It is more than evident that the term slow fashion is a trend. If this brand is bringing out its slow fashion collection, if the other is using organic cotton.... Now the trend is to say that the production is national! An endless stream of statements that lead us nowhere, loose ideas, out of context that give us a glimpse of a new trend. Or is the fashion sector really going to make that much-needed change towards responsible consumption?
Can a brand whose basic source of income is to massively sell pieces and pieces of clothing be sustainable? Is it sustainable to buy a T-shirt every fortnight even if it is made of "organic cotton"?
Wait a minute, let's recap, but what is slow fashion?
We understand that slow fashion is the antithesis of fast fashion. It goes against the current belief of consumption and life: "faster and cheaper are better".
Slow fashion is a relatively new term, it is a dynamic and constantly evolving concept. Therefore, it is difficult to define and in many cases it is used in a generic way, forgetting those nuances that make it so special.
Does this mean that if you want to wear slow fashion, you can't be fashionable?
This is the general idea that comes to everyone's mind when we think about switching to slow fashion. Wearing products created under ethical and sustainable standards is not just about wearing earth-coloured fabrics without variety. It's playing in a different league. It's about creating your own style.
Wearing sustainable clothes is about taking back power. It is having the autonomy and authority to decide what you want to wear and how you want to wear it. It is to experiment, to play with creativity. It is not feeling obliged to follow trends, it is setting your own consumption tempos. It is feeling good on the outside, but above all, feeling good on the inside.
Hmm, this is all very well, but how do I know if I am consuming slow fashion?
Nowadays the term sustainable is very democratised. There are big fast-fashion chains that bring out their slow fashion collections... In this case, common sense will help us to make the first filter.
Another option is to buy second-hand clothes, so we avoid encouraging the production of new pieces of clothing. As a last step, if we need a specific piece and we can't find it in any of the previous options, we can always buy that piece made with ecological fabrics and ethically produced. We have prepared a consumer guide with the essential terminology to make sure that what you are buying is clothing according to your values. Download it here.
Switching to sustainable fashion is not as complicated as it seems. It is more than proven that if we do actions that go in favour of our values we feel great, what better reason to start taking the first step towards another form of consumption!
Together we can make a difference!
