5 Ways to Practice Slow Fashion Today
1. Mend what you have
You might be surprised at how easy and fast you can do simple repairs on the clothes you have. I have a short tutorial on how to repair a hole in the ever-so-necessary leggings we are all wearing right now, but there are also a ton of videos on youtube.
2. Buy secondhand
Even though thrift shops are closed right now due to COVID, there are ways to buy secondhand online. For example, ThredUp has an app and you can get secondhand clothes delivered to your doorstep!
3. Alter or make something new out of clothes you don’t wear instead of buying more
There is so much you can do with a little bit of fabric. There are plenty of easy sewing tutorials available on search engines like Pinterest, and altering tips. I’ll be posting more of my own ideas soon, but here are some ideas of what you can make with your old shirts, and you can check out this post for an idea of how to alter your pants. One of the best things I’ve done is simply alterations on clothes I like but don’t love. A lot of times it just takes a few easy alterations to help you fall in love with an old piece of clothing.
4. Trade clothes with your friends
This one will have to wait until quarantine lifts (or you can get creative and do it over zoom with porch drop-offs or mailing options). Here is a great post about how to host a clothing swap. Check it out for some ideas!
5. If you do need to purchase new, buy from brands that practice slow fashion
Brands like Synergy and Pact aim to sustainably produce their clothing, and, a bonus is that most sustainable brands are also fair trade—ensuring the garment workers behind the clothes are given safe and reliable working conditions. A good rule of thumb is that if a company doesn’t highlight their sustainable and ethical practices, they probably aren’t doing it.