Five Ways to Quit Fast Fashion

Fast fashion is easy to find, cheap to buy and quickly accessible in almost every store you go. It is understandable to feel like quitting fast fashion is a big step! It can be a confusing and messy process to stop doing something that you are comfortable with and that you’ve been  buying for so long. You may wonder what you will buy as an alternative, where to find those alternatives and if you have enough time, energy and of a budget to embark on this new journey. 

To facilitate that process, small, practical steps are often the best way to begin. Don’t worry to start small and then make progress from there. As any journey, take your time to reflect where you are, where you are going and what you want. The clothing we wear is a mirror of who you are so don’t be afraid to go inward and find what works best for you. The following steps are ideas that will hopefully inspire and motivate you! 

Step 1: Stop Buying 

It sounds simple but as an ex-shopaholic, I know that this may be the hardest thing to do. Try to avoid shopping online if you don’t need anything. It is important to distinguish what you really need versus impulse desires. These impulse desires can cause a lot of unnecessary pieces in your closet. These pieces will take up space and money that could have been otherwise saved. A key piece of advice is to block your most tempting sites in one sitting. Make sure to unfollow them from all social media platforms and unsubscribe from their newsletter. The less exposure you have can translate in less temptations therefore less shopping. It sounds bleak at first but it can go a long way in refocusing your attention. 

Step 2: Buy What You Need 

If you stop buying from a desire oriented focus, you can start to better understand what you need. Try to make a list of the essentials that you use every month. By making a list, it can help avoid multiple trips to the store, reduce distractions and impulse purchases. It can help provide a better understanding of how much money you need to spend and if you are keeping within your overall monetary goal. This focus will help you save money, live more simply and give you some time for other things. The extra time gained from not spending time in stores could be placed in learning how to mend the clothes already in your closet, in how to do thrift flips or investigating issues in the fashion industry. In addition, less clothing means more space in your home. Make sure to personally discover what your perks are in only buying the essentials and why that matters. It is a personal process that will take shape differently for everyone!

Step 3: Reflect

When we think of the fashion industry, we don’t often think about reflection. However, it is important to understand what fashion means to you. Why is it important? How does it form your self identity? How does it affect your life? All these questions are relevant to how you live and express yourself everyday. Clothing is our second skin that provides a method of coverage against the elements but is not merely a superficial matter. Consider what you wear everyday and why you choose those pieces. It can let you know aspects about yourself you may have not otherwise have realized. Notice if you buy trends because it makes you feel belonged and accepted in a peer group versus wearing what you want. Developing a personal sense of style can avoid the groupthink of dressing the same in the sake of being accepted. This implicates having a sense of self and creativity on how to express that. You can always start by drawing, journaling, doing the things you love and loving yourself.  Get creative and be yourself !

Step 4: Research 

Quitting fast fashion can be scary if you don't have alternative resources and knowledge. It helps a lot to be connected with like minded people that help you learn and grow. Start following big sustainable fashion organizations such as Fashion Revolution and Remake. They are active on social media and provide informative newsletters on issues affecting the fashion industry. In addition, watch YouTube videos relating to fast fashion, thrifting and sustainability. Typing keywords in search bars will help you see all the information that can be found online. If you are academically focused, try using Google Scholar for research papers. Kate Fletcher is a great starting point if you want to know more about sustainable fashion. She is the most published academic on that topic. Also, it is recommended to sign up to Centre of Sustainable Fashion’s newsletter. By engaging with organizations, content creators, activists and socially aware consumers, it can help become immersed in a community that is striving for similar goals.

Step 5: Copy COVID-19 Shopping Patterns

During the pandemic, consumers have been spending more time inside their homes. Shopping has been reduced in buying what is needed to reduce exposure. Although fashion can be purchased online, budgets are tight. In addition, shipping from large brands and sellers are taking longer than normal. Try to copy this consumer pattern after the pandemic. Consider only shopping from second hand resellers such as eBay, Poshmark and Depop. These sites allow you to buy beautiful clothing at cheap prices  that arrive in reasonable time. By keeping a focus on avoiding leisure stores, shopping second hand online and keeping in mind a budget really does go a long way. Once the pandemic ends, these patterns will help maintain progress in avoiding fast fashion brands. 

To continue learning more about fast fashion, join Remakes virtual book club. We will be reading “ How to Break- Up with Fast Fashion” by Lauren Bravo. #remakebookclub

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