Sustainable Fashion 101: Understanding the Basics and Its Importance
With increasing concerns about the effects of our actions on the environment, it’s important to understand how sustainable fashion can help reduce our carbon footprint. By making fashion more sustainable, we can minimise the effects of our rampant clothing consumption, and ease the growing environmental cost of disposable fashion.
But unfortunately, not everyone is pro-sustainability. The fast fashion magnates would argue that they’ve been able to democratise fashion, making it more accessible and affordable for all. Importantly though, if we’re choosing to purchase a cute new outfit every time we go out over considering the many long-term repercussions of polluting our planet, surely there’s something inherently wrong with our society? Let’s discuss.
Fast Fashion Faux Pas: Cheap, Nasty and Past its Expiration Date
In essence, the idea behind the creation of fast fashion was to democratise the world of catwalk couture. It gave everyday consumers access to styles usually only sported by celebrities and the ultra-rich. By mimicking haute couture, fast fashion allows us to be on-trend at a fraction of the cost. In this way, bringing the latest runway trends off the catwalk and into department stores has enabled us to model our favourite celeb looks with ease and relative affordability. Later, the rise of the online eCommerce store served to slash prices even further, with retailers such as Shein, Boohoo and Missguided offering ultra-cheap apparel for a steal.
But what is the real cost of fast fashion? For one, the textile waste associated with an increasingly high turnover of clothing is wreaking havoc on the environment. The idea that fashion is disposable, that it can be acquired cheaply and just as easily thrown away, is also having social impacts. With the rise of influencer culture, impressionable young consumers are being led to believe that you can only wear something once - that to make a statement, you need to keep your fashion fresh. Gone are the days of investment pieces, mix-and-match basics, and quality, long-wearing clothing items. Instead, fast fashion has facilitated the age of purchasing a new (albeit, cheap) outfit for every occasion.
So what do the fast fashion magnates have to say about the severity of their impact - especially on the environment? In a recent partnership, reality TV celebrity Kourtney Kardashian’s collaboration with eCommerce retailer Boohoo has - allegedly - attempted to shine a light on fast fashion by raising awareness of the issue. However, the campaign has been accused of being nothing but greenwashing - when fast fashion providers claim they are making real efforts towards sustainability, with no real evidence to support this.
Future-Proofing Fashion: Sustainable Solutions for Savvy Sartorialists
Let’s face it: if we truly care about safeguarding our planet, fast fashion is certainly not the way of the future. So if you’re interested in actually making a real difference in terms of sartorial sustainability, there are proven ways you can do this.
Reduce Your Excessive Clothing Consumption
We’ve all been there. Under the influence of the fast-moving trends of the fashion industry, you can be fooled into thinking you have nothing to wear. But keeping up with the celebs is simply not sustainable. To avoid this, invest in timeless pieces you can wear repeatedly. This will stop you from needing a new set of clothes every time you socialise.
Invest in Up-Cycled, Second-Hand, Vintage Designer Items
There’s nothing to be ashamed of in buying second-hand or vintage. You can find a myriad of wonderful items at your local designer swap-and-meet, including up-cycled second-hand pieces. The best part? Trends come around, and shopping vintage can give you access to quality fashion finds from real designers, at a much lower cost.
Rent Your Special Occasion Outfits
It may come as a surprise to some of us, but you don’t need to buy an expensive dress for every special event. Instead, you can rent one. There are multiple designer dress renting businesses online, with many fabulous pieces available for hire. Better yet? They will often arrange to dry clean the garment after you’ve worn it.
Choose Sustainable Clothing Brands
Lastly, do your research. There are so many sustainable clothing brands out there, all offering eco-friendly fashion. Admittedly, this can be a more expensive option, as it costs more to make clothes not mass-produced in a sweatshop. Despite this, it is an ethical choice - both in terms of environmental concerns, but also when it comes to the issue of poorly paid labour.
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