Can fast fashion be sustainable

Can fast fashion be sustainable

can fast fashion be sustainable?

what is fast fashion?

Fast Fashion is the term used to portray clothing plans that move rapidly from the catwalk to stores to exploit trends. The assortments are frequently founded on styles introduced at Fashion Week runway shows or worn by big names.

Fast Fashion has a colossal environmental footprint for the two its creation and disposal. Clothing creation requires a lot of energy and resources, while it relies upon harmful toxic colors and different synthetics that pollute freshwater. The industry delivers a 10th of the world’s fossil fuel emissions.

When Zara arrived in New York toward the start of the 1990s, individuals originally heard the term „fast fashion”. It was authored by the New York Times to depict Zara’s central goal to require just 15 days for an article of clothing to go from the planning stage to being sold in stores.

Can fast fashion be sustainable?

Fast fashion in itself is a term used to describe polluting and environmentally unfriendly fashion, it doesn’t make much sense to say that it can be sustainable.

However, the question is actually valid, it should just be rephrased to „Can Sustainable Fashion Be Fast?”

There’s no short answer to that, so we will try to explain it as best as possible. Today, it is not possible to have a „fast sustainable fashion”, because no fast-fashion brand is genuinely eco-accommodating. However, as productivity increases and the fashion industry starts to get more innovative, we could start seeing sustainable fashion that is just as cheap, just as fast, and much better quality than its environmentally unfriendly opponent.

For now, we still have to fight against unethical business practices in the fashion industry that are destroying our planet. But if you ask us, buying sustainable fashion is far more worth it anyway, even if we don’t take into account the most important aspect of it, ethicality and eco-friendliness.

Can fast fahsion be sustainable

can fast fashion be recycled?

By and large, 700,000 tons of utilized attire get sent out abroad and 2.5 million tons of clothing are recycled. But more than 3,000,000 tons are burned, and a staggering 10 million tons get sent to landfills.

Fast-fashion is modest, worn momentarily, then, at that point, disposed of, leaving behind heaps of utilized clothing. Fast-fashion retailers guarantee their clients they will treat the pre-owned apparel reasonably, promoting their reusing framework. But the monster hills of low-quality worn clothes are a lot for second-hand merchants to deal with.

Buying fast-fashion is bad, but throwing your clothes in the trash is worse, during the deterioration cycle, clothes create greenhouse methane gas and filter poisonous chemical substances and dyes into the groundwater and soil.

The best thing anyone can do with unused clothes is to reuse, recycle or donate them. You can find more about how to do this with Planet Aid.

Does fast fashion provide jobs?

Like any other economic activity, it does provide jobs, to be precise, It utilizes 300 million workers all over the planet, large numbers of them in third world countries. More often than not, fast-fashion production happens in abroad nations, where work is incredibly cheap.

But the whole „It provides jobs” thing is a very stupid argument, we are going to tell you why. The economy does not revolve around jobs, these do not make the quality of living better, it is just a process to obtain goods and services (as clothes) which is the whole endpoint of the economy, and our lives revolve around it (from hunting and gathering food in prehistoric eras to making money as a YouTuber in our modern era).

Jobs are constantly changing, as they should. If we kept on to jobs so much we would still be producing VHS tapes because „They provide jobs”, or we would still be making swords like in the 1400s because „It provides jobs”, you see where we are going right?

Yes, fast fashion does provide jobs but so does slow fashion, and the interesting thing is that slow fashion advocates for well-paid ethical jobs that do not involve child labor, with environmentally friendly practices, so there is really nothing to lose here.

Does fast fashion provide jobs

summary

We hope we cleared it out for you, although fast-fashion may seem to have benefits, it does not have any that sustainable fashion has or will have, it is just a matter of time before people start figuring that out.

The sad part is there will be a long way to fight if most people don’t even know what fast or slow fashion is. That’s why we want to congratulate you because being interested and informing yourself on this topic is the first and most important step to make for sustainability in the fashion industry.

We also have a big surprise for you, we prepared an amazing About Us page so you can see how we started, who we are, our team, our mission, and many more things! Be sure to check that out here.

Can fast fashion be stopped

Can fast fashion be stopped

can fast fashion be stopped?

what is fast fashion?

Fast fashion is the term used to describe clothing designs that move quickly from the catwalk to stores to take advantage of trends. The collections are often based on styles presented at Fashion Week runway shows or worn by celebrities. Innovations in supply chain management among retailers make fast fashion possible.

Fast fashion has an enormous environmental footprint for both its production and disposal. Clothing production requires a considerable amount of energy and resources, while it depends on toxic fabric dyes and other chemicals that contaminate freshwater. Fashion produces a tenth of the world’s carbon emissions.

United States’ laws do not regulate offshore outsourcing in any way, but this business practice is highly protected by the North American Free Trade Agreement and other international treaties. Fast fashion is not a sustainable practice for any country.

In addition to environmental issues, fast fashion garments spark a lot of ethical concerns. They are often made in sweatshops where workers are employed for long hours in unsafe conditions.

why is fast fashion so popular?

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, fast fashion became a booming industry in America with people enthusiastically partaking in consumerism. Fast fashion retailers such as Zara, H&M, Topshop, and Primark took over high street fashion.

Why can’t we stop buying fast fashion? Because fast fashion giants are often able to drive down the costs of their goods through the use of low–quality materials and cheap labor, many consumers have come to associate low–cost clothing with fast fashion—and high–priced goods with sustainability.

Some argue that consumers should be blamed for purchasing fast fashion, while others argue that the blame should be placed on the companies and their practices. The thing is, we can’t really blame any of them, but the complete lack of information about this subject in our world, most people don’t even know that fast fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the whole world.

Can fast fashion be stopped

can fast fashion be stopped?

The short answer is YES, not only fast fashion can be stopped, but will be stopped in the future, as more people become aware that we only have one planet and fast fashion is destroying at an F1 race speed.

If you want to know more about how you can stop fast fashion from your own home, check out this article.
Another great thing to do with your clothes so you don’t throw them (which pollutes a lot in the landfills) is to donate or recycle them! Go to Planet Aid for more information in this matter.

what is slow fashion?

Slow Fashion is a growing movement that is getting more and more traction, with more people concerned about their carbon footprint and aware of how the clothes they wear are actually destroying our planet.

This movement is the complete opposite of fast fashion and tries to stop it and its consequences. Sustainable fashion was first introduced into the contemporary culture by the hippies in 1970, who prefer locally-grown, handmade, and pesticide-free products. Second-hand clothing was also worn by hippies, rejecting the mass-production culture that dominated America from the 1950s. You can read more about this ambitious ecological, human, and economic movement here.
Can fast fashion be stopped

summary

We already know how bad some business practices are, the next thing is to take action. We congratulate you for being interested in this topic, as this is the first and most important step in order to achieve sustainability in the fashion industry.

Some people don’t even know about all this, that is why we are in this situation right now. That’s why we should all do our duty as members of society, What’s that you may ask? Spreading the word, letting other people know about this great problem that we should all work together in because if there’s something as bad as creating a problem that will destroy the lives of millions of people, is knowing how to solve it and not doing anything about it.

That’s why you’re reading this right now, we’re trying to do our duty as best as we can, and that is also why we prepared a special About Us just for you, where you can take a look at how we started, who we are, our team, our mission, and many more things! Check it out right here.

How to do slow fashion

How to do slow fashion

With many more people becoming aware of their carbon footprint, the fashion dilemma is beginning to find its way into society, which is good. If you want to know more about the slow vs fast fashion dilemma check out slow vs fast fashion

The thing is, the fashion industry is the second-largest polluter in the world just after the oil industry. And the environmental damage is increasing as the industry grows. Fashion production makes up 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams. What’s more, 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year (UNECE, 2018), and washing some types of clothes sends a significant amount of microplastics into the ocean.

That is why, many more people are choosing the slow fashion alternative, which is not only much better for the environment and the people, but also better for the customer. Today, we will show you how you can turn your polluting and unethical fashion habits into a sustainable and ethical way of life, without sacrificing money, time, or style, but actually gaining time, style, and eventually money.

Buy from sustainable clothing brands

This one is a little bit obvious, but often unenforced. You should buy from brands you trust and know that are using ethical practices to make their clothes, which are very rare actually.

Even if it’s tempting to buy a $6 pair of jeans from H&M, you’re here for a reason, and that is stopping one of the worst business practices in our modern times, Fast fashion. You already know the terrible outcomes of consuming fast fashion if you are reading this, so why still buy fast fashion?

If you want to know some of the best brands that sell slow fashion, check out what is slow fashion, where we talk about them.

How to do slow fashion

how to do slow fashion at home

You already know how to do slow fashion at the store, it’s pretty straightforward, but, How to do slow fashion at home?

Consider if you already have too many clothes, according to a survey of 1000 American women, the average woman has 103 items of clothing in her closet, but she only wears around 10% of them and considers 21% to be unwearable 33 % too tight and 24% too loose.

One of the best rules to know if you have too many clothes is the 3 W’s rule.  When you see an item of clothing for the first time in an undisclosed amount of time and you ask yourself What? When? From Who? then you know you have too many clothes that you don’t need.

Don’t feel guilty if you do have many clothes, you may be wearing every one of those items because you’re someone who loves expressing themselves through clothes, but you shouldn’t have so many clothes that you forget about them after a few uses either.

The 30 Day rule

One of the best rules that can teach you how to do slow fashion while shopping is the 30 Day Rule, basically, whenever you decide to buy some clothing product ask yourself „Will I wear it a minimum of 30 times?” if the answer is truly yes, then go on. You will be surprised to know how many times you say no.

How to do slow fashion

Donate clothes

If you’re wondering how to do slow fashion when your closed is almost going to explode from handling so many clothes to dress an entire village, don’t worry, there is a great thing you can do with all the clothes that you don’t need.

You should donate, why? because it’s great for the planet, the number of clothes that are thrown in the landfill is huge, especially as there’s no need for any clothing or textiles to make its way into a bin. By donating your clothes instead, you can help fight landfill, reduce demand for resource-hungry new clothes, and have a real impact in making fashion more sustainable.

The garment industry is one of the largest carbon polluters on planet Earth, and one of the greatest producers of waste. Three out of five of the 100 billion garments made in 2018 will end up in landfills within a year.

And when consumers throw away clothing in the garbage, not only does it waste money and resources, but it can take 200+ years for the materials to decompose in a landfill. During the decomposition process, textiles generate greenhouse methane gas and leach toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil.

So yes, you should definitely donate your clothes, if you don’t know how, please check out Planet Aid so you understand a little bit more how to do it and its benefits.

summary

We hope you have learned how to do slow fashion and put this information into practice. The biggest problem about slow fashion and why no one knows how to do slow fashion is because no one even knows what slow or fast fashion means, and that is why we want to spread the word, a blog post at a time.

We are surprised such a small amount of people are informed about the dangers of fast fashion to this world considering its horrible impact on our world. 

Anyway, knowing how to do slow fashion, why don’t you take a look at our About Us page that we prepared just for you? In it we explain to you how we started, our mission, our team, and many more things you don’ want to miss out on.

Slow Vs Fast Fashion

slow vs fast fashion

the Slow vs fast fashion dilemma

With globalization, trends, and more people being able to afford much more with their salaries, the fashion industry is getting bigger and bigger every year, but, Is the current fashion industry sustainable? What consequences does it have on our planet and how can we change this?

The facts are that fashion production makes up 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams. What’s more, 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year (UNECE, 2018), and washing some types of clothes sends significant amount of microplastics into the ocean.

We will be discussing what is Fast Fashion, what is Slow Fashion, and what choice we should make to reduce our carbon footprint.

Slow Vs Fast Fashion

what is fast fashion?

Fast fashion is the term used to describe clothing designs that move quickly from the catwalk to stores to take advantage of trends. … Fast fashion describes low-priced but stylish clothing that moves quickly from design to retail stores to meet trends, with new collections being introduced continuously.

Fast fashion has an enormous environmental footprint for both its production and disposal. Clothing production requires a considerable amount of energy and resources, while it depends on toxic fabric dyes and other chemicals that contaminate freshwater. Fast Fashion produces a tenth of the world’s carbon emissions.

Today, the fast fashion industry’s indisputable leader in the Spanish retail group Inditex, which owns a family of brands including Zara, Mango, and Massimo Dutti, among others. They introduce clothes and trends almost every week at a very cheap monetary price (With a very high humanitarian and environmental cost) and throw out all the clothes that are not sold in that period of time.

what is slow fashion?

Slow fashion, is a concept describing the complete opposite of fast fashion and part of the “slow movement”, which advocates for manufacturing with respect to people, the environment, and animals.

Why Do We Even Need A Slow Fashion? Sustainable or slow fashion encourages the use of locally produced, biodegradable fabrics which have little to no adverse effects on the environment. So these fabrics can eventually return to the ecosystem, once you are done wearing them.

One of the advantages of slow vs fast fashion is that slow fashion encompasses awareness and an approach to fashion that considers the processes and resources required to make clothing. It advocates for buying better-quality garments that will last longer and value fair treatment of people, animals, and the planet along the way. So, slow fashion is considerably better quality than fast fashion, although sometimes it can be pricey, but you don’t have to buy new clothes every month like with fast fashion.

Slow vs fast fashion - slow fashion vs fast fashion

slow vs fast fashion

It is pretty clear already that this slow vs fast fashion dilemma is resolved, slow fashion wins! But, why isn’t everyone buying it already? Why are people keep shopping from fast fashion brands only to find themselves throwing a ton of clothes they don’t need, clothes that have already left a very big carbon footprint in our world and were made with sweat and hard work of underpaid workers.

There are many reasons for this, one of them is that although fast fashion if let free would destroy our planet, it is cheaper, and many people would prefer buying a $6 pair of jeans that will last a month rather than a $65 pair that will last 10 years.

But that is not the main reason for the unpopularity of slow fashion in the slow vs fast fashion dilemma, the biggest issue is that the majority of people don’t even know what fast fashion is. When did you first hear about fast fashion? Do you know anyone personally who also knows what that means? Most likely, no. And that is surprising considering how bad fast fashion is to our planet and other people.

How are people going to choose between slow vs fast fashion if they don’t even know what that means? Even if some people have heard about fast fashion, they have a vague idea of what that is and think it’s some kind of crop top that starts running from the closet.

The best thing we can do to help slow fashion win the slow vs fast fashion dilemma is to be informed. The next best thing to do is spread the word so that at least people know what those terms mean, then action should be taken.

Summary

The slow vs fast fashion dillemma is something that will be talked about a lot in the near future, and hopefully, people start taking action so that we and our planet can stand a chance at survival.

There are plenty of things you can do regarding fashion to become more sustainable, here’s a post on how to do slow fashion.
You can also donate your clothes so you don’ throw them and pollute (Because clothes in the landfills do pollute a lot). Planet Aid shows you exactly how to do this and the benefits of donating or recycling clothes.
If you liked our stance on the slow vs fast fashion dilemma, feel free to check our About Us page! We are part of the slow fashion movement, in this page we prepared for you, we will tell you about how we started, our team, our mission, and much more! Be sure to check that out.
Slow vs Fast Fashion What To choose

When Did Slow Fashion Start

When did Slow fashion Start

When did Slow Fashion start?

what is slow fashion?

Slow Fashion is a growing movement that is getting more and more traction, with more people concerned about their carbon footprint and aware of how the clothes they wear are actually destroying our planet.

This movement is trying to stop fast fashion, which is the term used to describe clothing designs that move quickly from the catwalk to stores to take advantage of trends. Fast fashion describes incredibly cheap clothing that moves quickly from design to retail stores to meet trends, with new collections being introduced continuously. Fast fashion has an enormous environmental footprint for both its production and disposal. Read more about fast fashion here.
When did slow fashion start

when did slow fashion start?

Slow fashion was named in 2007 by Kate Fletcher in an article published in The Ecologist, where she compared the eco / sustainable / ethical fashion industry to the slow food movement.

But actually, sustainable fashion was first introduced into the contemporary culture by the hippies in 1970, who prefer locally-grown, handmade, and pesticide-free products. Second-hand clothing was also worn by hippies, rejecting the mass-production culture that dominated America from the 1950s.

The first brands to take some action against fast fashion were Patagonia and Esprit, who began pioneering sustainable clothing in the late 1980s, as their founders observed the negative environmental impacts of the clothing manufacturing industry.

Here you can find out more about modern brands who are in the sustainable fashion movement.

How to do slow fashion

The best and most basing thing you can do to achieve a sustainable clothing industry is to be informed, many people don’t even know what fast fashion is, so how are we going to achieve sustainability in the clothing industry and change the world for the better if most people don’t even know about fast fashion?

It is surprising to know that many people haven’t heard that term when fast fashion is responsible for 10 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and 20 percent of global wastewater and uses more energy than the aviation and shipping sectors combined.

One of the best practices to reduce your carbon footprint is the 30 Day Rule. Basically, every time you buy something, always think, „Will I wear it a minimum of 30 times?” If the answer is yes, then buy it. But you’d be surprised how many times you say no.

Quality beats quantity. Buying better quality, more sustainable clothing is likely to cost you more money than buying a cheap high-street product that doesn’t tick the right boxes. However, even if it costs more, you’re likely to have it for longer and will be buying less per season overall. Buying just a few high-quality items a year, rather than lots of cheaper, less eco-friendly pieces, will dramatically reduce your carbon footprint.

Can you recycle slow fashion?

Yes! Just like any other clothing, Slow Fashion is 100% recyclable. … Any clothes, shoes, accessories, or household textiles that don’t sell at thrift stores are sold in bulk as salvage to recyclers. And these recyclers sort the used textiles for further distribution and repurposing.

When clothes end up in landfills they create greenhouse gases, so recycling instead of throwing them helps diminish the forces that contribute to climate change. Reusing the fabric in old clothes means fewer resources, both monetary and environmental, are wasted in growing fiber for new ones. You can learn more about recycling your clothes with Planet Aid.

How to know if i have too many clothes?

According to a survey of 1000 USA women, the average woman has 103 items of clothing in her closet. But she only wears around 10% of them and considers 21% to be unwearable, 33 % too tight, and 24% too loose.

A good indicator to know when you have too many clothes is the What? When? From Who? rule. If you start asking those questions when you see an item of clothing in your closet for the first time in many months or years, then you know you probably have too many clothes that you don’t need.

Don’t feel guilty about having many clothes in your closet, as long as you wear all of them and you didn’t buy and forgot about them after a couple of uses. Maybe you’re someone who likes to express themselves through clothes, or you are someone minimalistic who doesn’t need a large variety of clothes, it depends on every person, and that’s why you should always decide how many clothes you need and how much is too much.

Slow Fashion - How to know if I have too many clothes

Summary

Slow fashion is a fast-growing movement that is aiming for a sustainable fashion industry, which is right now one of the biggest polluters of our world. Everyone can take part in this movement, even without any money or resources, and you can begin making a big change from your own house right now.

You have already made a big step most people did not, and that is getting interested in slow fashion and being willing to learn about it, Congratulations! Now the next big step is taking action, even if it’s a small one.

We are part of the slow fashion movement ourselves, and we invite you to look into our journey, our mission, our team, and many more things we prepared for you in our About Us page.

What is slow fashion

What is Slow Fashion?

What Is Slow Fashion?

Slow fashion refers to the exact opposite of fast fashion, and it is considered a movement that wants to stop the terrible environmental, economic, social, and moral outcomes of fast fashion.

Slow fashion wants to achieve sustainability in the fashion industry, which is the second-largest polluter in the world just after the oil industry with environmental damage that is increasing as the industry grows.

The slow fashion movement wants clothes made from biodegradable materials, made with non-polluting production methods, and hiring people with a decent wage, without exploiting the workers from 3rd world countries (The end goal is not to refuse those people the job, but to pay them decently).

Is Slow Fashion More Expensive?

Slow fashion involves producing clothes with non-polluting processes and ethical work, which is naturally more expensive as the costs fast fashion outsources to the environment and 3rd world countries are eliminated by slow fashion.

For now, slow fashion still remains a little more expensive directly on the customer, but the clothes slow fashion offers are more durable, are more personalizable, and, most importantly, ethical and sustainable.

As more people become aware of the dangers of fast fashion and decide to shop responsibly, slow fashion is going to become more profitable, which is going to make room for innovations and new inventions that will make this ecological alternative much cheaper.

More Information On Fast Fashion

You can watch this video here which will explain in more detail what fast fashion is and why it’s bad, as well as how to avoid and fight it.

What Are The Best Sustainable Slow Fashion Brands?

Grammar NYC: This beautiful store sells one of the best clothes out there, not only do they use the best quality materials, but they also make their designs with FASHION in mind. The only bad thing about this brand is its price, which is arguably very high, but at least the quality and sustainability match the price greatly. You can visit their store here.

Two Days Off: This store uses locally produced, ecological clothes made with recycled materials. They use linen, cotton, wool, and hemp for their products. Like the last one, price is not their strength, but they do offer original and stylish clothing. You can visit their store here.
ABLE: This Ethical Slow Fashion Brand has clothing and accessories made fairly by makers around the world. They are taking a big step in the way for transparency in the fashion industry by publishing their wages. Their clothes are more affordable than the other brands but still not as cheap as one would like to. You can visit their store here.
Valani: This colorful Plant-based clothing brand creates mostly feminine clothing for a lighter living. Valani’s dreamy garments are made from low-impact fibers like hemp, Tencel, and banana viscose, a bit like Two Days Off. Additionally, the brand uses strategic cutting techniques and reuses fabric scraps to minimize waste. They have really colorful clothes that you should check out here.
PLEA: This is our own brand! We too offer sustainable slow fashion clothing that you can buy. We mostly focus on t shirts, hoodies, and accessories, but they’re at an affordable price, and not only that, but we offer customizable clothes, That’s right! You can create a custom t shirt, hoodie, or accessories so we can then make them and sent them to you because we use a revolutionary method that does not involve creating tons of clothes before selling them, we just produce them on command! You can check out our shop here.

Summary

The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry and is responsible for a lot of the contamination in the world, but that doesn’t need to be the case anymore. All of this can change and will with your help, everyone can do something to help, and being informed about the issue is one big step. What really surprises us is the fact that fast fashion, as bad as it is, is almost unheard of, and we want to change that, one blog post at a time.

Anyways, this article ends here, check out our other blog posts about this issue on our blog page or check out our shop, or better, our about page to know who we are, what our mission is, and how we are going to fight fast fashion.

Stay safe and shop responsibly 🙂
What Is Slow Fashion
PLEA