A dive into the world of "fast fashion", "slow fashion", "sustainable fashion" and all the fashions you've probably heard of, but have no idea what they actually are or what to do about them.
If you haven't heard of fast fashion, an article by the Huffington Post describes it as 'the incredibly fast turnover of fashion styles by retailers'. Basically, fast fashion is your brands like Shein, H&M, and Boohoo that catch onto fashion trends before you've even heard of them, and mass-produce these styles for low prices, eventually creating an accumulation of waste due to overproduction, and the trends inevitably fading out.
Those cow-print flares you bought during lockdown? Where are they now?
What about that bomber jacket from back in 2018?
Trends come and go at an insane pace, so fast you don't even know when you're caught up in one. All you know is "I don't want, I NEED that pair of white cowboy boots". So what would happen if we took a step back and evaluated our shopping choices to reduce waste, and only purchase items that will always be in style (Re: turtle necks, a longline coat, the perfect LBD)? If we invest more, for less, fashion may actually begin to slow down.
I spoke to Sophie Pollitt from Sydney-based fashion label, Good Day Girl, a company dedicated to reducing clothing waste through a made-to-order system. Sophie said each season Good Day Girl will release a sample line for their client base to then come in and request their own pieces, which are then custom made.
Good Day Girl wasn't always a made-to-order label, though as Sophie and her business partner, Alexia, began to notice less accessibility for customers and more waste, they decided to restructure their business.
"We really wanted to reduce as much waste as we could", said Sophie, "you probably could have filled this entire room with our excess stock. We were looking at it like 'what are we going to do?'".
"It [fast fashion] is a big problem, it's the ugly side of fashion that no one talks about"
After reshaping their business to involve custom made pieces, it was important to Sophia and Alexia to create clothes that were timeless, and made to be kept for life.
"Our customers are interested in sustainability and interested in clothes that stay in your wardrobe for a long time. They like to invest in classic pieces" said Sophie.
"Although with shopping sustainably, there’s a big mix, and it comes to where you are in the stages of your life and what your personal style is. You might be new to sustainable shopping so you might be like ‘I’ll just dip my toe in and buy something that’s made out of organic fabric', or you might be someone who does buy everything from a thrift store"
Ah, thrifting; you've all heard of it, maybe even dabbled in a $12 oversized blazer or pair of low-rises yourself.
The thrifting phenomenon took off over the past few years as TikTok became saturated with 'Come Thrift with Me' and 'Thrifting Haul' videos. What used to be popping down to your local op-shop in hopes of finding some cheap basics has now turned into a competitive hunt for who can sift through and find the best 'vintage' pieces.
However, thrifting isn't exclusive to Vinnies and Salvos; Depop has emerged as one of the hottest online marketplaces for reselling pre-loved clothes. An Instagram-like platform made especially for selling and swapping pieces in the name of slow fashion.
Jackson Smith, a 21-year-old student from Sydney, says that his wardrobe is 90% thrifted.
"I love the idea of going to a thrift store or looking online on Depop and not knowing what you’re going to find"
Jackson said he has known thrifting his whole life; when he was younger his clothes and furniture were mostly second-hand and it was "something to be embarrassed about", but as time passed thrifting has taken off, labeled as "trendy" and "sustainable", which can change shoppers' entire perception of it.
"I mostly get my things from Vinnie’s and Salvos, and then I’d say Depop is second and then small businesses are kind of like the last option for me because it's expensive, of course, but I try to avoid purchasing things brand new no matter what, if I can find a pre-loved version of it", said Jackson.
So has the rise in thrifting impacted these small slow fashion businesses? And are customers struggling to value the time and effort that goes into making these investment pieces, now we're so used to ordering whatever is trendy straight away for extremely low prices?
I asked Mia and Emerson, founders of Central Coast label, Lémim, about whether they have been affected by a boom in the thrifting sector of sustainable fashion.
"Look, I think there's always going to be a hole in what you can buy when you thrift", said Mia. "Especially here in the Central Coast, the selection is near to nothing"
"Yes, you can find some good pieces when you thrift, but it's not always going to be good quality either", added Emerson.
The two best friends started Lémim only a year ago when inspiration struck during lockdown. The pair have now successfully curated an entire made-to-order line, website, and social media platforms, as well as an upcoming blog.
"We started because we couldn’t find anywhere really on the Central Coast where there was a slow fashion label that was kind of affordable. Like everything that was like semi-good for the environment was like upwards of $400. So, we wanted to start something that’s all made by hand and tailored to the customer, so that one; you know it's going to fit them, and two; it feels a bit more special so they’re more inclined to keep it for longer. So instead of just throwing it away with the next trend, it’s more of a lifetime piece."
"It's more of a lifetime piece"
Lémim works to reduce waste and slow down fashion by their custom-made ordering system, as well as using recycled fabrics that tend to be donated scraps from major fashion labels.
So, when looking to shop sustainably, is buying second-hand really 'in' forever? Well, it looks like it. Reducing waste and calling it 'vintage'? Count us all in. However, small slow-fashion businesses do not seem to be affected by this boom as customers remain to have a need for ethically made, good quality pieces.
In the future, consider rethinking your shopping habits. Is it a need? Will you be wearing it in five years? What about one? If the answer is no, ditch it!
Comentarios