Slow Fashion Doesn’t Have To Be Boring

Shoes: TOMS (on sale!) | Pants: Reformation | Sweater: American Eagle thrifted via Goodwill

Over the past few months I’ve started following more and more ethical and sustainable Instagram accounts to gain inspiration and to learn more about living consciously from those that are farther along in their journeys than I am. As I have started to discover more and more accounts that fit this slow fashion & slow lifestyle descriptors, my Instagram feed has started to look monotonous. Rooms with white walls, sparse furniture, and lots of plants. Neutral colored outfits, with lots of wide leg cropped pants and off-white thrifted sweaters. An occasional colorful scarf or bag, but really everything looked the same. The other day, as I stepped back in the mirror to look at my very neutral outfit (see here), I realized that my perception of the slow fashion movement had shifted. The narratives of the media I was consuming led me to believe that slow fashion = minimalism, and that ethical and sustainable fashion = neutral colored clothing, and that if my closet wasn’t perfectly curated for this season’s capsule wardrobe, there was no way I could claim I was a member of the slow fashion movement. 

DigiDay defines slow fashion as “the deliberate choice to buy better-quality items less often. When purchases are made, they’re environmentally and ethically conscious rather than trend-driven”. Who What Wear says slow fashion is all “about consuming and creating fashion consciously and with integrity. It connects social and environmental awareness and responsibility with the pleasure of wearing beautiful, well-made, and lasting clothing (as compared to the immediate gratification of fast fashion).” By definition slow fashion ≠ minimalism, slow fashion does not require a capsule wardrobe or sparsely filled closet, and slow fashion ≠ boring, neutral, monochromatic clothing. Slow fashion is all about your mindset when approaching purchasing decisions and your values, and not at all about what your clothes look like. 

I got these rainbow pants from Reformation, a brand I talk about constantly on here. You could easily get a similar pair from any fast fashion store you can imagine, but I chose to purchase them during Reformation’s sale because they a) fit my budget, b) are from a company whose transparency I appreciate and whose values I support, and c) are really fricken cute. These shoes are from TOMS, a company whose values and business model I also support. They’re also currently on sale!!! This sweater I purchased from Goodwill with the intention of reselling it online, but after a full Konmari of my closet – and more specifically the tan sweater portion of my closet – I decided to keep this simple sweater because it’s versatile and incredibly soft. All of these purchases fall in line with the slow fashion movement — each purchase was made consciously, and each purchase supports companies that support my values. I can guarantee, however, that you wouldn’t find all of these pieces in a typical “slow fashion closet”. These pants probably wouldn’t make it into someone’s 30 piece capsule wardrobe, but if I want to wear sustainably and ethically made rainbow striped pants, I’m sure as hell going to do so. They may not be as versatile, but they definitely bring me joy.

The slow fashion movement is not ‘one size fits all’. For you, becoming a part of the slow fashion movement may mean choosing a capsule wardrobe, and adopting a more minimalist style. Becoming a part of the slow fashion movement could also mean giving up purchasing clothing for an extended period of time, and only buying from sustainable and ethical brands when absolutely necessary. Becoming a part of the slow fashion movement may also mean you have a closet full of rainbow striped pants and periwinkle blue heels. Joining the slow fashion movement and becoming a more conscious consumer is not a contest, and there are no rules about what your clothing can and cannot look like. So go ahead, buy the rainbow pants.