What Is Slow Fashion?

You've heard the sweat shop horror stories. You've heard the stories of where your clothes end up when you throw them away. But clothing  continues to be the thing we always forget about when it comes to our environmental and societal responsibility. It's the industry we forget about when considering waste and pollution. It's the thing we take for granted as we fill our wardrobes with yet another pair of blue jeans. But changing our fashion habits is one thing that could have a monumental impact on our environmental footprint. 

 

The Slow Food movement began in Italy as a reaction to the introduction of fast food in Rome. After a protest at the steps of McDonald's, the whole slow food sentiment really took off. Whilst on the surface, it's just a counter movement to fast food, the slow movement stands for much more than that. Essentially, slow food  encourages you to put more thought into the things we usually take for granted. Make thoughtful decisions to resist the drag of fast pace in today's society. The slow food movement stands for growing your own food, exploring local produce and taking steps to turn back time to when everything was a lot less on-the-go. Enjoy making and    consciously eating your food. Put thought into what you eat and where it came from. Don't let rash, thoughtless choices under the pressure of panic.

 

The Slow Food movement inspired a whole collective of slow living. The first slow city, Cittaslow, was set up in 1999, also in Italy, with the philosophy infiltrating all elements of living. There are now slow cities all around the world with the movement growing in popularity day by day.   

 

The slow movement is the perfect fit for the change in approach we should be taking when it comes to our clothing choices. We all throw away mounds of clothes each year, eager to be on board with the latest trend or to replace something with the slightest bit of wear.  It's just the way we've become used to living. But this has tremendous environmental impact. Also, these habits mean we're constantly in search of the cheapest option we can get our hands on quickly. We don't dare to think about how much someone must earn from the incredibly low cost top we buy or the conditions they must be working in. To get costs that low, corners must be cut somewhere.  I'm not saying that the answer is to go out and spend thousands pon clothing. It's understandable that that's not realistic for  everyone. But there are some basic changes you can make to get on board with slow fashion.  

Firstly, take a minute to think before you throw things out and buy  new again. Could 5 spare minutes, some thread and a needle solve the problem? Are you being a bit harsh against your clothing? Would it be a waste to get rid of it for something brand new you could last  without? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, don't go   and throw out and replace your clothes. Slow fashion is all about taking the time to make thoughtful decisions. So think it through properly before buying something new.

   

When you do buy new, buy something to last. I'm sure we're all culprits of buying something cheap with the intention that it will just be ruined or thrown away. But it's only when you put it into perspective of the materials, energy and people that went into producing that item that it all seems a bit less mundane. The solution is to firstly buy to last. It's more economical in the long  run to buy something that's good quality and will last you for longer so you don't have to indulge in fast fashion Another great solution is investing in timeless, versatile pieces. Think neutral tones, and pieces that aren't going to be an embarrassment to wear when the next season roles around. 

 

Of course though, sometimes you want that pop of colour or to fit the latest upcoming trend. Instead of having to constantly reboot your wardrobe though, why not get crafty with accessories. Accessorising is sometimes underestimated in its ability to really change up a look. And it's a less wasteful solution to the inevitability of getting bored of your wardrobe after a few weeks. It happens to us all but let's resist making thoughtless, fast decisions when it comes to our fashion choices.  

 

Stop, think, and remember that everything we have comes from somewhere. You'll even come to enjoy putting thought into what you buy and investigating the best places to get them from.