Fast fashion is destructive, slow fashion expensive.
Can’t we see sustainability as an inspiration instead of a limitation? Something opening new doors for thriving ideas.
As I am going along with my preceding thoughts, the photos date of my recent secondhand shop visits and finds.
In my experience “sustainable” often gets associated with expensive, boring and a lot of effort.
A lot of effort for something that you could be achieved in a way more convenient manner.
When we talk about getting into more sustainable ways of living, whether that concerns consumption, building or disposing, it is often connoted with responsibilities and guilt or despair.
Couldn’t we find some “sustainable” practices, that are neither boring nor expensive?
What are you associating with sustainable?
Acts you must take in order to further prevent the exploitation of resources, nature, animals and humans. Recycle your rubbish, don’t drive a car, don’t buy, be responsible while feeling guilty of not doing enough?
How does a habit need to be for you to stick with it and apply it to your life? Exciting, rewarding, fulfilling…
Does guilt make you thrive?
Sustainable doesn’t have to be about guilt, it can be about creativity!
Slow fashion
What are you associating with slow fashion?
The fashion industry is one of the most destructive ones. Rapid changing trends and the need to buy more and more at ridiculously cheap prices, shopping becomes a mental therapy never satisfied and never cured.
Meanwhile we have no idea how to handle the waste.
Slow fashion is trying to be an answer to that. Keeping manufacture local, paying fair wages minding the waste production. Using materials that are organic. Buying less, but more conscious.
All that comes with a price, literally.
When you are used to Shirts at 5 or even 2 bucks, how would you justify spending 250 for a sustainable piece of clothing?
We are facing an issue there. Producing fair and responsible has its cost, who is willing to pay for it? Not the vast majority.
But Slow fashion doesn’t have to be expensive!
One other way to keep your fashion intake slow is simply not to buy anything. However, if you still enjoy fashion, if you enjoy changing your clothes, owning different pieces and colours and prints to mix and match. Fitting all your different moods and occasions throughout the year. Not buying any new additions for your closet might feel like a big restriction.
And meanwhile the guilt of not wanting to be a part of the fast fashion wheel might keep you out for a time, how do you want to base your choices on that guilt and stay inspired?
Where I want to go with this is; Second hand shops.
While you still pay the same price as you would for fast fashion, you are not the cause for the acceleration of the chain anymore.
Whatever you buy isn’t supporting the fast fashion industry anymore, meanwhile you can keep on buying clothes, as many as you like, for an affordable price.
You could even get pieces that you could never afford new, whether sustainable or not.
As for that matter there are second hand shops, that are specialised in only sell designer pieces. You could buy that bag, a real one without having to empty the savings account or reach out to a cheap replicate.
How much would a silk shirt cost you, new? For sure it wouldn’t come for 4 euros!
Not having to restrict your pleasures linked to buying and trying on new clothes. Or even owning that one expensive piece, that you have always wanted.
Never knowing whether you’ll leave emptyhanded but inspired by what you have seen. Or if you’ll find your new favourite piece of clothing.
...or get surprised by rather particular objects.
...anything seems fancier when you add "Paris"
All that is sustainable it is slow fashion, but it isn’t boring nor expensive and it doesn’t conflict with any form of guilt.
Slow fashion can be cheap and sustainable doesn’t have to be boring!
Thank you all to come by, feel free to share what you think about the subject, I would be very interested to hear your points of view:) Have a very lovely week!
All photos and text are mine taken and written by me.