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Is slow fashion going to oust fast fashion?

In this era of fast fashion, of “quickly bought, quickly thrown away”, a new trend is emerging with the return of clothing that’s high quality, consistent with the Clean Fashion trend, made under more ethically-sound conditions and built to last. Is this new “slow fashion” going to oust fast fashion?

“Buy less, choose well, make it last”. This quotation from famous English fashion designer Vivienne Westwood perfectly illustrates the dichotomy between “fast” and “slow” fashion. ”Fast fashion” first appeared in the 1990s as a nod to fast food. It is about cheap clothes, produced under conditions that are harmful to the environment and to the rights of the workers who produce them, and which promptly get forgotten at the back of the wardrobe or thrown in the bin. For a few years now, “slow fashion” has taken the opposite stance, offering an alternative, more virtuous kind of fashion.

How does the craze for the latest thing fuel fast fashion?

The mere spring-summer and autumn-winter collections are no more. For some ten years now, big chains have been replacing old-season garments with new-season collections more and more rapidly. 

To reproduce trends spotted at Fashion Week runway shows as accurately as possible and draw in customers as frequently as possible, some fashion chains (Zara, H&M, Primark…) go right ahead and put forward new items and capsule wardrobe collections or alluring collaborations several times a month. Copying the creations of big brands, they churn out mass-produced, poor-quality clothing cheaply under what are terrible conditions for their exploited workforces. Producing the clothing is extremely polluting, as is what becomes of it at the end of its life… Clothes have become consumer products, short-lived and disposable. 

Bought quickly, seldom worn, quickly thrown away

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Every season, why do without? You can buy a new T-shirt with the latest trendy cut for €5, €10 or €15, a dress with the latest print that’s trending. A mere few months later, and they are already forgotten, outdated, worn out. And off they go into the bin!

According to studies, French consumers buy between nine and 30 kilos’ worth of clothing items per year, of which only 30% is worn regularly. They reportedly give away 3 kilos’ worth, and less than a quarter goes on to be recycled (source: NOVETHIC). Industry figures reveal that garments now have a lifespan of two to 10 years (one to two years for underwear and T-shirts, four to six years for suits and coats).

A waste that the authorities are tackling

In France, 600,000 tons of clothing are thrown away ever year. Yet the poor quality of most of these garments makes them difficult to re-use, and selling them on is hardly worth it. Being made up of mixed fabrics makes them impossible to recycle. Not to mention the practices that some brands and distributors engage in. In early 2018, photos posted on Facebook of Célio brand coats and jackets, cut up and thrown in a bin in the centre of Rouen, were met with dismay and anger. This scandal came three weeks after the broadcast of a Danish report stating that H&M had allegedly burned some 12 tons of clothes since 2013.

As a result came the French anti-waste act passed unanimously in late 2019 and the French circular economy act voted on in January 2020. From 2022, brands will be prohibited from throwing away or burning unsold non-food stock.

Slow fashion – clean, pared-down fashion

On one hand, producing less but better. On the other, buying less and making wise purchases. Slow fashion was born out of this desire to get back to what is essential. This resonates with consumers determined to be more mindful of their social and environmental impact. It also resonates with brands who put forward more timeless offerings that are designed to last through the seasons. This movement is aimed at putting a stop to waste, protecting our environment and taking human welfare into account. In summary, fashion that’s ethically sound, sustainable and principled. Quality, protection of the environment and of workers, equity, limited production runs and a reworked product life cycle are all values espoused by slow fashion brands. Some, like ForLife, have even chosen to state the place of origin of their raw materials, the location of their factories and the production costs on their website, for the sake of full disclosure. A fashion label has even been set up, by the name of Slow we are.

Is slow fashion just a step back?

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Slow fashion offers a viable, responsible alternative to fast fashion. But if you think about it, it does look like a step back. Before the advent of “Off the peg”, we would only buy very few clothes, and wear them for a very long time. Even if it meant repurposing the fabric by making it into something else. For some time now, some brands, like Agnès b., APC and LDB design by, have been offering clothes made in France or Europe, with timeless designs, made from high-quality fabrics and built to last.

Slow fashion is thriving, and lately all the new brands have been declaring themselves in favour of this movement. The flip side is that these brands are now popping up all over the shop!

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