Slow Fashion: timeless styles, ethically sourced

Fast fashion has been a growing problem in the UK for the last couple of decades.

Fast fashion is about making clothes quickly and affordably. Pieces are never meant to be timeless staples of a capsule wardrobe, they are meant to be mass produced at as little cost as possible and disposed of when the fashion trends move on.

Emerging in the 2000s, it is estimated that consumers buy over two tonnes of clothes every minute in the UK.

With Christmas around the corner and the cost of living crisis hitting many households, people are struggling to afford presents for loved ones and are turning to huge retailers to buy cheaper clothes.

Manager of ‘Cow Bullring’, a large vintage clothes store, and small business owner of ‘Re-Loved Vintage’ said; “it’s hard to say how much sales will increase due to the cost of living crisis, as vintage clothing is a luxury, not a necessity.”

According to www.keepbritaintidy.org, the drive behind fast fashion results in a staggering 10,000 items of clothing being sent to landfill every five minutes.

The problem lies with the recent ‘wear it once’ trend. A survey carried out by www.keepbritaintidy.org showed that one in three women felt their clothes were outdated after only three wears.

This is evident in the many fashion trends and fads sweeping the country. With people being more influenced by popular culture, aided by almost 24-hour coverage on the most popular celebrities on social media, people have access to the latest trends quicker, meaning they fade faster with approximately fifty-two new trends emerging every year.

The owner of ‘Re-Loved Vintage’ said: “it’s very tempting to buy a new outfit for every occasion and I think sometimes it’s okay to do that.

“Don’t follow and fall into traps of micro-trends because you will inevitably feel as though you don’t like it anymore if you don’t have a style of your own… micro-trends change like the wind, so my aim is to curate and provide timeless styles.”

According to www.eco-stylist.com, a website where they rate favourite high street brands based on their sustainability, diversity and overall ethical score, their aim is to find brands that consumers can trust.

Sustainability is growing as a new trend by the day, and brands are receiving backlash if not seen to be sustainable or making progress towards it. Many brands are trying to capitalise off the recent boom of popularity surrounding sustainability, claiming they are achieving net zero carbon emissions or they recycle any waste.

‘Re-Loved Vintage’ aim to create and pursue sustainability with the owner saying: “every element of the brand is eco-conscious, from the packaging to business cards, which we also supply from another small business.

"We aim to source clothing even if it's visibly damaged and breathe new life into these items."

More info can be found at https://www.eco-stylist.com/ and 'Re-Loved Vintage' can be found on Instagram @wearereloved .