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Fast fashion v.s. Slow fashion
Fast Fashion vs. Slow Fashion: the environmental impact of our clothing
The problem with fast fashion
Unlike slow fashion, fast fashion is trend based – the fast fashion industry aim to produce clothing at a rapid rate in order to meet trend demands. These clothes are produced at incredibly low rates, so that they can be priced cheaply. This lead to lower quality clothing that has a short shelf life, meaning they will go to waste sooner – especially when the trend is over and consumers move onto purchase new items. This is bad for the environment as if feeds into a cycle of cheap clothing being discarded and repurchased for a short term trend. A study by McKinsey found that for every five garments produced each year, three are go to waste. Even more so, in order to keep prices low, fast fashion brands pay their workers incredibly low wages – sometimes, even below minimum wage. As a result, this feeds into poverty in low income countries where a vast majority of the population rely on these companies in order to live.
Is slow fashion the solution?
So, what is slow fashion? And how does this reduce the issues caused by fast fashion? Slow fashion companies are focused on creating higher priced and higher quality garments using better materials that can last longer. This means slow fashion clothing has a longer shelf life, which in turn reduces waste and the amount of overconsumption caused by the fast fashion industry, and lowers the amount of waste being discarded on this Earth. Most slow fashion brands only release between 2 to 3 collections a year, as to not overproduce garments that will need to be thrown away. As well as that, slow fashion brands carefully manage each step of the production process, ensuring good, ecological materials are used and being fair and ethical to their workers. The higher price of slow fashion clothing may not be appealing to consumers, but allow companies to purchase better materials and pay their workers fairly.
How can we reduce the environmental impact of our fashion by buying slow fashion?
Whilst clothing from slow fashion brands helps in creating garments in a responsible manner, overconsumption of clothing is still problematic. In order to combat this, you can shop responsibly by:
- Reduce Impulse Buying:
Think about purchases before you make them, decide whether they are pieces that you will wear on multiple occasions before you buy them. - Try Shopping Secondhand:
Before you purchase new clothes, try giving existing clothes a new life by looking through secondhand shops for the pieces you want before looking at new brands. - Research Brands You Purchase From:
Look into the ethics of the company, the materials they use, and how your clothes are made so that you can purchase from companies that have good practices. - Recycle Old Clothes:
Instead of throwing away clothes you no longer wear, look into charities and clothing donation bins in your area, these clothes can either be recycled or donated to those in need.
How is TET. part of the slow fashion movement?
At TET., we focus on creating responsible pieces that can last. We use materials such as organic bamboo, and organic cotton for our yoga and loungewear. Not only are these free of chemicals and ethically produced, but are well made and can last longer in your wardrobe.
Our swimwear is also built to last. With reversible designs, our bikinis can be worn in multiple ways and with different tops and bottoms that suit you. These timeless pieces can outlast trends. Start shopping responsible with TET. now!
