What is slow fashion? Should I embrace it?

 

Slow fashion is a mindful re-thinking of the age-old question: "what should I wear today?"

It's a counter movement to the fast fashion trend that's dominated our culture for the past few decades. Fast fashion's motto is: more, faster, cheaper, repeat, repeat, repeat. Driving fashion trends that last weeks not years and filling landfills with cheap, disposable clothing.

The collateral damage for the planet, for the world's garment workers, and even for our own well being is hard to miss. But there's a better way!

Slow fashion means buying less, but buying better. Here are some elements that distinguish slow fashion business models & mindsets from fast fashion norms.

1. Sustainable Fibers

Sustainable fibers like the organic Peruvian Pima cotton we use in our clothing have smaller environmental footprints than conventional fibers. And Pima is like a triple coupon bonus! It's also ultra soft and longer lasting (see #2 and #4 below).

 

2. Quality

One of the biggest (and perhaps least discussed) positive impacts you can have is buying clothing that lasts longer than a fashion season or two. Extending the time between purchase and second-hand store or landfill is hugely beneficial. Pima cotton is a great foundation to do this. Pre-washing fabrics, premium stitching standards, and seam reinforcements are icing on the longevity cake.

 

3. Ethical Production

In our opinion, no sustainable garment is whole if we forget about the people who provided their labor to make it happen. Every Fair Indigo t-shirt passes through at least 97 pairs of hands on its journey from seed to shirt. If any one of those pairs is not paid or treated fairly, we have broken the slow fashion (fair trade) promise.

 

4. Timeless Design

In a world of Insta trends and social media demanding your allegiance to this season's must have, finding your offramp feels great. To a place where you can build a closet filled with timeless & classic items you'll love wearing year after year after year. With quality that ensures you can.

 

5. Mindful Care

During fast fashion's ascendence, fewer and fewer people even attempt to repair slightly damaged clothing. When apparel is so cheap (and cheaply made), sadly, it's easier to toss it and replace it. But this may be slowly changing! A quick search for 'repairing clothes' on Google or YouTube yields tons of resources for extending the life of your well loved favorites!

 

Begin your journey today with Fair Indigo's Slow Fashion Clothing!

 

Robert Behnke
Co-Founder & President