9 ways to reduce your fast fashion consumption

Following on from my last post, I’m going to tell you a few ways that you can reduce your fast fashion consumption.

Research the company/brand

This is something which I always make sure to do. A lot of brands ‘greenwash’ which is where they provide misleading information so you think that they are an environmentally conscious brand when they aren’t.

For example, I’ve been trying to find sustainable and affordable clothing and have come across ‘plant’ / ‘i love my planet’ collections so I would assume that they are using sustainable materials but when I read the finer details they weren’t.

I have discovered an app called ‘good on you‘ where you can search brands and it will tell you the rating of their ethics, sustainability etc. I’d really recommend it because sometimes I think a brand is ok but then I check and it isn’t. <3

Second-hand shops

I love second-hand shops, what’s not to love?! My favourite one is Vinted which is an app where you can sell and/or buy. The main thing to buy is clothes but some people sell books, makeup etc. It’s really cheap and affordable which is perfect!

If I find something I’m looking for, then I always have a look at what else the seller has so that it’s just one order and not multiple – to be as environmentally friendly as possible 🙂 (If you message the seller to say you’re buying multiple items, they will *usually* lower the postage to the cost of only one item).

Why not have a go at Second Hand September? It’s a challenge that Oxfam started in 2019! Read how to have a successful Second Hand September

Charity shops

I love charity shops because while purchasing some new clothes, you are giving to a charity too. It’s a win-win for everyone! There’s a wide variety because it’s constantly changing with new people giving away new clothes so there’s so much good stuff out there to buy.

Some charity shops are more expensive than others but bare in mind that the original item was probably a lot more expensive. I’ve only started buying clothes in charity shops in the last year but it’s one of my favourite things to do when I’m out – I practically always come out with something. If you don’t have any charity shops close by, there are online charity shops that you can try!

Once my friend and I decided to go into town / down the road and we went into every single charity shop which was so much fun.

Make your own

There are lots of fabric shops open all over the place, along with multiple sewing tutorials on YouTube. 🧵 I don’t particularly enjoy sewing so if you’re like me, try and persuade a family member to sew you some clothes instead! However, sewing is a brilliant life skill to have, even if it’s just mending your clothes.

Here are some that my mum and sister have made me:

(sorry about the bad lighting)

Support small businesses

Another way to reduce your fast fashion consumption is to choose small businesses. Choosing to shop at a small business instead of a chain store is so good because they are more likely to be transparent on where their fabric comes from and are probably buying locally sourced material.🧣

“When you’re supporting a small business, you’re supporting a dream”

“When you buy from a small business, an actual person does a little happy dance”

Upcycle old clothes

If your clothes are too small or you just don’t like them anymore, instead of throwing them away (where they will end up in a landfill), make something out of them!

I turned an old skirt into a bag by sewing the bottom up and then adding some other material for the straps. I especially love it because my skirt already had pockets on which means my bag does too. One idea is to use old clothes to make face masks or to use them as the inner lining, which my mum did.

Continue reading: 9 ways to reduce your fast fashion consumption

Unfollow fast fashion brands

When I first decided to stop buying clothes at fast fashion brands, it was really hard because I had signed up for lots of email subscriptions, was following them on Instagram etc. Don’t make it harder for yourself than it already is, unfollow brands on social media and unsubscribe from getting emails. Even delete your account with them, don’t tempt yourself.

Pass on your clothes to relatives

I recently had a bit of a clear-out of clothes that are definitely too small for me now and I came across a bikini that I bought but had never worn (hadn’t even taken the tags off!) so I decided to give it to my friend’s sister.

A bikini may not be the best item of clothing to pass on (unless you’ve never worn it, like me) but if it doesn’t fit you don’t throw it away. Your rubbish is someone else’s treasure 💎💖.

Don’t buy from chain stores

This one might seem obvious, but I always think that chain stores are more likely to be unsustainable (which is kinda sad really). Obviously, there are some things you can’t buy second-hand like underwear, bras etc. So, I try to buy them from somewhere a bit upmarket that I know will last a long time.

Thank you for reading, I hope now you are clearer on how we can all reduce our fast fashion consumption!

Have you been trying to reduce your fast fashion consumption?

Best wishes, Cx