Slow fashion simply refers to the longevity of your clothing. It refers to any garment designed with high quality materials to maximize its durability, longevity and attractiveness. With fast fashion really taking the spotlight over the last few years, consumers are starting to ask, "who made my clothes?" and designers are listening. Now is the time for slow, responsible fashion.
To maximize durability of clothing, responsible fashion designers will use natural fibres. These are fibres that occur in nature, and are not man made. These fabrics are quality fabrics, and will aid in the longevity of your garments because they are simply more durable. If you are looking for clothing that will last longer, start reading labels. Look for ones that are certified organic, 100% natural or OEKO-TEX Certified. This means you can be sure that your garment has been tested for harmful substances and is in fact harmless in human ecological terms. Here is a great starter list of fabrics that are natural and have great longevity.
When something is sustainable, it is referring to the economic affect it has. The more sustainable something is, the less harm it does to the environment. Natural fibres are better for the environment then man made for so many reasons. In particular, relating to slow fashion, they will last longer, which means people are not throwing away clothing as often. I will talk more about what sustainably made means in a future blog post. For now, you can get an idea of the benefits naturals fabrics have here.
Start reading the labels! Support small, independent businesses where you can track the entire lifespan of the garment. If you are not sure where the item was made, or where the fabric comes from, you may not be making the most responsible choice. Ask who made the clothing and look for materials that you have head of before! Cotton, Bamboo, Hemp and Linen are all fibres that we can recognize and understand where they come from. Vinalon, Acetate, polyamide, and Acrylic are not.
If you look through your current wardrobe and most of your clothing is made using man made fabrics, please DO NOT throw them away. Slow fashion refers to the amount of use you get out of an item. Wear the clothing as much as you can, and when it comes time to replace it, you can be a little more mindful on what you will replace it with. If you are ready to start shopping responsibly, why not start with a couple basic staples for your existing wardrobe.
You can read more about our practises of social resposibility, slow fashion and sustainability on our website.
Thank you for reading. Talk soon <3
Cassandra Elizabeth
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