With the change of seasons and years, we sometimes feel the need to reinvent ourselves. Whether it is making ambitious to-do lists, taking on a new hobby, or experimenting with your look. For example, you could change up your look to match this image of the ‘new you’ you had in mind. Naturally, it would feel tempting to cut off your hair and purchase new clothes to match your new and fresh look. Experimenting with your style is great fun after all!

Now, you can change up your hairdo as many times you want and nobody will be harmed. However, purchasing new clothes actually can do harm. Especially when it is concerning new fast fashion you can find in the high streets. The biggest chains that offer the trendiest pieces for incredibly low prices are constantly tempting us to join in on the most fashionable styles.

But if we aren’t paying the price clothing is worth… Who is?

The short answer is ‘the earth’. But the real answer is far more complex than that. One of the reasons fast fashion is so affordable is because the labor workers get paid below minimum wage. Unethical work conditions in sweatshops prune to collapse (as happened before) are still ongoing. In addition, we can all imagine how consuming and wasting a lot of materials could cause harm to the earth. The Fashion Industry is one of the most polluting industries to date, turning fibers and materials into something disposable rather than durable. The mass manufacturing of garments has enabled us to buy, and throw out clothes as often as you want because it has gotten oh-so affordable.

It has become an industry based on creating more waste the earth can handle, co-causing the environmental crisis. Fast fashion retailers are the second-highest polluters of clean water. They dump toxic chemicals into clean water whereas the production of garments requires a lot of clean water themselves. If they pollute the waters, how can they get clean water to grow their fibers? It is not only an unsustainable business model in the long term - but also a hypocritical one.

Interested to know more about the fashion industry’s impact on our waters?

Check out the informative documentary RIverBlue and see the trailer below.

Fashion is meant to be fun, meant to last you long, and meant to help you self-express and experiment. And luckily, all of this is still possible in the 21st century. We only need to slow it down a bit.

How to join the slow fashion movement

Stating the obvious, but one way to join the slow fashion movement is to stop shopping fast-fashion. If the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. They are not worth your pennies, but so many other sustainable retailers are!
Slow & ethical. As the environmental crisis develops, more and more fashion brands are reinventing their sustainability policies. So let us applaud that! There are many great sustainable options available to us now. If you want to check out some cool styles, download the app Good On You, where they critically assess and rank brands based on ethics and environmental impact.
Step by step. It could be hard to break habits. If you used to spend a lot of time scrolling fashion websites and adding items to your wishlist - you’ll notice that stopping abruptly will be difficult. If you’re just starting out with purchasing less, delete the shopping apps on your phone you used to mindlessly travel to when killing time.
Another way to reduce your spending is to make a strict list of things you are allowed to buy new. For example a coat suitable for the new season, or a pair of trainers to work out in. Try to stay focussed and only look for those items without adding additional things to your cart. Practice makes perfect!
Rent and Circulate. Some fashion brands are even offering rental possibilities, where you can ‘loan’ their items for a period of time and send them back once you feel done with them. Not only is this circular, but also a very fun way to keep on experimenting with fashion without paying the environmental price! You can also host a swapping party with your friends, and bring all the items that don’t spark joy for you anymore but maybe will light that spark for your friends. You end up with something new and exciting to wear, and your old garments get a new loving home too!
Second hand. Vintage and thrift shops are popping up everywhere... Which is great! You can hunt treasures there and find something unique. But also if you don’t have time to shop in-store, there are great ways to support second-hand resellers. Many of which are hosting daily Instagram sales, where you can purchase an item you like simply by sliding into their DMs. Also second-hand websites such as Vinted (affordable prices) and Vestiare Collective (high-end fashion) offer a great selection of pre-loved garments.

If you continue to consciously build your wardrobe and add to it with sustainable gems you truly love, you will find yourself far more satisfied with your look. After all, you are unique, and your wardrobe should match that level!