Fast Fashion
Fast fashion is exactly what it says it is……….fashion produced quickly (but at what cost?)
Mass market retailers produce high volumes of inexpensive, low quality garments for the consumer who demands the latest trend right now before throwing it away a moment later for the next. There’s little loyalty in this culture with focus on minimum spend and maximum speed. A viscous cycle is created as the consumer is encouraged to indulge far beyond their needs creating the market for the manufacturer to produce ridiculous volume ASAP. “Pile it high and sell it cheap” a phrase that used to make me cringe as a visual manager in fashion retail!
We all want to look and feel great and with influencers and targeted ads all over social media we buy into these ideals like never before. How simple has it become to see an outfit, click the link and use Face ID to complete the sale? More often than not the outfit of our dreams (for today at least) arrives at our door the very next day.
Looking back only a single generation we certainly have more disposable income and yet instead of investing in key pieces that have been ethically produced to a high standard we would rather pack our wardrobes to the rafters with cheap items that have no longevity or staying power when it comes to never going out of fashion. It’s true, fashion really does come back around but in the future, with quality compromised and our attitude flippant, there won’t be any fabulous pieces tucked away in our attics to pass on to the grandchildren as they just won’t last that long!!
I don’t know about you but when I think of landfill, I naively imagine rotting vegetables, like a giant compost heap that’s a good thing for the environment. Sadly, this is far from the truth. It has shocked and saddened me to find that almost 20% of all clothes manufactured, a value of £140 million, never even get purchased and head straight to landfill! The speed at which these ever-popular items are manufactured usually dictates that they are created from cheap, synthetic fibres that don’t even decompose. Add to this the 60,000 tonnes of clothing that is sent to landfill from household waste each year and we have a huge problem.
In 2019 a survey conducted by Barnardo’s predicted that people of Britain would spend a staggering £2.7 billion on fashion garments over the summer and only wear them once! It went on to state that a quarter of people would be embarrassed to wear an outfit to a special occasion such as a wedding more than once – this rises to 37% of young people aged 16-24.
We need a cultural change, a change in attitude to what supports our core values and makes us feel good about ourselves. A new outfit can certainly give your ego a boost but perhaps stop and consider an alternative option.
BUY FROM ETHICAL TRADERS OR THOSE THAT MAKE USE OF RECYCLED MATERIALS
There are so many brands out there that strive to minimise their impact on the environment. They source sustainable materials, work in partnership with the manufacturers and produce high quality garments that are made to last. Many manufacture from recycled materials, making use of surplus material from their own processes.
Here’s just a few of my favourites:
Dilli Grey | Ethical, Beautiful, Handmade | London
Hand block printed fabrics from India are used to make dresses, blouses, skirts, and pyjamas to name but a few. The price points are on the higher side but each garment is literally a work of art.
The link says it all! Rivalling most popular activewear brands on price and fit I can say from experience that the leggings are fantastic!
Renew: Eco-friendly Trainers & Clothes | Converse.com UK
Buying recycled doesn’t mean that you have to part with your favourite brands. Recently I have bought a pair of Converse High Tops. They’re made from off cut pieces of leather and material that would have previously been discarded meaning that they’re pretty unique. Although not completely manufactured from recycled materials, Converse Renew styles have soles made of up to 12% rubber scraps and 25% of each trainer is recycled. It’s a start.
Barefoot Shoes | Minimalist Footwear | Vivobarefoot UK
Recently I admired a friend’s pair of shoes. I was intrigued to find out that they were Vivo Barefoot. Without going into the benefits of barefoot science, this brand seem fantastic when it comes to sustainability. The new products often have recycled content and there’s vegan options to choose from too.
My favourite part of this story is that, to minimise their product going to landfill, Vivo offer a repair service for your favourite shoes. There’s a simple guide on their website on how to send your shoes back, free of charge and have them repaired.
Written by Emily W in the Buy Smarter Buy Greener team.