Reduce, Reuse and Upcycle: The rapid uprise of Slow Fashion and How to be Sustainable

 

Brought to you by @ivebeenparadisekissed

One of the deadliest pandemics in the socioeconomic world is consumerism, with the most lethal variant being fast fashion: a disease that is slowly but surely killing us all. 

Under the guise of cute and trendy clothes, brands like Fashion Nova and Shein are some of the biggest infectors. They entice us with their endless sales and head warning that the clothes in our baskets are almost out of stock as a means of drawing us in because God forbid we get FOMO for not being able to buy that £5, 100% polyester bandeau top. However this brainwashing mumbo jumbo is really just a way for these huge brands to get us to buy clothes, accessories or any other fashion related items that we don’t necessarily need, but want to have in that moment. 

Elysia Berman (@elysiaberman on tik tok) reduces the negative connotations of fast fashion into layman terms where she talks about her own personal fashion addiction and contribution to consumerism. One of the most potent things she said that really stuck out to me was “Do I love fashion or do I just love shopping?” When it comes to buying clothes, it really easy to have a this mindset where you believe that just because what you’re purchasing is wearable, that is a good enough justification to buy from non-sustainable brands. Which in some cases may be true, however it is never just as simple as that as there are many things you should try to consider when buying an article of clothing. 

Clothes are meant for long term wear, so one of the main things you should be asking yourself is if this piece of clothing is something you see yourself wearing continuously in the next 6 months or even the next year. Is it something that you can mix and match with what you already have in your wardrobe, or is it something that you just want to wear for IG pics and would never wear again because people have already seen you in it once? 

As a society we have mistakenly adapted this mindset that clothes are only meant to have their 10 minutes of fame before we shove them to the deepest, darkest depths of our closet, never to be seen again. And because we don’t want to wear them again, we look to these apps, curated to cater towards this insecurity to buy even more clothes that we would only wear once or a few times before trashing them. From this stems an endless cycle where you find yourself opening prettylittlething because you think you have nothing to wear, but really it’s because the things you bought that were cute in the moment no longer interest you and you want something else to give you that momentary dopamine rush. 

And I know what you’re thinking. If it’s only you that is affected by this cycle, then what does it matter? One person buying from fast fashion brands is not going to affect the world in any way, shape or form, so who cares? However, it isn’t just you. It takes millions of consumers to keep these brands in business, thus the impact on the world is more detrimental than you think. Infact, around 300,000 tonnes of textile waste ends up in household black bins every year which gets sent to landfill or incinerators. Less than 1% of this material is recycled into new clothing. So just know, that when you’re considering buying that recycled mesh top from asos, the single thread of cotton they reused is what they’re using to market that product as “sustainable”. 

“So what now? This parakiss girl has just blabbed about how everything in my wardrobe is leading to the end of the world, yet she isn’t giving me ways to do better.” If that’s what’s going through your mind right now, let me give you my top three tips to be more sustainable!

1.       Thrifting 

As a means to combat the fast fashion disease that is plaguing our bodies and minds, thrift and charity shops are the vaccines that will send you on your way to a speedy recovery. A lot of the times, going to second hand shops can be tiring, time consuming and uneventful, but you just need to look at the right places to shop. Furthermore, make a day out of it! Grab your girls and follow this itinerary for a successful day of shopping to upgrade your wardrobe and have fun doing it. 

Start your day off bright and early and make your way to Dalston car boot sale. It opens at 7:30AM, so I would make sure to arrive a little earlier to secure a good spot in line (remember to bring cash as a lot of the stalls do not accept card). If you’re weary of what to expect from this car boot, a quick search on tik tok will show that it has much to offer for various different fashion styles. 

After shopping away, you can make your way to Hom, a small, independent coffee shop and bakery to get a matcha latte or any of their freshly baked goods. Another great alternative is the Dusty Knuckle Bakery that specialises in sandwiches and buns, with quite a few great vegan options too! My personal favourite is the spicy pork sarnie which has sambal mayo, crispy onions and a delicious peanut and sesame dressing. 

If Dalston was not quite your vibe, you can head over to brick lane – a street with an endless array of thrifted (mainly vintage), independent stores. I’m currently obsessed with the newly opened Y2K vintage which is perfect for those of you who enjoy the hot, chic looks from the early 2000’s. I personally want to look like a 2003 dangerously in love Beyoncé, so this is my go to. 

Let’s be real, shopping does take a lot of energy, so if you’re feeling peckish, I recommend going to Beigal Bake Brick Lane Bakery for a tantalising salt beef bagel. Or if you’re craving more variation, you can take a short walk to the Upmarket Brick Lane Food Hall to have a taste of cultures from around the world. 

Not everyone likes to shop outside, so if you prefer online shopping, apps like depop, vinted, ebay and mercari are great places to purchase second hand items. Just make sure to communicate with the seller to ensure a pleasant shopping experience. 

 

2.       Upcycling 

A way to make use of what you already have but possibly don’t wear as much because it doesn’t fit your current style is upcycling or thrift flipping. This is when you breathe new life into your old clothes by sewing them into something new. An old shift dress can become a sexy new tank top, and those crusty jeans you can’t bear to look at could be turned into a fab denim mini skirt (the shorter the skirt, the better!)

Whilst learning how to sew can be quite a long process, once learnt, it becomes a skill for life. I mean, being able to make your own clothes is one of the sexiest things you can do.

A few of my favourite creators who have tutorials/document their sewing processes can all be found online.     

 

Left: @brealee on ig

Right: @woowoouniverses on ig 

Left: @kairoatelier on ig 

Right: @knawtkai on ig

          3.       Knitting/Crocheting 

My absolute FAVOURITE ways to contribute to a more sustainable culture is making my own clothes through crocheting and knitting. A lot of the time when people think about fibre artists, the first thing that comes to mind are the not-so-fashionable sweaters their grandmas make that only come out during the holiday season. But, it is so more than that. Don’t let a couple of knitting needles and a few balls or yarn stop you from finding different, long term ways of expressing your style! Below are some of my favourite creators that have a more modern, diverse take on fibre art (including myself of course ;) .

 

Left: @dazy_chains on ig 

Right: @doseofdiallo on ig

Left: @itslewababy on ig 

Right: @jgefeed on ig 

 @ivebeenparadisekisses on ALL PLATFORMS 

If you’re going to take anything away from me lecturing you, the most important thing I would like you to do is to put some thought into deciding whether or not you should support these fast fashion companies. I understand that being sustainable isn’t always easy: maybe the things you want to buy don’t come in your size, or maybe you can’t afford to support smaller, more ethical brands. However, this article isn’t to say that you need to completely abandon fast fashion brands instantly and seek out all the small owned businesses (though that would be nice). 

Consider slow fashion in terms of Aristotle’s Golden mean: if sustainability is a virtue, then its excess is only supporting small owned businesses and its deficiency is only supporting large fast fashion brands. In order to truly be virtuous, you need a good balance between the two. So, the next time you think about getting that khaki knit dress from boohoo, try and find a small, ethical business that is able to make it instead. 

Small progress is still progress, and if we all work towards contributing to slow fashion, we will be making for a much more sustainable future. 

Reduce, reuse and upcycle!

-parakiss