Everyone is talking about Fast Fashion vs. Slow Fashion and the impact of these polar perspectives on the world. But what do these terms actually mean?
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What is Fast Fashion?
Fast Fashion sees as many fashion collections as possible brought to market as quickly as possible. The collections follow popular trends and are fuelled by celebrity looks. As vogue changes really fast, the designs have to be imitated at an incredibly fast tempo and at a very low cost. It always compromises on quality.
The ultimate goal of fast fashion is to seize the moment and sell as much as possible.
Fast Fashion 'addicts' got used to extremely low prices for clothes and like to shop frequently. They also tend to buy a lot more than they need, have little space in a wardrobe, and often complain they have nothing to wear.
Fast Fashion is a very popular concept in the UK and US. It comes as no surprise that on average up to 40% of clothes purchased in its vicious cycle remain unworn and land in the garbage after 3 years.
What is Slow Fashion?
Slow Fashion describes clothes that are mostly made from environmentally friendly materials or even recycled textiles. The designers don’t necessarily follow conventional fashion calendars and release several collections a year. The focus of Slow Fashion is a conscious approach to production and consumption. Garments made according to this concept are typically more durable and of higher quality.
Slow Fashion 'addicts' pay less attention to trends and prefer simpler designs and pieces with no ‘wear before’ expiry date. They care about the way each garment was made. They tend to eye one piece of clothes at a time and are ready to invest or save up for it in case it is a little pricier.
As a result, they end up accumulating quite a few go-to pieces that are comfortable and durable.
Slow fashion tribe don’t shun second-hand clothes and go to charity shops not only because it’s cheap. They are a kind of fashion minimalists with free space in their wardrobes.
Are you a Fast Fashion or a Slow Fashion person?
Though Fast Fashion and Slow Fashion are opposite concepts, there might be no straight answer to which one a person represents. You may belong with both, or tend towards one of them. A food for thought.
The fashion industry is notorious for committing a lot of crimes, such as unfair labour rights, unrecyclable materials, bad quality, and air pollution, and slowing down consumption might not be a bad idea after all. With a cost of living crisis breathing into our necks we might have to be better at planning our fashion purchases and selling what we no longer want to wear.
Sources used:
- Sanvt: 'Fast Fashion vs. Slow Fashion'
- The Good Trade: 'What Is Fast Fashion, Anyway?'
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