what is slow fashion, and why should you care?

WHAT IS SLOW FASHION?

If someone were to ask you, what exactly IS slow fashion, how would you respond?

I still come across many people who don’t really understand (or perhaps have never been told) what the terms “fast fashion” and “slow fashion” actually mean.  What does the fast and slow refer to in the fashion landscape, and why is it important?

I think a good place to start is by talking about FAST FASHION.  The term pre-dates slow fashion as a concept (it was first used in 1989 to describe the then novel approach Zara took to breaking from two-season fashion collections), and is fairly ubiquitous in the media.  Understanding Fast Fashion will help us contextualise what it is that makes slow fashion, slow.

What makes FASHION FAST?

Fast Fashion is marked by trend-driven, rapid, high-volume manufacturing processes designed to minimise costs, maximise output and condense the cycle of garment production (sketch to shelf)  from months to mere weeks (or for ultra-fast fashion, as low as 3-7 days!).  Very little thought is given to how design and manufacturing decisions affect people or the environment.  Fast Fashion also focuses on make - buy - dispose as a linear system of production.

The fast bits:

• Garment design is continuous, speedy, and generally now relies on algorithms or AI to detect emerging trends on social media, and create rudimentary designs from these.  

• No cohesive “collections” are produced, usually just “drops” of new designs based on perceived trends.  Shein routinely drops thousands of new designs weekly.

• Minimal sampling and fit testing is done, if at all.  Digital sampling is a preferred method (CLO-3D or similar) thus requiring no testing or fitting to human bodies, or consultation with pattern makers / creation of physical patterns.

• Materials and manufacturing methods sourced are usually extremely low cost - synthetic, with low quality notions, fixtures and fast techniques.  Cheap, unsafe and unethical labour is common.

• Supply chains are usually complex, global and opaque - tracing the supply chains of fast fashion is notoriously difficult (and often closely guarded).

• Construction relies on unregulated assembly-line work, with garment workers sewing at pace with minimal pay and questionable conditions.  This often occurs in developing countries where worker protections are very low. 

• Only basic inspections of the finished product are performed, if at all. This is to increase the speed of the item to shelf.  High volumes are normal to take into account high return rates of the garments.  If QA is performed, garments are simply destroyed - not fixed.

• The business model of Fast Fashion is super low input costs with a tiny profit margin, but high volumes, coupled with designs that are made to be rapidly disposable, ensures an ongoing purchase cycle and continuous profit.

• Overproduction is standard; unsold clothing is often landfilled or incinerated (the industry standard is 30% of inventory is predicted to not sell and will go to landfill or incineration).

These manufacturing processes—speed, high volume and wastage, low wages, low production costs, synthetic materials, opaque supply chain, minimal quality control, and planned obsolescence—are what define Fast Fashion.

WHAT MAKES FASHION SLOW?

Slow Fashion is focussed on perennial styles, with design generally more considered and nuanced, and focused on higher quality, long-lived garments and limited collection cycles.  Slow Fashion is often made with methods that embody craftsmanship and durability.  It also, on a deeper level, is design and production that is more aware of the impact that its processes have on people and the environment.  Slow Fashion focuses on an extended, circular cycle of production.

The slow bits:

• Garment design can take several months from concept to retail. Designs are usually not stand-alone, but centred around a collection of similar, complementary garments that reflect seasonal changes (spring/summer, autumn/winter), with far fewer new styles released annually.

• Designers work with pattern makers and human fit models, focussing on refining design features, cut and fit over a number of sample stages.  Designs usually go through many iterations / sampling before being finalised and then graded by the pattern maker.

• Garments predominantly use higher quality natural fibre fabrics: cotton, linen, wool, silk, with a focus on longevity, feel and wear/care characteristics.

• Garments are generally produced either in small batches, or on-order, and in facilities with better working conditions for employees.  Slow Fashion also tends to be more local.

• Garments are usually thoroughly tested and inspected.  If faults are found, depending on the fault it may be sold as a second or repaired, rather than thrown away.

• Garments are created and released ad hoc, not to the demand of trends or seasons.

• The business model of Slow Fashion is higher input costs with moderate profit margins, but very low volume, coupled with timeless, well-constructed garments that are made to last or be easily repaired.

• On demand production is standard; unsold clothing is often kept until sold, or may be eventually discounted.

SLOW FASHION HISTORY

But really, Slow Fashion is just the way things used to be done.  The way the industry happily operated for many years before Zara broke the two-season standard and was labelled the first “Fast Fashion” giant, with others quickly following in their footsteps.

As the pace of fashion manufacturing really started to ramp up, it quickly became apparent that this way of doing things caused immense environmental and social harm. If you were around in the nineties, you might remember the scandal that surrounded the beloved brand Nike being found using child labour.  This discovery sparked many to begin thinking about fashion more critically, and looking beyond the glamour to try and understand the social and environmental impact of the systems making our clothes.

In the 2000s the interest around ethical clothing manufacture was growing steadily, and early pioneer brands such as Patagonia were showcasing their (at the time quite novel) commitment to practices such as using organic cotton and fair, transparent labour.  In 2007, the term Slow Fashion itself was coined by sustainable fashion expert Kate Fletcher, who wanted to draw parallels to the Slow Food movement that was popular at the time.  Slow Fashion as a movement continued to grow - but not nearly as swiftly as fast fashion, which had by this stage been heartily embraced by an industry that was pleased with making huge amounts of money at low cost by flooding the market with cheap, disposable fashion.

When the Rana Plaza disaster hit in 2013, 1,134 garment workers - most of them women - were killed in an unsafe factory that was being used to make garments for many well known global fashion brands such as Benetton and Primark.  This one tragic event acted as a catalyst for the establishment of Fashion Revolution - now the world's largest fashion activism and education platform. If you’re not familiar with the wonderful work they do - I suggest you head to their website and check them out!

Despite almost 30 years of awareness of the negative impact that the fast fashion industry has on people and the environment, money, glamour, impulse buying, and the gamification of online purchasing still drive gigantic players like Shein and BooHoo to make immense profits, and also immense harm.  Chris Xu, the rather secretive CEO of Shein, has an estimated personal wealth of somewhere between $9 billion and $19 billion.

SLOW FASHION FUTURE

To me, the “Slow” of Slow Fashion is not just about the speed of production, but also the speed of consumption.  If we demand less, then companies will make less.  If companies make less, then we will want less.  It’s a cycle that can feed into itself quite nicely.

Tackling the breakneck speed of industry is not something that we as consumers can change alone, though - these changes need to be driven by government policy and industry regulation.  But there are definitely small things that we, as people who want to at least try to do good, can practice day-to-day, to make choices towards a slower and more thoughtful pace of consumption. Focus on things like transparency, materials, quality, ethics, and sustainability claims.

• Choose garments that last longer, reduce landfill waste, reduce water use, and use fewer chemicals.

• Check garment labels for natural fibers like organic cotton, linen, wool, or recycled/upcycled materials. Avoid mainly synthetic, petroleum-based fabrics.

• Take an interest in supply chains, fair wages, and safe work conditions.  Take a couple of minutes to delve a little deeper before you buy. Local, small-batch, or artisanal production suggests a greater commitment to ethical practices. Transparent brands share details about their supply chain and manufacturing processes.

• Look for independent certifications such as Fair Trade, GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), or the Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) trademark. Let the certification bodies do the hard lifting for you.

• Research the brand using guides and ratings like Baptist World Aid’s Ethical Fashion Guide or the Good On You app, which provide easy tools to compare brands’ sustainability and labour practices.

• Where you can, choose high-quality, versatile pieces that get regular wear, and that you can develop a relationship with.  More wear = more meaning, saving money long-term and reducing clutter.

• Spend a few moments really looking at, and feeling the garment.  High-quality craftsmanship - visible in seams, finishes, and fabric feel - typically indicates longer garment life and careful manufacturing.

• Practice thoughtful buying decisions—choose fewer, better items, which counters the disposable mindset of Fast Fashion and helps cultivate an intentional wardrobe.

Good questions to ask before you buy:

• Will I wear this garment a lot?

• Where and how it was made, and by whom?

• Can I read about the brand’s environmental and ethical policies?

• Is the garment easy to clean and repairable?

But more importantly, next time you’re rummaging around in your wardrobe, take a minute to pull out your absolute favourite piece of clothing. The one that you love to wear and makes you feel rather fabulous. The one you'd grab if your house was on fire. Hold it, really look at it - look at the cut and the fabric and the seams.  Imagine the person who made it, sitting at their sewing machine with the fabric you’re now holding, but in their hands as they sew up and down the seams.

Now ask yourself: Why do I love this? Why do I keep wearing it?  What memories do I have of wearing this garment? Why has this garment become part of my story?  Why don’t I want to throw it away?  

Those are the questions you should ask when you’re out searching for your next piece, because if you’re seeking true value then it comes from the connection that you’ll build, not the amount that you’ll save.  And connection is exactly what slow fashion is trying to give you with every purchase. Not just occasionally and not by accident, but by design.

Fast fashion is designed to be disposed of and forgotten. Slow fashion is designed to be cherished and remembered.