows what you might come up with?
Creating a wardrobe of classic pieces saves you time in the AM, an important consideration if you’re not a morning person, or have others like kids who also require your attention. Stressing about what to wear or the discovery that the fast fashion outfit you were planning on wearing now has a broken zipper or fraying hem is not what anyone needs first thing in the morning.
The fashion industry is consuming more than its fair share of scarce resources. Around 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to produce synthetic fabrics, and the apparel sector creates more pollution than the entire airline industry. Polyester takes hundreds of years to break down, and the microfibers released every time it is washed wind up in our waterways and oceans, killing plants and wildlife. Fabric production is behind some 20% of industrial water pollution. We are currently buying apparel five times faster than we were forty years ago, and throwing it away just as fast. A garbage truck worth of clothing is burned or tossed into a landfill every second. In short, fast fashion is not sustainable.
Fast fashion has an even darker side than environmental damage: slavery. Fast fashion exploits many women and children in developing nations by compelling them to work in dangerous conditions for little or no pay. Workers are also subjected to verbal, physical, and even sexual abuse, with their superiors under no legal obligation to treat them any better.
Not only will you feel good about your impact on the environment and humanity with slow fashion, but you will feel better in your skin with high-quality fabrics against it rather than cheap, itchy synthetics. Treat yourself and the rest of the planet right. Invest in organic, natural, eco-friendly fibres.
It’s hard to resist the siren call of a new shirt or skirt, especially when it’s so inexpensive. But how many times have you got it home and changed your mind, or discovered it really doesn’t fit that great, or that’s it’s already unravelling and you haven’t even worn it once yet? When you slow down and consider your purchases before buying, you eliminate or greatly reduce the regret of buying things you don’t really want or need.
Copyright laws don’t protect fashion so the fast fashion industry steals designs all the time. The big corporations save on expenses by knocking off smaller designers whom they know can’t afford a costly lawsuit. The rip-off can drive the small guy straight out of business.
Fast fashion is all about chasing trends, which is the opposite of being creative. When you invest in quality pieces that you truly love and are willing to wear again and again, you are expressing who you truly are, rather than blindly following the crowd.
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