What Is Slow Fashion And Why Does it Matter?
Have you heard the term “Slow Fashion” and thought to yourself “Why does it Matter?” Simply put it’s an alternative approach to the design, making and selling of clothing being offered to shoppers and, I believe wholeheartedly that, knowing why it matters helps understand the impacts our fashion decisions have on the environment. Slow fashion could be the ticket to having a more eco-friendly footprint just by wearing the things you love.
Slow fashion is an approach to making clothes in the fashion industry, in which products are designed, created and bought for longevity and quality. It encourages a slower rate of growth, and in turn results in a considerably more eco-friendly, sustainable outcome.
Since 1980, the clothing industry has grown dramatically. We now buy five times more in a year than we did 40 years ago, which comes out at an average of 68 items per person per annum. According to Mckinsey and Company, people bought 60% more garments in 2014 than in 2000 but only kept them for half as long. As an industry, fashion is absolutely huge – and understandably so. It is a product we all need, no matter what our interests, nationality or background.
Over the last two decades, high volume throwaway fashion (lets call it fast fashion) seems to have taken over high-streets. It’s a model that encourages a high rate of production and consumption. This model is unsustainable, because of the waste produced and the energy used to create such a high level of products.
Welan hats would be considered slow fashion and it’s why we do what we do. Wool is local - so local its walking around on our sheep in the field next to the house. The wool is then washed, spun and knit on the island of Tiree. Yes the process is longer, a great deal longer than a hat you might find in a high-street shop, but is much better for the environment and each hat will be a cherished by its owner. It’s clothing not fashion when you really think about it because it’s about being timeless.
But if fast fashion is a bigger industry, provides more styles and is more readily accessible, why should you make a conscious effort to hunt out slow fashion brands and does it really matter?
Here’s just a few reasons I think slow fashion is the way forward and matters:
High quality, slow fashion products can last years, or even a lifetime.
Slow fashion is more sustainable and more environmentally friendly.
Offers more timeless pieces, rather than what is on trend at the moment.
Often more ethically produced.
Conscious consumption saves money long term.
I am a convert to slow fashion as of last year. The goal is to not buy a single piece of clothing that I cannot source, I want to know where it all comes from. This will no doubt result in less purchases, because slow fashion is a growing industry and because items will potentially cost more and will almost certainly last longer. However, I’m hoping that the difference it will make to my environmental impact as an individual will be worth the lost shopping trips and the smaller wardrobe.
Slow Fashion Products are built with quality in mind
The principle of slow fashion directly opposes fast fashion, with smaller supply chains that focus on producing garments which are local and accountable. The aim, to produce a final garment which lasts longer, and so reduces the frequency that you feel you need to buy a new thing. In this way, it is hoped that both the consumer and environment benefit.
Not only that but slow fashion takes into account every aspect of an item, from the fabric it is made out of to the assembly. Natural fibres that are used to make slow fashion products require less washing, so are much more likely to last longer. Washing is one of the biggest contributors to clothing wearing out.
If you can find products that are 100% all one fibre, then that is the ideal. If something is made from a good quality material, such as a woollen suit, then they’re often designed to be brushed clean which gives them a considerably longer life.
Everything about slow fashion is designed to create a product that has a long life-span. This means less waste, and a better feel. I’d always recommend investing in “slow” garments if you can, it’s my opinion that spending the time hunting for items that are “slow“ makes you feel different too when you wear them.
It’s my feeling that Slow Fashion is more sustainable, and better for the environment but you have to decide for yourself.
It’s been said that Fashion is responsible for some serious waste, and accounts for 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions. Of course it’s not the only industry in the world at fault, and I commend the industry for the changes being made on a large scale to begin tackling the issue- but buying one thing that will last longer just seems to make sense to me for the planet in the long term.
Worldwide, we throw away 2.1 billion tonnes of clothing each year. The majority of this goes in land-fill, or is shipped to other countries to dispose of. Fashion brands have gone from releasing two collections a year to five or more, and in the most extreme of cases; 24. The only way this can be kept up with is a phenomenal production and consumption of resources. In comparison, slow fashion is all about offering a lower rate of consumption of locally produced resources and I hope in turn, lowers carbon emissions. Slow fashion considers the materials used, and how the garment is made, to offer a more ethical solution without compromising on quality. My hope is that a lack of compromise of thinking local focuses brands to source local and sell to local whilst providing a longer life garment life.
Not only this, but as mentioned earlier slow fashion products are often made with materials that require less washing. This is fantastic for longevity, but again drops the carbon footprint of each purchased piece of attire. According to estimates by Mkinsey and Company, Washing and drying 1 kilogram of clothing over its entire life cycle, creates 11 kilograms of greenhouse gases.
If we have a wardrobe filled with clothes that we have to wash less regularly, and that last longer – the impact on our personal carbon footprint could potentially shift in the right direction.
Slow Fashion Is Timeless
With big retailers bringing out more collections than even fashion houses can’t keep up with, staying ‘on trend’ has never been harder. And yet, particular styles come round time and time again.
Skinny jeans are out, high-waisted soft denim and wide legs are in. I see myself in the mirror and am reminded of pictures of my mother in the 1990s. With my straight leg jeans and pulled tight belt for a tiny waist, I know I look like something that has just stepped out of a re-run of Friends. And I’m not unusual. In my early twenties, and almost everyone I know is heading back to ‘retro’ like it’s hot. (Although I suppose we have to bear in mind how much practicality plays into my wardrobe.)
In my lifetime alone, we’ve had a huge range of styles that have become ‘trendy’ and then been dropped in a matter of months. We’re talking; bleached blond tips, neon hair streaks, drop crotch trousers, low-waisted jeans, chinos, and athleisure. Everything has come and gone in just over 2 decades, it really has been a rollercoaster.
Fast fashion is considered trendy, and if that is what you’re into then nowhere will bring you the hottest looks off the runway quicker. But if you’re looking for something timeless, that doesn’t cater for 3 or 4 month long trends but instead speaks to your individual style and taste – then slow fashion is the way to go. I have a large range of hats, for almost every eventuality. Other than that, my wardrobe consists of clothes I could see myself wearing well into my 30s without needing much change.
Slow Fashion Is Conscious Consumption And Saves You Money
One of my all-time favourite books is Men at Arms, written by the ever-clever and hilarious Terry Pratchett. He had a character consider the economic problem of clothing choices, and came to the conclusion; ‘A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars… But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years.’
"The good boots lasted for years and years"
As I talked about earlier, fast fashion is created with the intention that within weeks or months you will most likely be buying more –there is no other way of keeping up with the 5-11 collections released than to purchase again. However, slow fashion encourages a decade of good use in a product before you need to replace it.
When I got my first big pay check at the age of 16, I splashed out on a beautiful pair of boots. That was 5 years ago and, aside from a little leather care and waterproofing over the years, they’re almost like new.
When I compare this to a pair of high street boots I once bought on a whim, the difference is quite stark. My good boots cost around 4 times that of the fast fashion pair – but lasted years longer, and still have a lot of life left in them. Obviously, cost can make buying slow-fashion difficult. However, I would argue in the long run you most likely save money as you buy less regularly.
Splashing out as a one off, whilst it might not seem like it at the time, is always going to be friendlier to the bank account than smaller, regular increments for more products. I was a big fan of high street shopping when I was younger, simply because on my wage it allowed me to get more for less – however, having now seen the difference in length of life I would say my understanding of ‘more for less’ has changed.
Now, when I think of ‘more for less’ I think of companies I can rely on to offer ethically sourced and produced products that will last so long I won’t be able to remember not having them. You get more for your money in terms of life-span, personal enjoyment and use than you could out of a product that lasts a summer, or perhaps a few months more.
Conclusion
I fully understand the appeal of high volume throwaway fashion. It’s cheaper at the point of purchase, it is easy to source, and it is always on trend with the latest fashions. However, five years of experience in clothing wearing out, and throwing away more than I am comfortable with, I know I’ll be a slow fashion convert for the foreseeable future. The benefits are too high to ignore, from easier savings to doing my bit for the environment. Slow fashion offers more ethical and kind options for the consumer, and keeps local cloth traditions alive in a way that fast fashion has ignored. Slow fashion clothes are beautifully made, can look fantastic and are easier to care for. What more could you want?
