Integrity Score 294
No Records Found
No Records Found
No Records Found
We all have to wear clothes. Unless you join a nudist colony (risky), there’s no way around that one. Unfortunately, a lot of major fashion companies use the fast fashion model, which means their clothes are made to follow current trends and gotten rid of after a season. The United States contributes 12 million tons of textiles and clothes to landfills every year—and a lot of that is fast fashion. Fast fashion companies also often participate in unethical business practices, like cheap labor or even child labor.
So if fast fashion isn’t a sustainable option, what can you do?
1. Shop secondhand. Secondhand and vintage shops are more sustainable because they help reduce the demand for fast fashion. Vintage clothes in particular are often made of sturdier, better-quality fabrics. Another pro of this type of shopping is that you’ll be able to curate a more specific and unique wardrobe. There’s a high chance of seeing someone else in the same Primark top at a party. Not so much with vintage trousers from the 80s.
2. Shop at brands that are actually sustainable. In addition to not contributing to climate change, sustainable brands tend to be better-quality and last longer. A google search will bring up lists of good brands to look at.
3. Online markets like Etsy are another great option. Etsy is cool because you can find on-demand or one-of-a-kind handmade items that support textile artists as well as funky vintage pieces. Places like Depop and Poshmark sell secondhand clothes from a variety of places.
There are plenty of options besides fast fashion. The only downside is that sustainable brands are less trendy and can be more expensive, so a more affordable approach is to go to those brands first and pick up sturdy, sustainable, classic pieces one at a time. The solution, however, is not to immediately throw away all your fast fashion stuff! If you’re done with it and it’s still wearable, donate it to a local thrift shop and let someone else shop sustainably, too.