What is Slow Fashion and Why Is it Important?

Slow fashion works towards a vision that supports better ethics and sustainability. It supports this mission that those who put in the labor to make our clothes should be treated better and be paid more than enough in order to live. When you see that "Made In China" tag on your clothing, do you think about the amount of work that goes into the clothes we wear? Do you think about the amount of hours they have to spend just to make one single shirt? The thing with fast fashion or even just the fashion industry in general is that a lot of what goes out doesn't stay in style for very long. Certain trends may stay a little longer than others, but most of what you see gets discarded after a few weeks.

Sustainability is a huge part of slow fashion, but to understand why that is, I first want to break down the three ways in which sustainability can help our planet as well as our wardrobes in general. These three concepts all connect to each other: Eco-fashion, lasting/timeless fashion and ethical fashion. Now If you're someone who's spent a lot of time shopping at fast fashion retailers, this could easily influence your perspective on clothes in general. Clothing that's made to last however will last much longer.

The first eco-fashion company that I supported was Organic Basics. They sell undergarments and t-shirts which are made out of organic cotton. A while back, I chose to buy myself a bralette and in all honesty here, I love it. It's comfortable enough to wear under anything, so it doesn't really feel like I'm wearing an actual bra. I also love how the material is light and breathe-able, plus there aren't any wires. This is just one example of what sustainability looks like as it delves into finding more eco-friendly materials to work with in clothing.

Ethical fashion focuses more on better treatment to those who put in the labor and effort to make these clothes. Not only that, but it can also focus on better pay so that those who are putting in the labor can help support themselves and/or their families. This something that I feel could be quite rewarding/gratifying if I were to start a company with this kind of mission because America is greedy enough as it is. Americans are easily judged as greedy because of how much time we spend on ourselves in various ways, but wouldn't it be nice if we were known for something a little more positive for once? On a global scale at least, showing compassion for those in other third world countries feels seemingly rare, and the fact that Donald Trump is our president doesn't help this case.

Timeless or lasting fashion can take on many forms, but I think the biggest impact we could make as a society is to consume more thoughtfully. Oddly enough, minimalism does seem to overlap with fashion in some ways as it provides a different view and system when caring for our clothing (ie. the capsule wardrobe). The idea of owning less clothing or creating a capsule closet can allow for more creativity with your outfits, plus it can help extend the life of what we already have before and after decluttering. I myself have adapted to the capsule wardrobe system and I honestly love it. I feel like I have enough options to be playful, but I also have enough basic options for if I want a more basic or timeless look to my outfit.

I personally believe that slow fashion is the better option when looking at fashion as a whole, but if anything, I hope that this gives you some awareness of what the concept is. If you've seen my outfit posts on Instagram, you'd know that I enjoy this combination of timeless fashion with a touch of playfulness. I'm not afraid of color, but at the same time, I have a high sense of appreciation for the other basic colors (black, white and grey). With everything I've experienced from a consumer's standpoint, I'd say that I feel a lot happier. I feel like I have a better sense of what my style is now versus five or six years ago, so for me at least, I'd say this is a wake up call that I needed.