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A common reaction to learning about the environmental and human rights impacts of the fast fashion industry is wanting to give it up altogether. Immediately after watching The True Cost for the first time I vowed to never set foot in another fast fashion store for the rest of my life. For many – including me – it feels like the only appropriate response. The problem is, giving up fast fashion isn’t as easy as it sounds. It’s more than just the stores you shop from. It’s also a mindset: feeling the need to be up on the latest nano-trends, the content need for new clothing, incredibly fast purchase-wear-throw away cycles, etc. You can’t just quit that mindset overnight.
Everyone’s journey with giving up fast fashion will be different. In this post I will take you through some of the important steps and will give you some ideas for how to practically change your relationship with fast fashion.
If you’re curious what the process was like for me check out this post.
Education is arguably the most important part of this journey. There are so many ethical and environmental issues that are created by and/or exacerbated by the fast fashion industry, and having a well rounded idea of those issues can help you identify better alternatives and stay committed on this journey. This is also a great opportunity to zero on in your values and think about whether you want to prioritize vegan materials, ethical production, sustainable materials, transparency, holistic approaches to sustainability, or a combination of those things.
Here are some of my favorite resources and thought leaders that have taught me a lot of what I know about fast fashion, slow fashion, and everything in between:
Start where you are. Are you buying fast fashion on a regular basis? Do you over-consume when you shop for clothing? Do you have more to learn about sustainable & ethical clothing? It is nearly impossible to switch off overconsumption tendencies overnight and it’s important to be realistic about this journey, so knowing where you are starting from will help set you up for success.
Reflect on your privilege. What privileges might make giving up fast fashion easier for you? What might make it more difficult? For many, completely giving up fast fashion may not be possible. Reflect on what end goal makes the most sense for you and focus on that. Shifting away from fast fashion is an individual process. To read more about privilege in the sustainability movement read this post.
Have a goal or a purpose. It’s important to understand your purpose while starting this journey. Is it to consume less? To distance from fashion trends? To shop more sustainably or ethically? To save money? To invest in clothing that will last a long time? To be a more conscious consumer? To completely quit fast fashion? Zero in on a purpose to focus on and come back to throughout your slow fashion journey.
Setting boundaries can make the transition away from fast fashion much more manageable. Fast fashion’s focus on micro-trends and the constant introduction of new products can create FOMO and that ultimately leads to purchases. Unplug from whatever outlets or platforms that give you this feeling so you can have a clearer mind going into your purchases. Take a good look at the social media accounts you follow, the websites you visit most often, the brands you get emails from, and even the ads you get on other websites.
Breaking up with fast fashion is just as much about not shopping from fast fashion stores as it is changing the way you consume clothing. Here are some ways you can begin to break out of the “fast fashion mindset” and the urge to consistently over-consume.
It’s a common misconception that in order to have a sustainable closet you cannot own any unsustainable items, but the most sustainable clothing is what you already have! Don’t feel like you need to purge your closet and refill it with more sustainable items. Here are two things to to try instead:
Consider doing a closet audit to get a full understanding of what you currently have in your closet. Look at items you wear the most and items you wear the least. Try styling items you rarely or never wear to get into the habit of being creative with the items in your closet. Keep what you learned in mind when it is time to add something new to your closet.
Consider trying a no buy month. Committing to buying no new clothing for a period of time (a week, a month, a year) is a great exercise to understand where your urges to consume come from and zero in on what you need or really want vs. what you just want.
I want to make this clear – you can buy clothing from only the most sustainable and ethical stores and still participate in overconsumption and throwaway fashion culture that the fast fashion industry encourages and perpetuates. When you do shop, it’s important to think through your purchasing processes a bit more than you may be used to. Here are some things to think about when you do go shopping:
Buy Less – Buy what you really want or need. Buy clothing you are excited about and really love. Try to make less impulse purchases. Buy items that are versatile or will be worn a lot.
Buy To Last – Buy items that are high quality and will last you a long time. Choose items with a fit that you like – either that fit you well, can be tailored to fit you the way you want, or can be adjusted to different sizes or fit preferences. Start by investing in sustainably made quality basics that you wear the most often – like denim, tee shirts, or workout clothing.
Buy Sustainably & Ethically – Support sustainable and ethical brands whenever possible (considering what is available to you and what makes most sense for your situation). Shop from small sustainable businesses, buy from stores that are transparency about their supply chains and their sustainability initiatives, and buy clothing made from more sustainable materials – like natural and organic options – whenever you can.
Whether or not you are able to fully break up with fast fashion as a shopper, another important piece to the slow fashion puzzle is advocating for industry-wide changes. Individual action is important but system change is significantly more impactful.
Communicate with brands and demand them to take action. Consider asking about supply chain transparency, paying their garment workers a living wage, pursuing certifications to further legitimize their sustainability or ethics initiatives, offering a full plus size range, etc. Read more about communicating with companies here.
Communicate with elected officials and ask them to support legislation that protects garment workers, requires supply chain transparency, & sets guidelines for accountability. SB 62, The Garment Worker Protection Act in California, is a great example of legislation that could make a huge impact on the lives of garment workers.
Donate your time, money, expertise, or platform to further the cause of organizations working to hold brands accountable and fight for a fairer and more sustainable fashion industry. Refer back to a few of the organizations under the “learn” subheading or find some local organizations you can get involved with.
Last but not least, it is so important to reject perfection in your slow fashion journey. My motto for individual sustainability – progress, not perfection – is also a great motto for your journey with breaking up with fast fashion. Major shifts in your consumer habits cannot happen overnight. It takes time and effort!
Individual sustainability is a continual journey. Don’t beat yourself up over the occasional impulse buy or fast fashion purchase. You can only do the best you can with what you have, and what you have may change over time. Plus, you are not at fault for the environmental & human rights issues caused by fast fashion brands. Those companies are are ultimately responsible for what happens in their supply chains.
And lastly, remember that people are able to participate in sustainability movements in different ways for a variety of reasons – access, education, financial privilege, etc. – and it is not your place to judge others for their actions or lack thereof when you do not know their situations. Your slow fashion journey should be an individual one.
This ebook has all of the tools I wish I had when I began my sustainable fashion journey in 2015. It’s a practical guide to starting your slow fashion journey with the clothes that are already in your closet. No expensive brand recommendations, no hard and fast rules, and no judgements.
Here’s some of what’s inside:
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