5 Tips To Kick Your Fast Fashion Habit
#1 Take a sewing class.
Or try to make something yourself. See how difficult it is to design, measure, cut, piece together and sew just one garment. Imagine you made a pretty summer maxi dress, how much time would that take? 5 hours? 10? How much would you expect to be paid for that? I would demand at least £50… so why is that dress on Missguided only £20? Someone, a person or the environment, has suffered the rest of that cost. Don’t fancy taking a class? Watch The Great British Sewing Bee, or Project Runway. Knit some socks. See how much goes into producing one piece of fabric, and one garment, and you will start to see why fast fashion is so problematic.
#2 Sleep on it.
See something you like in a high street shop? If it is not the last one (and it rarely is in big shops like Zara or H&M), sleep on it. If you can’t return to the shop in the near future, see if you can order it online. You don’t even need to sleep- just walk out of the shop, go for a walk or a coffee, and ask yourself the following questions: Is this good quality? Does it go with things I already have in my wardrobe? Is it comfortable? Is it practical for the climate? Will I ACTUALLY wear it? I have been guilty of seeing a cool-looking piece of clothing, which would look amazing on a friend, but just isn’t me, and convincing myself that one day I will muster the confidence or vibe to wear it. I don’t. Ever. So ask yourself: How much do I want to wear this? Do I want to wear it tomorrow? To my next party? To a special event? Unless you want to wear it NOW, put it back.
#3 Choose quality
Invest a little more in better quality pieces. One thing you will love dearly and wear constantly is worth way more than 4 cheap things you bought because you were bored. Last Autumn, I bought a lovely navy blue cashmere jumper from a department store. It seemed on the expensive end for a single item… but it was lusciously cosy, irresistibly soft and blooming comfy, so I bought it. And I wore it all winter. And to be honest, it’s always winter in Scotland, so I’m going to wear it all year, every year till it’s more holes than fabric. Many cheaper items quickly lose their shape or wear out. Plus, he cheap price can tempt you to buy more than you need, and you end up with lots of clothes that you only wear a handful of times. So save your money for something that will last.
#4 Find your style, and stick to it.
Don’t worry about what other people think! This takes time and thought. From starting high school, to starting university and all the way through to when I moved abroad to Spain for a year, I used to take forever to get dressed. I dragged enormous suitcases of clothes with me every time I moved. I always felt I had to make a statement, stand out, look different. It was rather time consuming. Then, fed up with wasting time, leaving the house frustrated and paying excess baggage fees, I started to look at my friends. I noticed how they wore nice clothes and looked great… but also they weren’t really bothered. And how it didn’t bother me what they wore. And gradually, I stopped worrying too. I used to worry about looking “basic” for wearing jeans and a pretty top, or “boring” for always wearing blue jumpers. But do you know what I realised ? I love blue jumpers! I have about 5 of them! That’s more than half of all my jumpers! I suit blue jumpers, and they go with everything. Sometimes, you find something you really like and stick with it, and that’s ok. I think anyone can look amazing if they wear clothes that flatter and accentuate their figure and express their individuality. And it’s way easier to get dressed when you have fewer things to choose from.
#5 “Retail Therapy” is no longer cool.
Don’t shop when you are frustrated about what to wear or in a negative mindset. It’s really easy to go out and buy cheap clothes when you’re in a bad mood… the popularity of “Retail Therapy” is a testament to this! Most things I’ve bought mindlessly have ended up in charity shops before the year was out. If you often find yourself on a shopping spree because you are bored, fed up, or procrastinating, you need to face up to these feelings and work on being more comfortable in your own skin (and with your own clothes!). Remember, though, it takes time to find what works for you, be patient and don’t judge yourself, or anyone else, for not being there quite yet. Keep working on your habits, and you will find your sustainable style. My friends have started to notice recently that I always wear flowers. This was not intentional, but it has become my thing. At least half my clothes have flowers on them. I have a friend who always wears black. Maybe some silver, white or grey. Teamed with elegant accessories and sleek hair, she always looks amazing. But if I wear all black, with my wavy blonde hair, I feel like an impostor. Like an off-duty Sandy from Grease. So make sure your clothes make you feel like YOU. Don’t buy stuff because you think someone else looks good in it.
I hope that after reading this post you are feeling more confident about moving away from fast fashion. Find your own style, rummage through charity shops, do a Macklemore and thrift shop, even make your own garments. And when you want to buy new clothes, question yourself. Question fashion marketing strategies. Vote with your pound. Be consistent about buying good quality, long-wearing items and trust that there are people out there doing the same. The industry has to realise we are no longer in the dark, we are waking up to the myriad environmental and social impacts of our clothing consumption and we are willing to change ourselves and our way of living to save the planet.
