What is Slow Fashion?

Slow fashion is about finding sustainable clothing to fill your wardrobe. Actually considering where your clothes come from and where they will end up is essential to this concept. Attaining clothes of higher quality, that are going to last you longer instead of just a season of trendiness opposes the fast-fashion society we live in. Generally, buying from smaller stores and thrifting clothes is a good way to go about this sustainability movement, as this avoids supporting major companies that make cheap, poor quality clothes in an unethical manner and that burn unbought items. With the climate in turmoil, this is one way each individual can make a difference, and stop the demand for fast fashion. The following are ways to make your wardrobe more sustainable, so you can start implementing these tips today!

Start with Basics

Firstly, to avoid buying new clothes and believing you have ‘nothing to wear’ you need to invest in your basic essentials. Typically, you want the items in your wardrobe to go with the majority of your other wardrobe pieces, to create as many outfits as possible. For example, take a simple oversized white blouse. You can pair it with jeans or shorts for a casual look, a skirt for a dressier outfit, or formal black pants for a work look. You can even achieve that Instagram trend of having tops hang long like a dress paired with bicycle shorts. Another thing to look about for is trans-seasonal pieces, such skirts you can wear alone or with stockings, and long dresses you can wear with a coat in colder months. Think classic coats, a good pair of jeans, and quality t-shirts to achieve sustainability.

Renting

Once the basics are sorted, there are bound to be special occasions that pop up which make you want to purchase a new outfit. Instead, you can actually rent pieces online that are of high quality and often designer, such as The Volte. These items are sustainable as they save many individuals from buying pieces that will only be worn once. You can look great in the outfit you want, but feel good knowing you spent a fraction of the price and kept sustainable. Whether it is for a formal, wedding, ball or the races, you can always find a rentable alternative.

Op Shopping

Op shopping stops more clothes going to landfill, and decreases the demand for fast fashion brands. Op shopping is great when you go prepared with some styles to look for, such as graphic t-shirts or a good pair of jeans. Do not go crazy looking for designer items, instead find pieces that feel of great quality. Try looking in the men’s area and do not limit yourself to a clothing rack of one size, especially because as these clothes come from all different places, a size 6 in one top is not necessarily a size 6 in another. Try on the clothes, take your time, and learn to reuse. If you are cleaning out your own wardrobe, consider donating to op shops or the homeless, rather than landfill. You could even invite friends over and have a clothing swap, and gain some exciting pieces for your own wardrobe in return.

Quality Materials

Try finding clothes made out of more sustainable materials. Not every piece has to look like a potato sack or oatmeal colour to be sustainable. Fabrics such as Linen, Hemp and recycled cotton are the most popular. Linen, in particular, is very on-trend, and it is a lightweight material perfect for the upcoming Summer months. It is biodegradable, and naturally moth resistant, which is an added bonus. A big area to be cautious of is cotton, whereby conventional cotton is harmful to the environment as it takes a lot of pesticides to grow, however, organic cotton has started to become more popular and has a lower environmental impact in its production.

Overall, think twice about your wardrobe, as you could be contributing negatively to your environment. Slow fashion is a movement we should all support, so get behind sustainability in the form of op shopping, renting or high-quality clothing items you will get the most wear out of.