How To Start Kicking The Fast Fashion Habit

Could you quit fast fashion?  Before we dive into that, let’s talk about what fast fashion is.

According to The Good Trade, “Fast fashion is a design, manufacturing, and marketing method focused on rapidly producing high volumes of clothing. Fast fashion garment production leverages trend replication and low-quality materials (like synthetic fabrics) in order to bring inexpensive styles to the end consumer.” The fashion industry used to have three to four seasons per year. Now, fast fashion brands come out with 52 “micro-seasons” per year.  That’s a new collection every week. So why is this a problem? 

A very simplified answer is, the problem with fast fashion is overproduction and the massive amount of resources that go into making it. Not only that, in order for the “cheap and cheerful” brands you buy to be so inexpensive, people are being exploited all in the name of fashion. TheRoundUp.org says it’s estimated that between 80 and 100 billion new clothing garments are produced globally every year. Of that, 87 per cent of the materials used to make these clothes will end up in landfills or incinerators. With 8.1 billion people on the planet, and just 25 per cent of that population being in the Global North (whom most of these garments are produced for), it doesn’t take a mathematician to see that we have too many clothes and an enormous waste problem.

So now, back to our original question: could you quit fast fashion? It can take time to make change and it’s about progress not perfection. Here are eight practical ways you can change your shopping practices starting today. —Jen Pistor

1. Unsubscribe from Fast Fashion retailer email lists and unfollow them on social media. The big brands come in hot with their marketing.  Don’t know about a sale or a cute new collection? Out of site, out of mind.
2. See something you like at the mall? Skip buying it new and see if you can find something similar secondhand. Resale apps like Poshmark can be a great resource for this. Sometimes you can even find the exact item you saw in the shop. Secondhand fashion will save you money and reduce a garment’s environmental impact.
3. Try not to get caught up in the competitive nature of those limited, one time only releases. Even the sustainable + ethical fashion brands can use the scarcity marketing tactic to help drive sales. Overconsumption is overconsumption, however, fast fashion has used this tactic successfully with their new collections coming in weekly, there’s a feeling that if you don’t buy something now it will be gone forever. To avoid falling prey to this requires a mindset shift. Remember, there will always be another collection, another new thing, and you don’t need to buy it all. 
4. Limit yourself to buying only natural fabrics. While fabrics like conventional cotton are still problematic, by choosing to skip on purchasing synthetic fabrics as much as possible, you can avoid a lot of unnecessary purchases. While items like work out wear, swimwear, and some undergarments will always require some synthetics, clothing like T-shirts, dresses, sweaters, pants, etc can easily be made with all natural fabrics. A polyester t-shirt? Skip it. Fabrics to look for include, organic cotton, Tencel, hemp, and linen. I’m a big fan of thrifting silk and wool pieces, too.
5. Create a swap group. Have friends or coworkers who are a similar size to you? Form a swap group. You can set up seasonal get togethers to swap pieces that are lovely but maybe just not working for you anymore. It’s free and social.
6. Speaking of social, avoid shopping being an activity for entertainment and seeing your friends. Shopping should be something we do when we are actually looking for something in particular, not for entertainment. Find new activities to do with your friends. Go to the beach, meet up at your fave coffee shop, go for lunch, brunch, dinner, get tickets to a local event, visit a farmers market or local thrift market. The options are endless.
7. Save up to buy something special. Rather than getting the quick shopping high from buying something new, set money aside for a special purchase. There are so many beautiful, small, local, ethical and sustainable brands who would love your support. Rather than buying four cheap, poor-quality pieces, opt to buy one quality piece that will last you for years to come. Like Vivienne Westwood said, always choose to “buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality, not quantity. Everybody’s buying far too many clothes.”
8. Educate yourself on the subject. Once I knew and understood the real harm that came from my shopping habits, I couldn’t continue with how I had always done things. The life-changing documentary I first watched was The True Cost by Andrew Morgan. It made me reevaluate everything and kickstarted my slow fashion journey. I highly recommend it. Other great resources are listed below.

On Film: 

• The True Cost documentary by Andrew Morgan
• Fashion Scapes by EcoAge
• The Truth Behind Fast Fashion by DW Documentary (YouTube)
• Fast Fashion is Hot Garbage by Climate Town (YouTube)

Podcasts: 

• Conscious Chatter by Kestrel Jenkins
• Wardrobe Crisis by Clare Press
• The Clotheshorse Podcast by Amanda Lee McCarty
• All The Small Things by Venitia La Manna
• Pre-Loved Podcast by Emily Stochl

Foundations + Organizations: 

• The Or Foundation @theorispresent
• Fashion Revolution  @fash_rev
• Sustainable Fashion Forum  @thesustainablefashionforum
• Fashion Takes Action @fashiontakesaction

Books: 

• Consumed by Aja Barber
• The Conscious Closet by Elizabeth L. Cline
• Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes by Dana Thomas
• How To Break Up with Fast Fashion by Lauren Bravo
• Big Dress Energy by Shakaila Forbes-Bell
• Sustainable Fashion For Dummies by Paula N. Mugabi