ETHICAL FASHION
The last two weekends have seen the SLOW Fashion Festival in Adelaide, with the launch held on the same day as the Climate Strike for #FridaysforFuture.
I recently attended both the Launch and After Party + Runway events, where I was introduced to a Panel of innovators and brands doing their bit for humanity and the environment.
To find out more about the SLOW Fashion Movement, check out their website here: http://slowff.com/
On the topic of slow fashion I thought I would dedicate this post, not only to the recent festival but the small changes we can make to support slow fashion and shop more consciously.
The Fashion Industry contributes quite drastically towards the current climate, According to The Guardian, 85% of the human-made material found in the ocean actually comes from clothing. The fashion industry also has a colossal carbon footprint and a serious waste problem, where we are buying 400% more clothes than we were 20 years ago, and, on average, 30% of those garments are worn just once before they are thrown away
(Source: https://wellmadeclothes.com.
As a lover of fashion and the environment, this was hard to hear, but instead of disregarding either of my passions, I decided to research and look in to what companies are doing on their part to reduce their emissions and support the fight on climate change.
I surprise myself now when I go window shopping, I take note of the brand, do my research (most brands will post their sustainability mission on their website) and make a conscious decision.
Some small ways we can slow the fashion industry down are to:
- Shop vintage – not only will you find great one-off pieces, but buying vintage reduces waste enormously.
- 30 x rule – asking yourself, will I wear this 30 times, most of the time you do, especially if it’s work wear, then at least you are being conscious about the practicality of what you are buying.
- Quality over quantity – when wanting to treat yourself, choose quality over quantity, instead of going on a shopping spree and buying 20 items you may wear a couple of times, choose pieces you truly love, they will not only bring you more joy, but will act as an investment in your wardrobe
- Company’s sustainability clauses – as mentioned above, check out some of your favourite brands and their sustainability mission statements, it’s important to show your support to brands especially local ones, who are committed to building their business sustainability, this doesn’t only apply to fashion brands, I have also posted about sustainable beauty, check out my post here:https://fatefulfashion.com/
sustainable-beauty/
Some other brands that are not only sustainable, but vegan too are Sans Beast, Matt & Nat and many more you can find at the link here: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/
ASOS have also launched a responsible edit: https://www.asos.com/au/women/
- ZARA mission – one brand which I am a huge fan of is ZARA, they have a commitment to sustainability through ‘LIFE’https://www.zara.com/au/en/
sustainability-l1449.html?v1= 1279235 - Support Local – go to market stalls, support the little brands – they most likely have lower impacts on the environment too!
- Donate Clothes – donate your clothes to your local shelter, or recycle them. Alexis from SRC discussed the impacts when recycling clothing and how to do it ethically, they have placed recyclable clothing bins around – check it out here:http://scrg.com.au/. H&M also accept all types of recycled clothing too!
- Clothes Swap – swap with your friends! Or partake in a clothing stall at your local market.
- Outfit Repeat – my new biggest focus, is outfit repeating. Olivia Molly Rogers, influencer and inspiration has recently discussed the #outfitrepeat stigma on her social platforms. This is something we face as a social media generation(s), where wearing the same outfit twice is unacceptable. I think we should really tackle this and own #outfitrepeating, make it loud and make it proud. Fashion is meant to be loved and enjoyed, what’s the point of doing that once, if you have an outfit you bought for a special occasion and can’t be photographed in it again, think about ways you can mix it up, add a belt, different makeup or hairstyle, shoes, jacket there are numerous ways to be inventive. I can’t wait to share all my #outfitrepeats with you!
I am not the only one talking about it, stay alert for so many media publications discussing sustainability in fashion and take note. The good news is, fashion is becoming a more conscious field, but will only work to its full potential if we as consumers are more conscious too!
For those that missed the SLOW Fashion Festival, but wish to attend an event on this topic, VOGUE Festival are hosting a ‘Voices of Vogue – Meet the SLOW Fashion Movement’ event on the topic of SLOW Fashion – event details at this link: https://rundlemall.com/voices-
