What does Slow Fashion mean? Why should we limit the purchase of Fast Fashion-produced lingerie?
Slow Fashion and Fast Fashion are two types of fashion styles that differ in many points of view. Let's see specifically what these discrepancies are.
What exactly is Slow Fashion
Slow Fashion or "slow fashion" is a movement that defines a sustainable production model.
Sustainable fashion has as its main intention that of respecting man and the environment.
Slow Fashion therefore teaches the consumer to buy clothing created to last over time. Worked by adequately paid workers and with good quality and least polluting fabrics as possible.
Garments last longer because the quality is better. Therefore Slow Fashion involves the production of a limited number of garments, but of high quality thanks to the fabrics used but also because they are handcrafted by professionals. Which makes each piece unique: a handmade item of clothing is certainly one of a kind.
The garments change from one piece to another through the smallest details that may initially seem irrelevant or defects, but in reality they are of great importance and stand out in the eyes of the most experts.
This type of fashion therefore has as its main objectives the protection of the planet and of man's working conditions but also of the health of the consumer.
Clothing and in particular lingerie, being in close contact with the skin every day, should respect certain characteristics. So that the fabrics do not release any chemicals that could irritate the skin.
Slow Fashion is committed to using eco-sustainable fabrics that have a low environmental impact. That is, they pollute the environment as little as possible, and they protect the health of our skin.
As regards lingerie, it must also be mentioned that behind the creation of a bra, especially for larger sizes, there is the work and study of expert engineers and seamstresses. And this also determines the value, and therefore the cost, of the bra.
The importance of reducing the purchase of Fast Fashion items
Fast Fashion, or fast fashion, is the one that contrasts with Slow Fashion, since it was designed and created to have much lower sales costs on the final product.
Today we limit ourselves to giving importance to the price of a garment, not to what is behind a brand or its history.
The customer prefers to lean towards that economical type of clothing and, the lower the price, the more interested he becomes in that specific item.
Clothing companies have seen a considerable increase in recent years. This has greatly changed the way customers shop.
Fast Fashion is a trend that creates new collections in a very short time, urging people to buy much more thanks to the low costs of its products.
As in the clothing industry, the large Fast Fashion giants have established themselves in the underwear industry, introducing onto the market a product with a similar appearance to that of the big brands but of significantly lower quality. The prices of these garments, mostly made by underpaid labour, are far more accessible so we lose sight of the importance of wearing good quality underwear that protects the skin but also the environment. As well as workers' rights.
Fast Fashion bears considerable responsibility for the damage caused to the environment and society in recent years. The fabrics used are synthetic, they are not biodegradable and therefore it is very difficult to recycle or dispose of them.
During their production, considerable quantities of water are used, in addition to dyes which are highly harmful to the environment and which are used to color fabrics.
Another important reason why the consumption of such garments should be greatly reduced is the exploitation of people in the textile sector.
This happens because companies, in order to offer consumers extremely advantageous prices, automatically have to reduce production and labor costs. To obtain it they rely precisely on the fact of exploiting labor in developing areas.
Here are the reasons why it is advisable to limit purchases in this particular sector.
" BUY LESS, CHOOSE WELL, BUY BETTER "
But be careful: an expensive garment is not necessarily produced according to the principles of Slow Fashion!
Many famous brands produce according to the principles of Fast Fashion but have very high margins due to a question of "name".
So my advice is not to buy expensive clothes, but to buy "less" and choose "better" clothes. So evaluations should be made. If the item is expensive because it was produced according to the principles of Slow Fashion, so it has a high production cost, it may be worth buying otherwise it might not.
How do you know if it was produced in this way? Just read the label to see the composition of the fabric, see if it has any certification (even synthetic fabrics can become eco-sustainable if they are recycled) and read the history of the brand to understand what its values are.
As a lover of lingerie and aware of the importance of wearing good quality underwear, as it is the garment closest to our skin, I support and select for Ohlabra.com only brands that respect the slow production model. And which are at the same time innovative, aesthetically pleasing and not too expensive!