How to break up with fast fashion (by an ex-addict!)
Ever felt that your fast fashion habit was more like an addiction? Ever wondered what it would be like not to shop at Zara, H&M and Gap? Green Salon’s latest Oxford University intern, Lili Patterson, had a Damascene moment at university when she realised her infatuation for fast fashion might not be good for her, the planet or many of the people on it. Here, she recounts how she broke up with fast fashion.
It’s not me, it’s you. I just need some time apart right now. I’m not in the headspace for this kind of commitment. We should go on a break.
These are all things I grew up thinking were only said between people in relationships - the final painful exchanges of a dying partnership. However, last summer I found my internal monologue saying these words to the shopping apps on my phone.
Bye bye Boohoo.
Adios ASOS.
Sayonara Shein.
Falling for fast fashion:
I first became aware of fashion and its influence at the age of 10. One home clothes day, all the girls in my year decided to wear their strapless Hollister dresses. Of course, I made it my mission to get one. From then on, it was always a race between me and fast fashion. From jean shorts on top of leggings to Abercrombie everything, I didn’t always look good, but knowing I was on trend certainly made me feel good.
Through secondary school, I wasn’t necessarily chasing every microtrend anymore but I certainly formed an unhealthy relationship with PLT, Missguided and BooHoo. 16th birthday party this weekend? Better get online shopping then. Got 15 party dresses already? Better get 10 more on sale. I remember browsing through PLT’S ‘£5 dresses’ page not because I needed anything, but thinking ‘they’re £5, I might as well.’
Every new season offered the excitement of needing a new wardrobe. I was obsessed. Infatuated. Completely unaware of the impact this toxic relationship was having on the world around me.
Wondering whether it was working:
Going to university was my wake-up call.
A mixture of growing up, being too tired to care if what I was wearing looked cute and meeting people with a range of incredible styles, opened my eyes to the fact that not every person’s relationship with fashion is the same. Not everyones was like mine. Some had already had their breakups, whilst others, admirably, never even got into the fast fashion relationship in the first place. I began to stop looking at others and start self-reflecting. It was time for a change.
The break-up:
Not sure if I had an identity without it, a clean break with fast fashion was intimidating and, truthfully, would not have worked. Instead, I took baby steps. I knew I needed to act from my own values - not others. So I read the ugly truth about the impact of my shopping habits. I needed to hold myself accountable for the impact a £2 t-shirt that I wore once before it ripped, had on the working conditions of factory workers - many women, like me - around the world.
I chose not to be hard on myself. I realised I cannot change the past, but I can change the future.
Throughout this breakup, I found a way to turn my passion for fashion into a healthy outlet. I organised a Sustainable Fashion Show at university, centered around a year in the life of a university student. Styling pieces from sustainable brands such as Patagonia and Rainkiss into outfits that any university student could see themselves wearing. In doing so, certain fears surrounding my breakup were alleviated. I was able to see that sustainable fashion wasn’t so scary. There are plenty of brands out there that create far better-quality pieces, for reasonable prices, that I won’t have to rebuy every year.
Finding closure:
I also became an Intern at Green Salon, where I discovered after my fresh breakup from fast fashion, this wasn’t the only relationship I could change as a consumer. I learned about the world of sustainable wellbeing, food, even home décor, and about the brands trailblazing an inspirational path of sustainability and regeneration. Their ethos of conservation, empowerment and respect were touching to me not only as a consumer, but as a person.
These brands wouldn’t just respect me and my needs, but would treat everyone that worked for the brand - from the organic cotton pickers, to the seamstresses, to the teams themselves - with this respect.
I couldn’t say the same thing about any of the fast fashion brands on my phone. In fact, they had very little to say at all. I had resonated with nothing but the desire to chase a trend. As I grew into my own identity, I stopped chasing that too. Deleting those apps marked a severing of the relationship. Me and fast fashion don’t have the same interests anymore. We are no longer compatible.
A break up with fast fashion isn’t linear and a new relationship with sustainability certainly isn’t either. I found the gentlest way to proceed was to be proud of any steps I took in the right direction. And it’s got easier and easier with time. In fact, my wardrobe has never looked so good!
Here’s 5 things I wish I’d known that would have made me break up with fast fashion sooner:
This breakup doesn’t mean you have to throw away everything fast fashion you’ve ever owned. In fact, the most sustainable item is the one in your wardrobe! The trick is to wear all your clothes and to restyle them as many times as you can.
Find sustainable things that you are passionate about. If you love certain brands that aren’t sustainable and are expensive, look into renting them from stylish rental brands like Hurr. Explore Depop for preloved fast fashion brands or Vestiaire Collective* for vintage designer gear. Research smaller brands that create products you love but do it sustainably.
Re-evaluate and research the brands you shop at. Ask why you like certain fast fashion brands? Is it the prices or the message they send? How much do you know about their environmental and social impact? Check out blogs on the Green Salon Journal or Good on You to find out more.
Create a vision board/greater understanding of your personal style. I had a pre-conceived notion that sustainable fashion was more expensive than fast fashion. Having a greater understanding of what I actually need versus want and what suits me/my lifestyle was so helpful. Shopping sustainably for pieces I actually needed is no more expensive (if anything it’s cheaper) than shopping fast fashion out of boredom and for a fleeting one-off.
Capitalise on resources. I spent the first few weeks finding brands, falling in love with their products and then finding they weren’t as sustainable as they claimed. I’ve found it invaluable to use Green Salon’s Fashion Directory, and apps like Good On You to find sustainable and successful brands to invest in for my personal style - and for the planet.
If you’d like to find out more about sustainable styling and slow fashion, sign up for one of Green Salons’s relaxed sustainable styling workshops where our stylist, Rosanna, shares her top styling tips as well as what to look for in a sustainable fashion brand and how to shop your own wardrobe. Or hire Rosanna as your sustainable stylist.
Inspired to start living a greener life? How our directory works is here to help!
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