What is Slow Fashion

 

Are confused by the terminology being thrown around: slow fashion, sustainable fashion, ect? You are not alone, these markets are fairly new and have expanded over the last few years.  With fast fashion controlling much of the market, some people have started to wonder, is the fast fashion really what is best for our planet, our people and our children?

Let's think of it in terms you may be more familiar with:

Do you buy your fruits and veggies at the farmer’s market, or even the organic food store? Do you get the coveted Community supported agriculture (CSA) veggie boxes. Do you think about the quality of the food you are putting on your plate and serving to your family?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you may already know more about slow fashion then you think.

Fast fashion is qualified as mass marketed, disposable, cheap fashion. I think of fast fashion chains such as H&M, Zara, forever21, ect, as the McDonalds’ of the fashion world. You might grab something at a fast food restaurant if you are in hurry, but you wouldn’t think of eating there everyday and think “this is good for me”. So why would you shop at fast fashion stores and accept it to be good for you or the environment?

Slow fashion focuses on durability of the garments in terms of quality and style, as well as the “less is more” thinking. It’s about keeping clothes in your closet longer and buying less. It’s about transparency in the production chain, knowing who made your clothes, and how they impact the world around us.  It's knowing that you are buying from designers and artists who really care about the relationships they have with the sewing contractors, the fabric producers, etc.  It's deeper then just making sure we don't use sweat shops to produce our garments, or buying "organic" or "recycled fabric" garments. It’s about filling your closet consciously and really thinking about where each item comes from.

I use the term slow fashion and sustainable fashion interchangeably, I think of slow fashion being a movement, much like "farm to table" or "slow food" was for the food industry.  Sustainable fashion is more the model of how slow fashion is implemented.

I hope this has cleared up some confusion about what the heck slow fashion is and why we should care about it.  I welcome any questions or comment about our sustainable model here at Les Flaneuses.  Feel free to drop us a line anytime at: lesflaneusesfr@gmail.com