What isn’t ‘Fast Fashion’?

[Bookaholic73]

I’ve heard loads about avoiding fast fashion, which I totally agree with.

But I am confused about where you shop, or how to look for, places that aren’t fast fashion?

I don’t want to look in charity shops etc, I want new clothes.

So where do you shop, within a reasonable budget, that isn’t fast fashion?

To me, it's definitely more about what happens after you buy it than about how it's made. Buying one thing cheaply made but somehow managing to get years of use about it, is probably still better than constantly buying expensive things because you feel better about their origins... I know in theory expensive things last longer and might be more ethically made but it's not a given. e.g. I have Primark vest tops that have literally lasted me almost a decade now, and even when they get a tiny hole in, it doesn't matter because I wear them as an under layer anyway.

The biggest thing for me is avoiding waste when you buy something. This means being mindful in advance when you buy things, whether that thing is likely to seem stylish and remain in good wearable condition still for a minimum of say, 2 years. So choosing higher quality fabrics and also avoiding things like crazy patterns or unusual cuts, if you think you'll feel outdated wearing them when that pattern is not in fashion anymore (e.g. that Aztec pattern from the early 2010s!) Having a fairly classic capsule wardrobe probably helps too as everything has plenty of re-wearing value if it
all matches.

It doesn't mean spending absolutely loads of money either. I have some tops from GAP which probably cost about £15 and they last a long time, I have one plain black boatneck top that is now about 7 tears old and still going strong. Meanwhile all the super cheap thin material ones I'd bought in the under-£5 price range in my student days were chucked long ago. Better for the environment to chuck stuff less, better for me to enjoy wearing a more flattering and better quality top, and not much price difference over time.

Thank you everyone, lots of things to think about.
I’ll focus on buying better quality items that are likely to last longer, in a classic style that won’t go out of fashion.

I think I’ll check the charity shops more often too, as well as eBay.

I use vinted a lot now - you can search for stuff that’s new with tags. I prefer it to eBay. I don’t really buy anything directly from shops now and I don’t really care for trends.

It’s anything that is well made enough to wash and wear enough to still look good being worn for several years. There are other things to consider in addition to whether or not it’s ’fast’ though. How damaging is the manufacturing to the environment (e.g. chemical or natural dyes)? Are wages and working conditions for machinists etc good enough? Is the fabric natural and if Polyester, is it recycled Polyester? If wool, is it from who have not gone through the process of mulesing?

So many retailers are now jumping on the eco friendly/sustainable bandwagon, including cheaper brands, because it is profitable. So, although their motives are dubious, it means we don’t have to spend a fortune to be kinder.

Oh yes and to add, if the natural fabric isn’t organic, it probably means the crop it comes from has been repeatedly covered in toxic chemicals which have harmed wildlife and the environment.

Toast denim dresses. I buy them second hand from eBay and wear them as a uniform. You could give them a hundred years and they'd still look good.

HT also Patrick Grant (from Sewing Bee) for his community clothing brand. Worth checking out.

I think fast fashion is aimed at those that buy, wear once or twice then send to landfill.

Whereas someone else could buy the same items as the person above, but wear them multiple times a year until they literally fall apart.

The inbetween group, buy new, wear for 6-12 months then donate to charity or sell on eBay/Facebook etc,therefore extending the lifespan of the clothes.

To avoid fast fashion, only buy if you will wear it, sell or give away when done with it, DO NOT send to landfill

@FluffyWhiteBird

I don't view it this way at all. For me it's about the company, the manufacturer, how they treat their employees who make the clothes, those people's working conditions and their rate of pay. As well as the fabric the clothes are made from. Which fabric, where is it sourced and is it manufactured ethically minimizing damage to the environment.

If people are being treated properly from the bottom up and fabric is manufactured ethically, the end result won't be cheap otherwise they'd be selling at a loss.

How long you keep the clothes for has an impact environmentally. But how you use the clothes isn't what "fast fashion" is. Although fast fashion can be vey poorly made, either in techniques or in the fabric used, causing the clothes to fall apart or become worn out quicker. Which causes them to be discarded and new clothes made/purchased, adding to the damaging environmental impact.

Exactly this. It’s great if people keep and use items for years, but those items also need to be produced ethically and in a way that is not damaging to the environment. Cheap items almost certainly don’t meet these standards as the production costs are higher, but unfortunately expensive items are often produced unethically in order to maximise profits. It’s a mine field.

It concerns me that the well known ‘cheap clothes’ shops where clothes are very much cheaper, are most likely made from slave labour.

I like a bargain but if something is very cheap then the manufacturers can’t possibly be paying the basic rate for wages. I know some complain about low wages but if we only buy the cheapest clothes the result is low low wages for machinists.

It takes seven thousand, six hundred litres of water to make one pair of jeans.

Buy a lot less, wear it a lot more, ignore fashion, go for style.

@pastabest I’m the same: enthusiastic dressmaker first, then sort of became increasingly aware of the true cost of clothes through making.

I comfort myself that I wear my handmades a lot and choose natural fibres, but have a nagging awareness that fabric production also has the blood/sweat/tears thing. It’s tricky.