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Fast fashion doesn't necessarily mean how quickly trends change but rather the rate at which cheap clothing and accessories are made and the poor manufacturing practices that result in those over-produced products. We used to have our clothing made to last and built with purpose. When it adorned a hole then we repaired it and kept on wearing it. Now our clothing is primarily a fashion statement and once its out of season, torn, stretched etc. then its out the door. Sometimes that means it makes its way to someone in need, a thrift shop, or recycled but most of the time it means its landfilled.
We live in a society of constant consumption and that includes clothing year round. Heck, the entire months of August and September we are bombarded with "back to school deals" for new clothing and new styles. Of course as years go on children as well as weight fluctuation amongst adults reasonably causes a need for a change in sizes, but then during the holidays is becomes costumes, ugly sweater parties, festival attire, and so forth, none of which is really needed. What has become a common practice to march out and buy something new, is having a serious effect on our planet. We need to stop and consider the impact of that newness we crave.
The contrast between second hand clothing, sustainably made clothing, fast fashion and/or unsustainably made clothing can be stark but occasionally the lines loose their distinction and blur. Second hand clothing can involve thrifting, buying from a friend doing a closet cleanout, hammy-downs from a family member, or joining a swap party in which friends, family, or community members will bring clean and gently worn items to trade with others. Falling somewhere in the middle between second hand and sustainably made is upcycled clothing. This includes clothes that have been altered in one way or another to create a new look or purpose like a pair of pants becoming a vest or a scarf into a sweater. Sustainably made clothing is tricky to come by because the aspects of what defines sustainable during the manufacturing of a product involve sourcing materials, potentially dying them, putting them together, selling them, waste generation, labor and more. Quite a few brands will advertise their clothing line as eco-friendly when if you do a little investigating you'll probably disagree.
When it comes to the content of new textiles being earth friendly, it seems like a no brainer to choose natural fibers. Natural fibers can include hemp, cotton, bamboo, wool, flax, and linen to name a few. Common synthetic fibers would be polyester, rayon, nylon, and spandex.
When clothing is worn and washed, small fibers come off and find their way into our waterways, soil, and air. Small synthetic fibers coming off of our clothing are part of what makes up a collection of litter called microplastics. When we wear and wash natural fiber based clothing the bits falling off will eventually biodegrade where as microplastics do not. The production of the fibers in our textiles that is synthetic (plastics) are almost always derived from petroleum, a finite and unrenewable resource. Natural fibers on the other hand are renewable but some are more sustainable than other in terms of resources needed for them to grow, length of time to be ready for harvesting, and durability.
Did you know much like fibers, there are natural and synthetic dyes used for not just food but clothing too? Many synthetic dyes are actually quite toxic and end up polluting our waterways via poor manufacturing practices. If you ever want to experiment with natural dyes you can do so safely from the comfort of your own home using things you already have like avocado pits and peels! Speaking of polluting water ways, fast fashion is also a responsible part in water depletion! National Geographic stated in an educational video about cotton that it to make one cotton t-shirt it takes about 2,700 liters of water which is enough for one person to drink for 900 days. The ratio of people dying of dehydration compared to the heaps of trashed cotton t-shirts is eye opening.
Speaking of people not being put first in this industry, this is the industry that houses hundreds if not thousands of sweatshops in which there are incredibly unsafe conditions for workers of varying ages that are also severely unpaid. The shortcuts these companies take during production result in the low and competitive prices you see and the mountains of waste you don't see. Some bigger brands that charge insane amounts of money for simple items just because of the hype around that brand name still use some of these tactics for manufacturing so don't think it just because its expensive its sustainably made or sourced.
The undoubtedly best choice you can make is to wear what you already own in stead of buying something new. If it gets tear or hole, try looking up a simple tutorial video on mending for beginners. It can save you a lot of money when compared to buying something
new. Will it be pretty? Probably not, if you're just starting out, but sometimes mended clothing is ever more beautiful and unique than before. I have seen some wear people turn a hole into a flower or stitch up a tear and make it a lightning bolt. If you just cant figure it out, do not have the ability or time, you can ask a friend or try a local seamstress. Not all seamstresses might take on small projects like repairing a hole but they most certainly can help take in an inch on those jeans or hem up that hammy down dress! Before buying new, think repair, reuse, repurpose. If you do need to buy something brand new, then consider the materials and do a little detective work to find a brand that represents the practices you want to support.
When adding a new item to your wardrobe consider making that investment meet a few requirements. Is it timeless? Will you be wearing it for years and years or is it just the latest fashion statement? Is it well-made and durable or will it wear out quickly? Does this piece fit with my style or will it not match anything I own?
In order to keep the items you have for as long as possible you want to make sure you take good care of them. One way to reduce wear and tear is to actually not wash it after every single use. Of course, this doesn't always apply. Underwear I strongly believe should be washed after each day but a sweatshirt could see quite a few wears before being washed. Use your best judgement and only wash when its actually dirty. air drying your clothing can help reduce more damage and shrinkage. If you have a yard you can make a simple clothes line for about $5 with long rope and a couple screws. The sun actually can act as a natural bleach and remove stains and brighten your whites. Air drying whether indoors or outdoors can also help cut down the cost of your electric bill too.
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