One of the things to note about the fashion industry is that it’s known for its mindless consumption and people buying dozens of clothes yearly even if they don’t need them. In fact, the average consumer purchased 60% more clothes in 2014 than in the year 2000. The consumption of clothing and footwear is also expected to increase a further 63% until 2030, so the numbers are growing consistently. That’s why the concept of slow fashion is a much-needed breath of fresh air.
What is slow fashion?
Slow fashion can be seen as the opposite of fast fashion. While the latter is all about creating lots of clothes to sell quickly, slow fashion is more about quality and durability. It’s about sustainability, protecting the environment and animals while using eco-friendly materials. In a world that’s very fast-paced, it’s crucial to think about ourselves, our wellbeing, and happiness.
Instead of using low-quality materials that damage the environment and our planet, you get to use higher-quality materials that also prove to be eco-friendly and more durable. When you see the term slow fashion, it’s most of the time accompanied by acumens like “ethical”, “green” or “eco”. Another key concept in the world of slow fashion is that you don’t have massive production lines focused on speed. Instead, the entire manufacturing process is all about quality. They use dependable, reliable machines that focus on increasing the garment’s lifespan. That’s the reason why slow fashion products tend to have a much longer production timespan. However, the results are exceptional, and everyone is excited to wear this type of product in the first place.
What fashion industry issues does slow fashion solve?
One of the problems instilled by fast fashion companies is they always bring new products to the market. That leads to the customers having issues in regard to deciding what products they should buy. Not only that but they are also encouraged to purchase new garments all the time and thus throw away old ones. Such behavior encourages pollution, and it’s anti-environmental, not to mention unethical.
Another problem in the fashion industry is that due to the fast production processes, the quality of these products is very low. That becomes a huge issue, since customers can’t rely on these products due to the poorer quality. That’s by design since they are constantly encouraged to buy new fashion products, and that keeps the motor going for these fast fashion companies.
Then there’s also the fact that in the fast fashion production cycle, most of the work is done by workers paid very low amounts of money. Most of these people end up exploited and receive well under minimum wage in most countries, even if they generate massive profits for these fashion businesses.
Slow fashion helps eliminate all these issues within the fashion industry. It helps create a safe environment for workers, while also delivering a very high quality result to customers. In addition, slow fashion protects our planet, not to mention animals (something that companies like Cuddly World excel at).
Why should you consider giving slow fashion a try?
There are many benefits that come from slow fashion. Right from the start, it allows you to save money in the long run. Sure, you might pay a bit more, but these are high-quality garments that are made to last. That means you don’t have to worry about your garments ripping or getting destroyed in a month or a year. Used adequately, slow fashion products will last you for a decade, maybe even a lifetime, if you take good care of them.
They also don’t pollute the environment. The fashion industry generates around 10% of the carbon emissions in the world, so having an alternative to that high level of pollution is always helpful. Aside from reducing the carbon footprint, slow fashion companies also require way less water to make these products. It takes around 700 gallons of water just to make a regular shirt, so you can only imagine how much water is wasted by fast fashion companies.
Additionally, slow fashion relies on the use of healthy and reliable materials. Polyester and man-made materials might sound great at first, but many of them can be very toxic. We also don’t know their long-term effects, yet another reason to stay away from these as much as humanly possible. Opting for slow fashion is the right alternative, and it will help prevent all these issues.
Conclusion
As you can see, slow fashion offers an excellent way to get past all the issues generated by fast fashion companies. If we want to protect our planet, we need to focus on quality and not just consuming and buying things left and right. Once you buy high-quality products that are healthy for you and also protect the environment, you will have much better results.
Thanks to slow fashion, we get to protect the environment, stay safe, and ensure that future generations have a great place to live. Think about the future of our planet, start relying more on slow fashion, and you will be much happier with the results. It will also lead to a healthier and happy lifestyle for you as well!
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