Fast Fashion; how evil is it?

Hear me out, I know its one of the largest impacts on the environment, but I don’t think we’re in a position to throw it out forever.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have the healthiest attitude to shopping, but in my defence I have been working on how I approach it.

Yes, fast fashion is problematic, but so is the notion that it can be eradicated entirely. If you’re in a position to drop £50+ on a single bra or pair of trousers from an independent seller, that’s all well and good – but for someone who wants to be able to buy themselves something, being able to buy a full outfit for that price is really appealing.

I’m not ignorant of the issues posed by fashion brands, a really great resource for checking the eco awareness of your favourite brands is the Good On You Directory, this takes loads of different factors into account before ranking them from 1 to 5.

Some brands that have been taking steps towards an eco-friendlier stance haven’t been updated since 2018 so it’s not 100% up to date.

As with everything, some brands are guiltier than others, but I believe that half the battle is our attitude.

Five years ago I would be counting down the days until SAAS went into my bank account to allow me to go and drop £100s on bits and pieces in Primark, things I knew would be worn once and then either languish in my wardrobe until my next clear out or go to a Cash4Clothes centre where I’d get about £1.20 for them.

Now, admittedly I still spend money like it’s going out of fashion – but I definitely make smarter choices when it comes to my purchases.

I’ve shared a couple of '3-ways-to-wear’ posts such as this one which highlights how to style a velvet suit – but this has influenced how I shop. I’m constantly running through what I already have at home in my mind to assess how much wear I’ll get from an item and whether it’ll increase the wear of things I already have. Whether it’s through mixing and matching co-ord sets or layering, there are loads of ways to change up what you have.

Maybe shopping in Primark is ‘bad’, but I have shoes from there that are older than my marriage – fast fashion doesn’t need to mean disposable.

When I’m in a position to shop ethically and with an eagle-eye focus on sustainability I will of course – but today on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, I’ll wear my worn and cosy Primark slippers and my trusty 8-year-old ASOS leggings.

I know the changes I’ve made so far aren’t drastic and they aren’t lifechanging; but they’re a start.