In the past couple of decades, the fashion industry has been through some revolutionary changes. As a result of this, clothes and footwear have become much more accessible to people. The problem with this is that as the prices went down, the quality of the items followed. And because these garments have become so inexpensive, we began to treat them as disposable items. Fortunately, some clothing manufacturers decided to contract fast fashion and began to produce slow fashion items. This article will discuss the reason slow fashion was created and its importance for our future.
The Effects of Fast Fashion
While you might think it’s good to think clothes become accessible to everyone regardless of the income, you should also consider the consequences of this. For one, in order to produce fast fashion items at the rate they are leaving the manufacturing, the sorting time has been sacrificed. There is no proper quality control of the materials used for the garments, the way they are produced, or the finished product. This means that they will probably last a lot shorter time and will have to buy new ones only after a couple of months. And because they are damaged, old clothes end up in a landfill, contributing to a pending ecological disaster.
Manufacturers often try to disguise the poor quality of their products by sending clothes and footwear to cycles of harmful dyes and other chemicals. All these substances can harm our health, the environment, and, most importantly, the people who produce the garments. The workers are exposed to the chemicals day by day, often without protective gear. On top of that, their wages are so low they can barely afford necessities, much less medical costs if they get sick.
What Is Slow Fashion
Slow fashion was designed to change our priorities while shopping for clothes, shoes, and accessories. Shifting our focus to the importance of more sustainable choices, this type of fashion has multiple goals. For one, it has a goal of improving working conditions for workers in the manufacturing process. After all, if you buy less, fewer items will need to get produced. This means less work for the workers and more chances for the manufacturers to improve the working conditions in each manufacturing plant.
Of course, there are much more benefits of consciously following slow fashion rather than mindlessly chasing fast fashion trends. If you would like to learn more about these benefits, this guide can give you a little more insight into the importance of slowing down your shopping. You can also learn how to join this movement designed to battle not only the human but the ecological effects of fast fashion as well. Because the other major goal of slow fashion is reducing waste and making you more mindful of what you actually need. The better quality garments you buy, the more durable they will be, which means fewer items will end up in the garbage.
How Can You Contribute
The most important thing you can do is change your shopping habits by buying fewer fast-fashion items. Look for garments made out of natural materials and containing the least dye possible. Besides lasting longer, these materials will have less harmful effects on the environment when thrown away. Speaking of which, don’t rush to throw away your unused items. If they are still in good condition, consider donating them to someone in need instead.
Another good way to counteract fast fashion is to buy clothes, shoes, and accessories second-hand.Since these items are in good condition after being worn, this means they were designed to last. You can enjoy them much longer than you would a cheaply made new item. While this is an excellent form of recycling, you can also buy new garments that can be easily recycled as well. Although these are usually somewhat more expensive, investing in them might be more beneficial than you would think. Remember, no matter how little you can do, even one person’s long-term contribution could be enough to make significant changes.
Unfortunately, as slow fashion items are still a lot more expensive, not everyone can afford to buy clothing consciously. Think about the consequences of fast fashion. Although considering the durability of the items made from high-quality materials, it’s clear that it’s worth investing in them. And saving you trips to the clothing store is only one of the benefits slow fashion provides. Hopefully, you will consider the changes you can make in your shopping habits to contribute to a better future.
