SLOW VS SUSTAINABLE VS ETHICAL FASHION
October 10, 2019
WHAT IS SLOW FASHION, ANYWAY?
Have you heard people throwing around words like "slow" and "ethical" when referring to clothing? What does that even mean?
Kinda depends on who you ask, really. There are no official guidelines when it comes to this stuff and often they overlap, but I thought I would break it down and make it simple for you.
SUSTAINABLE FASHION
We'll start with an easy one! Sustainable fashion means that your clothing is made from sustainable materials. This does not necessarily mean organic, but it generally means non-synthetic/made from natural fibers like cotton, hemp, linen or bamboo.
COTTON
BAMBOO
Of course it's MORE sustainable if it's organically farmed, but all natural fibers will eventually break down over time...unlike plastic fibers (I'm lookin' at you, polyester!) which will stick around in a landfill forever. YUCK.
AMERICANS THROW AWAY 81 LBS OF CLOTHING
PER PERSON EVERY YEAR
slow fashion
Whereas sustainable refers to textiles, "Slow" refers to the STYLE of the clothing. If fast fashion cycles quickly through trends, slow fashion is the antedote--classic styling, durable materials, meant to be worn for decades if not years.
Slow fashion is more often than not made of sustainable materials, so the distinction is more about the way a garment looks, or the end use so to speak.
ETHICAL FASHION
When we say that a garment is "ethically made" we are referring to WHO has made it. As we know, many clothing retailers manufacture their product overseas, where labor is cheap and labor standards are questionable.
The ethical clothing movement is an attempt to make the supply chain more transparent, and to emphasize safe working conditions and fair wages paid to garment workers.
So now you know!
And here at Beya Made we are ALL THREE of these things--sustainable (good for the planet,) slow (good for your wallet,) and ethical (good for the people who make our clothes.)
That's all I got for today! If you have any other suggestions I should add here, SEND ME A NOTE!
Loving you always,
Laurel T. | founder, Beya Made
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