Fast Fashion V Slow Fashion
One thing that I am sure you’ve seen a lot of recently is the environmental debate. This is one debate that the fashion industry has been in and out of a lot over the years whether it’s been campaigners against Furs or workers rights but one thing that gets to me about this industry that I work in is how things are so quickly swept under the rug.
Out of sight out of mind.
Frankly we need to stop looking at it that way because it’s just lazy. If we keep going the way we’re going then we’re not going to have a planet to call home any more and then it’ll be too late. Retailers cut corners to get us what we want but because we don’t see the inconveniences caused we don’t pay it any attention. So I’m going to try to make it clear to us all.
I’m not saying I’m perfect in this either but I am trying!
Fast fashion by definition is;
“Inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass market retailers in response to the latest trends.”
As these pieces are made to meet demand, the more we cave to the trends, the more demand we create. It’s unethical in that the majority of producers don’t take into consideration the people making the garments or where fabrics are coming from and how it affects the world. This means people are being employed for less than minimum wage to work harder than most of us will ever know and fabrics are being produced that don’t meet the environmental needs of the world.
Greenwashing is a term that’s been around for quite a while and has recently resurfaced in the fast fashion world. When we look at brands such as Boohoo who banned wool from their products but then reversed the decision hours later even though they didn’t even stock any wool products and then an investigation by Dispatches in 2017 showed that garment workers for the brand were only earning £3 an hour which is far below the legal minimum wage.
H&M (owners of & Other Stories and Arket ) have encountered many stumbling blocks in regards to greenwashing. & Other Stories gives the impression that their clothes are made in Sweden when in reality they are made by the same suppliers as H&M their much cheaper sister store. H&M also fell back on their promise to pay fair living wages by 2018 when in 2019 they changed it to “clear expectations regarding fair living wages”.
Fast fashion creates demand for synthetic fabrics which are huge pollutants.
Roughly 60% of garments in retail stores use polyester as a main fabric (this works out at about 21.3 million tonnes) There was a 157% increase in polyester production in clothing between 2000 - 2015. Synthetic Polyester is made from the chemical reaction that occurs between coal, petroleum, air and water. Burning coal and petroleum produces CO2, Nitrogenoxide, Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Sulphide, Sulfur Dioxide and particular matter. It is NOT biodegradable. This means that when it ends up in landfill instead of breaking down it instead seeps chemicals into the earth polluting the land around it whilst also releasing more CO2.
Just like I said in my first blog, The Fashion industry is the 2nd largest polluter coming second only to the oil industry which I honestly think is an abomination. Why are we allowing retailers and mass producers to kill the world when we can use natural fabrics instead which if anything contribute to the atmospheres recovery!
Slow fashion is the opposite of fast fashion. It’s pieces being made to stand the test of time in both style and quality. These pieces are made with higher quality fabric and tend to be made in smaller batches. Its conscious and mindful as well as more timeless than trendy. Think classic cuts and colours rather than the bold print trends you see in day to day life. This is also the ethical choice. Workers in slow fashion businesses tend to be better looked after as the garments are more expensive so they are (mostly) better paid. This means that it’s a more ethical practice as they are able to support their families.
Using natural fabrics helps the farming industry and the environment. Yes some natural products have a higher water consumption rate whilst others bring in animal welfare, there are less environmental repercussions than in manmade materials.
Cotton for example can be made naturally without pesticides but has a very high water consumption, silk is made by silk worms and in traditional practice they are killed in the production of the fabric but if we wait until the silk worms have naturally hatched we can piece the silk back together and it creates unique pieces of fabric that have even more character than the original method. Of course leather is made from cows and there is an ongoing discussion on whether leather is a byproduct of the meat trade or not and if vegan leather is as good for the environment as it’s made to seem. But we can save that argument for my next blog.
Good On You is one of my favourite apps for many reasons but my number 1 reason is that it breaks down the ethics of brands into 3 categories:
Labour
Environment
Animal
I use the app anytime I am introduced to a new brand or if I simply want to check a brands progress. They also have frequent articles on environmental and fashion related topics.
When shopping I know it can be hard enough finding what works for you without eliminating brands for their environmental and unethical practices but if we don’t cut the demand they won’t cut the production.
In my next blog I’ll talk more about the environmental effects of the fashion industry but I’m going to end this blog here otherwise you’d feel like you’re reading a book.
This months moral of the blog is be careful who you buy from.
Thanks so much for reading and I’ll be back with another blog next month. X