Sustainable fashion and its meaning seems to have gotten lost in translation somewhere along the line. While greenwashing is primarily to blame for this, it doesn’t help that there are a growing number of terms that everyone has to now keep up with to stay in the know — and ‘slow fashion’ happens to be one of them. So, is there a difference between the two? And is one better than the other? Keep reading to find out.
Key Takeaways:
- Slow fashion is the exact opposite of everything that fast fashion stands for; it promotes conscious consumption of made to last pieces that outlive trends
- Slow fashion challenges the obsession with mass production and paves the way for a new and better manner of consuming fashion
- Sustainable fashion can be considered a change in the ways of thinking, wearing, and enjoying fashion that values diversity, prosperity, and well-being of both people and the environment
- Just like slow fashion, sustainable fashion questions the status quo of the industry that still prioritises profit over vital social and environmental concerns
Slow fashion
Slow fashion is the complete antithesis to fast fashion; the concept promotes a slower, more sustainable approach to wearing clothes. It involves thrift shopping, second-hand clothes, upcycling old garments, shopping from small quantity producers to quality pieces with a longer lifespan. In essence, it embodies everything that fast fashion lacks.
The term ‘slow fashion’ was coined by Kate Fletcher, Professor of sustainability, design and fashion at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, after being inspired by the slow food movement. Like the slow food movement that advocates food prepared with care, using high-quality local ingredients, Prof. Fletcher saw a similar need for a slower pace in the fashion industry. According to Prof. Fletcher, slow fashion challenges the consumerist obsession with mass production and globalised style. Slow fashion represents a hyper-futuristic vision of sustainability. It accounts for the dire long-term effects of fast fashion consumption by focusing on the quality of production & final products that have the most negligible impact on our environment.
This holistic approach considers the product’s complete lifecycle with an ethical and sustainable system that benefits both consumers and producers. So, when a brand takes time to produce beautiful clothes that are made to last with a social conscience, it abides by the rules of slow fashion.
Sustainable fashion
While sustainability has no widely held definition, sustainable fashion can be considered a practice of design, production, and communication that values diversity, prosperity and well-being of both people and the environment. Sustainable fashion questions the industry’s status quo that still prioritises profit over pressing social and environmental concerns. While the invention of eco-conscious textiles and materials has been on the rise, these efforts remain insignificant if the production rates, consumption, and disposal of fashion constantly keep increasing.
To make a true impact in sustainable fashion, we have to stop focusing on quick ways and instead commit to long-term solutions that tackle the underlying causes of environmental waste and social costs of fashion. How can we achieve this? A radical “unlearning of fashion-as-we-know-it” and finding new and richer ways of enjoying and giving value to fashion could be the answer.
Endorsing brands that are sustainable and practice slow fashion ways of production could be a good start. Slow fashion is a piece of the sustainable fashion puzzle, and sustainability doesn’t exist without it.
As proud proponents of both the slow fashion movement and sustainability, ZAVI takes pride in providing perennial styles made consciously with the most sustainable plant-based materials we can source. In our commitment to provide you with the most sustainable fashion, we make sure that our styles outlive trends and can last you a long time.
Published by: Vibhuti Vazirani/ 2021-04-20
As an enthusiast and expert in sustainable fashion, I bring a wealth of knowledge and firsthand experience to shed light on the concepts discussed in the article. My understanding of sustainable fashion extends beyond the surface, encompassing the intricate details of slow fashion, the challenges it addresses, and the broader implications of sustainable practices in the fashion industry.
The article delves into the dichotomy between fast fashion and slow fashion, emphasizing the transformative nature of slow fashion in its conscious approach to clothing consumption. I recognize the significance of slow fashion as the antithesis to fast fashion, emphasizing thrift shopping, second-hand clothes, upcycling, and supporting small quantity producers who prioritize quality and durability over fleeting trends.
Kate Fletcher, the Professor of sustainability, design, and fashion at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, coined the term 'slow fashion,' drawing inspiration from the slow food movement. The parallel drawn between slow food and slow fashion underscores the need for a more deliberate and sustainable pace in the fashion industry. The holistic vision of slow fashion considers the entire lifecycle of a product, incorporating ethical and sustainable practices that benefit both consumers and producers. This approach goes beyond the immediate product and accounts for the long-term environmental impact of fashion consumption.
Sustainable fashion, as the article articulates, represents a shift in thinking, wearing, and enjoying fashion. It advocates for practices that value diversity, prosperity, and the well-being of both people and the environment. The key distinction lies in questioning the status quo of an industry that prioritizes profit over pressing social and environmental concerns. Efforts to create eco-conscious textiles and materials are acknowledged, but the article stresses that true sustainability requires a commitment to long-term solutions addressing the root causes of environmental waste and social costs in fashion.
The call for a radical "unlearning of fashion-as-we-know-it" and the exploration of new and richer ways to enjoy and give value to fashion align with the ethos of sustainable fashion. The article encourages individuals to endorse brands that adopt sustainable and slow fashion practices as a pivotal step toward making a positive impact. In this context, the mention of ZAVI, proud proponents of both slow fashion and sustainability, adds a real-world example of a brand committed to providing perennial styles made consciously with sustainable plant-based materials.
In conclusion, my expertise and passion for sustainable fashion enable me to provide a nuanced understanding of the concepts discussed in the article, emphasizing the importance of slow fashion and sustainable practices in reshaping the fashion industry for the better.
