8 Lessons I’ve Learned Since Breaking Up With Fast Fashion and Starting My Slow Fashion Journey
It’s been almost two years since I broke up with fast fashion and boy, does time fly. While my slow fashion journey hasn’t necessarily been a linear one, I will say that I’m much more confident in the choices that I make now than the choices I made when I first started.
Two summers ago, I came across the sustainable fashion movement, and with a little more research (mostly watching documentaries like The True Cost or diving into movements like the Fashion Revolution movement), I decided to fully commit to slowing down my shopping habits and breaking up with fast fashion.
This journey overall has taught me to think more critically about my daily actions and how the little things I do or buy might be impacting the world on a larger scale.
Without further ado, here are eight things that I’ve learned since quitting fast fashion and starting my slow fashion journey.
1. Slow fashion/sustainable fashion is NOT a linear process.
Sure, you could say that the big vision is to radically transform the fashion industry so that it’s entirely carbon positive and all of the sourcing is fair and transparent. On the day-to-day, however, as an individual consumer, slow fashion is much more of an accumulation of small actions that slowly take you closer to that ultimate goal.
When I first learned about all the harm that the (fast) fashion industry was causing, I was enraged and completely quit cold-turkey. As time went on, I began to realize that this journey was much more of a marathon than it was a sprint.
Time prompted me to reflect on what it meant for me to sustainably maintain this lifestyle.
We’re all human--habits take a while to change and we all make mistakes. Know that the sustainable fashion journey doesn’t have a clear goal in mind and as long as you’re mindful about your choices and are actively working towards a more sustainable closet, then you’re on the right path. Be kind to yourself and be open to any experiences that this journey might take you through.
2. Greenwashing is much more prevalent than you think.
It’s literally everywhere. Brands use keywords like “sustainable” and “eco-friendly” in their marketing to rope in consumers who don’t have the time to do their own research.
When I first started out, I thought that reading the recommendations of other bloggers or magazines would be enough to help me make smart choices. As time went on, I began to realize that greenwashing had even infiltrated the ethical influencing community.
One of my biggest takeaways this past year has been that you really need to do your own research. Take five minutes to browse a brand’s “About” page for transparency, sustainability, and ethics; don’t be afraid to reach out and email them when the information is unclear.
3. There’s no one way to do slow or sustainable fashion.
Sustainable fashion comes in all shapes and sizes. It can take the form of upcycling, swapping, thrifting, shopping sustainable brands… there’s no one way to do it.
As long as you’re reflecting on your consumption habits and actively reducing the rate at which you’re consuming (new) products, then you are fighting against the fast fashion standard.
4. Slow/sustainable/ethical fashion is a complicated topic that encompasses much more than just fashion.
We’re calling for a fashion revolution because the way the industry is run is immoral and toxic. This conversation intersects with human rights and covers important conversations like the wage gap, gender gap, capitalism, diversity, and much more.
The more that you dive into this topic, the more that you realize it’s all connected.
5. It can be a lonely journey.
I’m lucky to have a best friend who is committed to the same sustainable lifestyle changes, as well as an Instagram community that is on the same journey, but this journey can definitely be a bit isolating.
For a lot of individuals, sustainable fashion is a tricky social topic to navigate. Family members and friends might question your shopping habits and the choices that you're making.
Know that not everyone is going to get it right away--some might never get it and that’s okay. You’re entitled to living your life and they are to their own opinions as well. That being said, never doubt your ability to influence.
6. Fashion is truly SO MUCH FUN.
One of the reasons I fell in love with fashion in the first place was because it was a means of self-expression.
Fashion and styling allow you to show your personality to the world without needing to explain a thing. So much of our lives are spent clarifying, justifying, and placating other people’s judgments/perceptions of us, and fashion gives you a way to counter that without needing to explicitly say so.
Throughout my college career, I fell into a lot of fast fashion trends, and over the years, I’ve realized that it was draining me of the individuality and expression that I loved in fashion.
Slow fashion has allowed me to literally SLOW down and take a deeper look at my closet. It’s given me space to again tap into my own ideas, innovations, and creativity.
Sure, I'm still impacted by trends and I think that’s part of the fun (because what’s life without growth and innovation), but slow fashion has allowed me to more mindfully incorporate the elements that I love and ignore the trends that I don’t really care for.
7. Yes, it’s important that we take responsibility on a personal level, but we also have to get politically involved.
Using your dollars to vote is a fantastic first step. In doing so, you take responsibility for the choices that you make but at the same time, I think that ultimately, consumers can only force businesses to change so much.
Without government policy, it’s very difficult to enforce long-term change.
As consumers and citizens, it’s important that we use both our dollars to vote and our actual votes to put agencies and policies in place that represent our values.
8. Collaboration over competition.
The sustainable fashion space is incredibly welcoming and it’s because of this camaraderie that I’ve been able to keep motivated on this journey.
Eco-anxiety is a thing and when the whole issue gets to be overwhelming, it helps to have a community to keep you grounded in the small daily actions. Having a collaborative community to support you on this journey can be comforting and rather than pass judgments on how other individuals are progressing on their journey, it’s much more beneficial and uplifting if we can all support each other in our differences.
What are some of the lessons that you’ve learned on your slow fashion journey? New to slow fashion? Learn about why this is important and how to start. If you’ve been exposed to this concept but haven’t quite committed to it yet, what’s stopping you?
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