Slow Fashion Guide: 11 Changes You Must Make Today

What is Slow Fashion?

Slow fashion is a concept that stands anti to fast fashion. Slow fashion is a movement that advocates mindful consumerism and conscious buying in response to the fast fashion industry that pollutes the environment.

Why is Slow Fashion so important?

Slow fashion works for environment, reduces child labour and promotes ethical industry practices. Slow fashion in tandem with sustainable fashion promotes fair wages, fair trade and good working conditions for factory labour.

Slow fashion mostly comes in sustainable fabrics that last longer. In general, slow fashion garments take longer to manufacture and the workers are paid fair wages. The carbon footprint on environment is reduced considerably by following the circular economy loop.

Slow Fashion Guide: 11 Changes You Must Make Today

1. Stick to the 30 Wears test for easy decisions
   
   I swear by this formula. If I don’t see myself wearing a garment 30 times minimum, I don’t buy it. This is a great resource for us, fashionistas. Livia Firth came up with ‘The 30 Wears Test’, and I’m a great fan of hers. This test is to stimulate all fashion lovers to ditch impulse shopping and take conscious decisions. I only buy a piece if I know I’ll wear it minimum 30 times before saying goodbye to it.
   
   -Before purchasing, just ask yourself: ‘Will I wear this shirt or these earrings at least 30 times?’ If yes, buy it.
   -If the answer is ‘no’, move on. Resist impulse shopping as it’s a waste of your time, energy and wardrobe space. There is simply no need to invest in items that won’t see enough day lights or last longer than a season in your closet.
   -Your number need not be exactly 30. Depending on your lifestyle and needs, you are free to choose your standard as it suits you. The number is to show you the light. Whether you’ve set your limit at 25 or 40, the only thing you need to do is stick with it for great style investments.
   
   Must read: How you can achieve #30Wears Test to Sustainability & why it matters
   
   
2. Declutter because that’s where gold lies
   
   All our over-consumerism issues have a very simple solution: declutter. Around 10% of women have admitted that they feel depressed when they open doors of their wardrobe. Story of all of us, I guess! Hear more- 57% of women believe that an organized closet not only makes it easier but also quicker to find what they need. It doesn’t stop here. 1 in 9 women is late for work because she is not able to find an outfit to wear.
   
   Decluttering means removing what is extra, what is no longer worn or what no longer fits. A clean wardrobe readily makes available all that you have and can choose from. It is powerful. An organised wardrobe makes choosing easier, thereby reducing selection time and giving more purpose to what you wear.
   
   
3. Create a Slow Fashion (Capsule) Wardrobe
   
   Here’s how:
   
   – Curate a wardrobe based on your personal style.
   – Select a base colour (options include white, black, grey, navy, cream or beige) and build on that.
   – Keep your basics in neutral shades. Add life to them by adding up to 3 accent colours and a few patterns if you like.
   – Capsule wardrobes do not store clothes in large number – therefore, choose quality over quantity.
   – Shop for sustainable fabrics and versatile pieces that you can mix & match and wear in multiple combinations.
   – Add a few carefully selected accessories and jewellery pieces that are timeless and versatile. 
   
   
4. Breakup with newsletters and bad influencers
   
   Around 55% of Gen Z finds their inspiration for online fashion purchase on social media.
   – Unsubscribe newsletters immediately from brands and influencers that promote fast fashion. Save your money and hours of mindless scrolling.
   – Unfollow influencers who promote fast fashion on social media.
   – Find sustainable fashion influencers to follow who’ll inspire you to shop and live sustainably.
   
   Follow me on Instagram here to live sustainably.
   
   
5. Repurpose, reuse, borrow, donate
   
   The rule of sustainable fashion ideology is to never throw. The rule is to make a positive impact by giving your clothes a new look, by borrowing in stead of buying for special occasions, by donating, by giving to friends and family to rewear or repairing them to enjoy them for a longer time.
   
   – Sell you clothes on second hand thrift stores sites.
   – Turn your old denims into new shorts. Fabric spray them if you like and be a creative ninja. Even if you faulter, they are your shorts.
   – Borrow from friends or family or just rent clothes online.
   – Donate as a last resort to someone who’ll make a good use of your clothes.
   
   
6. Be thoughtful and thriving
   
   – Be a thrift shopper.
   – Be thoughtful of what you buy.
   – Prioritise shopping natural fabrics.
   – Set a budget and only buy what is needed. Buying something because it’s on 90% discount is against the principle of sustainability. And usually what’s at 90% off is something that’s not selling. Why do you want to pick it?
   
   
7. Buy for forever, not for a day or season
   
   Invest in classic ageless pieces that walk with you year on year. Build your wardrobe on sustainable fashion principles. You not only save money but also resources and impact on your mind. Before buying an item, think of ways of styling it throughout the year, or at least 8 months.
   
   
8. Watch your washing
   
   – Hand wash as much as possible to increase the lives of your clothes.
   – Wash full loads in stead of a few pieces to save water.
   – Wash when required. Get into the practice of wearing clothes twice before getting them washed. I’m not talking about smelly summer clothes or after gym clothes.
   – Wash similar fabrics together.
   
   
9. Keep your list of slow fashion brands handy for shopping
   
   Saying Goodbye to our favourite fast fashion brands is not easy but the good news is that it’ll become a part of your life over the long run. A lot of fast fashion brands are moving in the sustainable direction so life’s gonna be easy.
   – Keep your list of slow fashion brands handy so that you know where to go for a specific requirement.
   – Shop from neighbourhood and small businesses to promote them and getting a lot at good prices.
   – Choose fabrics like organic cotton, linen, hemp that walk the talk.
   
   
10. Do the paradigm shift
    
    Slow fashion takes time for a shift as we’re attuned to fast fashion since a long time. The shift will be tough but it’s possible. And once done, life will be sorted and you’ll be proud of yourself.
    – Have quality based shopping habits.
    – Being aware of the impact your shopping has on environment is the first step towards this shift.
    – Don’t beat yourself for resisting shopping. Likewise, don’t beat yourself for impulse shopping. Distinguish when you defeat the purpose and restart.
    
    
11. Say No to fads and YES to timeless pieces
    

Slow fashion is just not about clothes, it’s about shoes, accessories and the jewellery pieces we choose too.
Rule number one: choose sustainable, made-to-last and eco friendly items. Make quality based shopping a priority. It is always better to have a few things that you actually wear than to have a massive wardrobe that fulfils no purpose.

• Avoid shopping fads and trends that last a season or a year. Invest in wardrobe staples and pieces without an expiration date – think quality over quantity.
• Invest in wardrobe pieces that come without an expiry date.
• Always think quality over quantity.
• Choose jewellery designs that can go with a lot outfits. Pearls, gemstones, classic stud earrings, elegant pendants go a long way.
  
  Final thoughts
  The slow fashion movement in collaboration with sustainable fashion principles is gaining momentum year on year. The future is bright and all we have to do is our bit. We just have to walk towards a more sustainable future and leave a better planet for the generations to come.
  
  It takes time to adapt to a slow fashion lifestyle and its worth all the effort. It takes a portion of our lives to declutter, organise and get used to new shopping habits. But once you get the ball rolling, there is a rainbow at the end of it all. Start small but be consistent. On your to-do-list today, let me know one tip you’ll use to start your slow fashion journey. The comments await your answer. And so do I…