Fast Fashion: How to shop clothes more sustainably!

We want to talk about fast fashion.

Every time you buy a piece of fast fashion, there is a very real environmental and human cost to that purchase. We get it, everyone wants to look great for their next party or event without spending a weeks salary on one outfit.

But extremely fast changing fashion seasons (52 a year now!), and the boom of online retail, means that clothes are being produced and bought at a much faster rate than ever before. And we are said to wear just 20% of our wardrobes!

Fast fashion takes a massive toll on both the environment and on human life. Clothes produced for European and North American audiences, are primarily made on the back of women abroad who are often denied basic human rights.

It’s easy to forget about the suffering felt by humans and the earth alike, when we are constantly bombarded with glistening adverts luring us to buy new clothes.

BUT GOOD NEWS, shopping doesn’t always have to be bad thing. We can consciously consume and remove ourselves from this dangerous cycle.

Next time you go to buy a new piece of clothing think:
1. Do I really need this?
2. Does a friend have something I can borrow instead?
3. Can I buy this second hand elsewhere?
4. Am I going to wear this enough times for it to be worth the purchase?

Top tip: taking 2 weeks before deciding to buy something can be the best thing to do, as it shows whether the purchase is impulsive or whether it’s something you really need.

Let us know below your thoughts on fast fashion, and share any tips on how you do fashion more sustainably.

If you do one thing this week, please watch ‘The True Cost’ (on Netflix) which outlines the effects of fast fashion.

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Shot and directed by Madeleine Vos

MUSIC

"Sappheiros - Dawn" is under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0)

[zerowastecalifornia]

Great video!! We need to spread awareness about fast fashion's environmental impact 💚💙

[PaulSmith-pfuq]

Also quite important solution is to learn to make your own clothes when you are at school. This way you'll appreciate and value them more!