More & more people are looking to change their shopping habits this year. The pandemic saw the biggest drop in C02 emissions since world war 2, and it's not gone unnoticed by consumers. The fashion industry is the second largest contributor to global warming, just after the oil industry. Fast fashion brands have a lot to answer for: from promoting throw away culture, producing billions of items of clothing at cut neck speed to exploiting their garment workers. We are fed up, and I'm sure if you're reading this you are too! Whether you're just wanting to make small changes or completely quit fast fashion forever, we hope these things will help.
START WITH THE WHY
It can be difficult to give up something if you don't know why you’re doing it. Once you learn the true cost of the fashion industry’s impact on the planet it can be hard to turn a blind eye. There are so many blogs, books, podcasts, documentaries & more to start you on your conscious fashion journey. Here are some of our recommendations:
How To Break Up With Fast Fashion - Lauren Bravo
Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes
Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion
Slow Fashion: Aesthetics Meets Ethics
REWEAR & REPAIR
The most sustainable clothing is the ones you already own! Spend some time going through your closet and give it a good sort through. Donate items that you no longer need to charity shops or a friend & spend some time re-styling your old clothing. You’ll be amazed at how much this will clear your mind & make you feel better about the things you already own.
Our clothing doesn't need to be washed as much as you think! Cutting down on the number of times you wash an item will make it last a lot longer. If you have the time, repair your old clothing that has holes in rather than throwing it away. There are so many amazing DIY fashion accounts & YouTubers now for inspiration.
MAKE A 'WANTS' LIST
This one might be our personal favourite. You don't have to completely give up buying clothes as you might think! We recommend making a ‘wants’ list of items of clothing that you REALLY want and know will love for years to come. Then only commit to buying these clothes second-hand, from a small business or an ethical brand. When you finally find that item on your wants list it's a great feeling. The list also stops you from impulse buying and ending up with items that you don't like a few days later. We have also found that sometimes when you find an item on your list, you don't actually want it anymore. This method encourages us to buy less, and only buy items we love.
DONT FEEL GUILTY, OK?
It's hard to break up with something that you have been accustomed to for so long! Please never feel guilty if you find yourself back in Zara or frantically adding a dress that's on sale to your ASOS basket. Changes take time and it's not up to you, as an individual to solve the climate crisis! The real change needs to be happy with the fast fashion brands and the system as a whole. You should be proud of yourself for any small changes you make, even if you still shop at fast fashion brands. You got this!