Break up with fast fashion

Valentine’s Day is when we celebrate our relationships with friends, family, and loved ones. But despite the wholesome reason for the holiday, companies have capitalized off of it by selling us a bunch of “Valentine’s Day themed” stuff we don’t actually need…and fast fashion is no stranger to this trend. But this year, we’re taking action.

What’s the problem with fast fashion?

Clothing is becoming more and more disposable. We’ve normalized a culture of constantly buying new clothes without thinking twice about its impact on people or the planet. Fast fashion – a business model where brands constantly churn out cheap, low quality clothing to fit the latest microtrend – has certainly fueled this overproduction and overconsumption problem. 

Clothing companies are producing around 150 billion new items every year, which is more than double the amount made in 2000. But these clothes aren’t designed to last and are meant to quickly go out of style as a way to incentivize us to go back and buy something new. And it’s working– we’re buying more clothes than ever before, and yet people do not wear at least 50% of the clothes they own.

All of this leads to a huge amount of waste. Around the world, the equivalent of one dump truck filled with clothing is sent to a landfill or incinerator every second. In addition to all the waste, this business model pollutes our air and water with its constant manufacturing and shipping, and it contributes to climate change.

Most of the materials used in our clothes are now synthetic fabrics– like polyester, spandex, and nylon–which are made from fossil fuels. In fact, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, which is more than the emissions from international flights and maritime shipping combined.

Our planet can’t keep up with fast fashion. Every time we shop at fast fashion stores, we reinforce that clothing overproduction and microtrends work. But if we adapt our shopping habits to support sustainable fashion, we can show the fashion industry that their environmental damage is not something we are willing to overlook. 

Here’s our guide on how to break up with fast fashion this Valentine’s Day.

1. Resist the hauls

“Clothing hauls” have exploded in popularity with the help of social media and influencers. It is similar to a shopping spree– someone buys a surplus of clothes all at once, and they typically buy from a fast fashion brand because they can buy more items at cheap prices. This normalizes ultra-consumerism and the idea that clothing is disposable because you can consistently replace your whole wardrobe with cheap, trendy clothes. 

Ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein have continued to normalize absurdly low prices for clothing and accessories (like paying $3.49 for this shirt). In reality, it’s not possible for them to be sourcing sustainable materials for their products when they add up to 10,000 new designs to their website every day. 

Hot Tip:

Instead of buying a bunch of clothes that will only last you a few wears before ending up in the trash, opt to purchase a higher quality item that will last you a long time and won’t go out of style. 

2. Avoid buying new clothes

Despite what pervasive advertisements or social media influencers might have you believe, you don’t actually need to buy new clothes all the time. Opting out of buying new clothes is one of the most powerful ways you can reduce fashion waste. As an added bonus, not buying new clothes may encourage you to wear some items of clothing that are in your closet that you haven’t worn recently and/or keep your clothes in use for longer. 

3. Repair your clothes

Consider repairing your existing items to get some extra life out of them instead of buying new. Visible mending gives you the opportunity to give your clothes their own unique style. You can also find a lot of repair guides and tutorials on iFixit or YouTube. 

There are often community repair events like sewing workshops or mending clinics where you can quickly get your item repaired or even learn how to do it yourself. 

4. Shop secondhand 

Thrifting has become more popular in recent years, so there are a plethora of options to shop secondhand both in-stores and online. This helps extend the lifetime of clothes that would otherwise end up in a landfill. You also might find more unique and high-quality garments by shopping secondhand. 

5. Save money by swapping clothes with your friends or community

Thrift stores, vintage shops, yard sales and online secondhand marketplaces are tried and true ways to find second hand clothing. But another way that people have refreshed their wardrobe with used clothes is by organizing a clothing swap. A clothing swap is where people gather and bring some of the clothes, shoes and accessories they no longer wear (but that are still in decent shape) and trade them with other people. That way, you can get new-to-you clothing without having to spend any money. This is especially great if you have friends and family with similar taste in clothing.

6. Create a capsule wardrobe

Do you ever feel like you have a full closet but nothing goes together? Well you’re not alone, because “capsule wardrobes” are in style. This essentially means that you build a wardrobe of a few essential pieces that are classic and timeless, and then you can mix and match them to create outfits. The idea is to be able to have a smaller, more intentional wardrobe that easily creates outfits for all occasions.

Hot Tip:

Be careful not to throw out everything you already own to create a capsule wardrobe! The most sustainable thing to wear is what’s already in your closet, and a capsule wardrobe can be slowly curated over time. 

7. Support more sustainable businesses 

As consumers, we have more power than we think. Companies notice where you spend your money, and if we signal that sustainability is a priority, companies will adapt. So before buying new clothing, do some research about the company to see their environmental track record and decide whether or not you want to support them. There are even many websites and apps that do all the research for you. 

8. Make your voice heard

One great way you can break up with fast fashion is by letting clothing companies know that you want them to adopt more sustainable practices. Sign our petitions telling H&M and Forever 21 to publicly commit to not trash or burn their unsold, unworn clothing.