Five Ways To Stop Shopping Fast Fashion Today
You may be curious on how to stop consuming fast fashion if you are reading this article. And it may come as a relief to find out that it is actually quite simple. It is as easy as not buying from certain brands, watching films, and questioning where your clothing was made from. For the following tips, make sure to take your time and don’t pressure yourself to be perfect. Every small step matters no matter how menial and unimportant it feels.
1. Buy from sustainable fashion brands
If you are new to sustainable fashion and enjoy shopping, consider shifting to sustainable fashion brands. This is a great option to learn about how clothing can be ethical, organic, and sustainable. Brands have information on their websites to explain their supply chain and often display certifications proving their claims.
The only concern here is the price points. Clothing from sustainable fashion brands are often more expensive because they paid their workers a fair, living wage, used expensive organic materials, and had to pay for rigorous certifications. This makes garment pieces range from $40-500 for one piece and thus unrealistic for people of different income demographics to afford. However, if you buy a lot of fast fashion at a frequent pace and then stop doing so, you will be able to save up for select, sustainable fashion pieces.
2. Buy from online resale sites
If you don’t want to buy new clothing and/or can’t afford that option, buying used from online businesses is a perfect option. It usually requires a general account sign up and input of your size and brand preferences. Prices are often affordable and the clothing vary in quality and condition. Always make sure to ask for additional pictures, measurements, and details if you are ever unsure whether garments will fit right and if they are in good quality.
The top sites recommended are:
These sites allow you to find different brands in their search bar, negotiate prices, and have clothing shipped to your house. Concerns for this option includes not knowing the true condition of the desired clothing item, not having the ability to see and feel it before the purchase, and having to wait for the item to arrive within the mail.
3. Watch the True Cost
If you haven’t watched this documentary, this is a highly informative film about the effects that fast fashion has on Earth and its people. It lays down the connection between western consumerism with the conditions that perpetuate the exploitation of workers, the degradation of earth, and the unethical behavior of corporations.
This film can be purchased and/or rented on YouTube, Amazon, and on their website. Just make sure to be prepared to confront who made your clothes. The only concern for this option is that the harsh realities of workers in the fashion industry are revealed. It is unsettling to see the graphic details of the death of garment workers killed in unsafe sweatshops.
Photo Credit: The True Cost
4. Budget your money
Consider what you spend your money on. Make an Excel worksheet that includes the date, the item, and the amount spent each month on clothing. This basic financial tracking tool will allow you to develop a clearer insight into how you are spending your money. And not only will this help you have a list of what you buy but it will provide an effective path in becoming more aware of how you are consuming goods. Set a reminder in your phone to do this every other week after collecting a bunch of receipts and storing them in your wallet.
Basic financial tools, like budgeting, can actually help you better understand fast fashion. It will help you see how much you are spending on clothing and how you can budget for sustainable alternatives. It can even help prevent impulse buying and provide a better sense of what you need versus desire. Concerns for this option includes time and intention. You will have to save your receipts and then remember to insert all the details within the worksheet. For someone with limited time, this may not be a realistic thing to do. Also, doing this routinely can be hard if purchases are unintentional and its tracking is unintentional.
5. Give a heck
If you know what is happening because of fast fashion, then it is your time to shine. You have the power to spread the awareness of this issue. Act not to become part of the revolution of creating a more just and humane world. No one else is going to do it for you. Everyone is a part of the solution!
If you want to start, join Just Irenic’s social media consumer activist campaign called Fuck Fast Fashion. Tell us how you #FFFRN (Fuck Fast Fashion Right Now). This can mean showing us how you thrift your clothing, how you take care of your clothing, and/or how you are not endorsing sleazy fashion brands. There are no rules and no limits. Follow us on Instagram to grow the community!
