Sustainable Fashion vs Fast Fashion – What Really Is the Difference?
There are many reasons why the term “sustainable” has been permeating the fashion industry lately.
The big push for more awareness from within the trade is much needed. Not only is the garment industry one of the most polluting industries in the world, but it is also responsible for child labour, animal cruelty, modern slavery and an enormous amount of waste and pollution.
To really dig deep into the harm of fast fashion, we must first understand what the term really stands for.
The term “fast fashion”, coined in the 1990s by the New York Times, seems to replicate the concept of “fast food” - food that is affordable, quickly cooked, and readily available.
This idea centres on convenience and taste rather than ethics or health, which is why the term has bled into the fashion industry, as “fast fashion” – used to describe garments that are readily, conveniently, abundantly available, often at the cost of quality or ethical practices.
Today's fast fashion sees one garment worn as little as seven times before it's discarded, leading to an enormous amount of textile waste placing significant strain on our planet.
This huge volume of production leads to a massive use of water and energy resources, which are both already in limited supply. But perhaps one of the most discussed issues with fast fashion is its continuous violation of human rights.
The Rana Plaza disaster shook the world in 2013, when a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed taking the lives of 1,134 people and injuring a further 2,500.
This catastrophe has become synonymous with the damage caused by unsafe production and unregulated, undervalued labour that is pervasive within fast fashion.
The sustainable fashion movement was born as a reaction to pollution caused by the fashion industry – but even as far back as the 70s, when the punk scene introduced secondhand style, a sustainable mindset was already present.
It's 2022 and sustainable fashion is “in” - but what really sets it apart from traditional fashion, and even more so, fast fashion?
Firstly, the antidote to fast fashion is said to be “slow fashion “ - a mentality which opposes overproduction and promotes durability and mindful consumption.
Brands that champion this mindset are careful to ensure that their designs are made to last.
Workers' rights are a key factor in sustainable fashion, and it goes hand in hand with environmental sustainability.
The key to this, many brands believe, is re-discovering craftsmanship. Valuing artisanship is a factor that slow-fashion brands put high on their list of priorities.
The style factor also counts, as slow-fashion brands refuse to be led by passing fads. Where fast fashion is a follower of fads, sustainable fashion aims for timeless
Ultimately, the slow-fashion movement is in agreement that for the fashion industry to truly be the best it can be, we need to move towards a future where sustainable fashion is just...fashion.
Our mindset around clothing must shift and the throwaway mentality must be replaced by a more mindful approach with durability in mind.