Our series Eco HomeLife Explains aims at shedding light on terms and concepts around sustainability and environmentally friendly living. In this edition, we explain what’s the difference between fast fashion and slow fashion.
In the late 1990s/early 2000s the trend we call fast fashion took off, changing the way we approach shopping for clothes in a fundamental way. Gone were the days where new trends came out according to seasons.
Now new trends come out every few weeks, driving demand and creating an endless cycle of fashion consumption.
Of course, this fast way of consuming fashion comes with a huge environmental impact. So fairly soon a counter trend emerged: slow fashion.
Gaining momentum in the 2010s, today sustainable fashion is a well-established concept, with ethical brands providing a sustainable alternative to conscious consumers.
So let’s look at both terms and find out what the differences between them are.
The Difference Between Fast & Slow Fashion At A Glance
| Fast Fashion | Slow Fashion | |
|---|---|---|
| Trend Duration | A few weeks | Timeless |
| Quality | Poor | High |
| Price | Low | Higher |
| Materials | Synthetic | Sustainable |
| Brands | Big, global corporations | Small, sustainable, ethical businesses |
| Consumption Level | Overconsumption | Mindful consumption |
| Production Processes | Profit orientated | Ethical production |
| Environmental Impact | High | Low |
Let’s look at these differences in more detail to give you the full picture.
Trendy Vs Timeless
One of the key components of fast fashion is, as the terms suggests, the orientation on trends, with fast fashion brands bringing out new clothing lines every few weeks.
The result is the creation of hyperconsumption of garments, which is only possible if the clothes are inexpensive enough for consumers to afford them. (Boykoff et al., 2021)
With low prices and a quick turnover comes poor quality. In order to bring new trends to customers every few weeks and make them affordable, the quality of the garments suffers. (Long and Nasiry, 2022)
Fast fashion is known to only last a few washes before it’s no longer wearable and needs to be disposed of. That’s why it’s also called “throwaway fashion”. (Bhardwaj and Fairhurst, 2010)
On the other hand, slow fashion is about forgetting about trends and purchasing timeless pieces that won’t go out of fashion. These can be worn for years to come. Hand-in-hand with this comes the focus on quality that will last, and can be repaired. (Domingos et al., 2022)
Increased quality can’t be achieved without an increase in price. However, as slow fashion has a long-term outlook, paying more for a garment that will last for years to come is acceptable for most people.
Synthetic Vs Sustainable Materials
When it comes to the materials used, fast fashion garments predominantly are made of cheap synthetic materials, such as nylon, polyester, and acrylic, or a mix of them. Cotton is also sometimes mixed in.
The problem with these synthetic materials is that they are basically plastic and made of petrochemicals, which are based on fossil fuels. As such they are unsustainable materials.
But that’s not all. Synthetic materials shed microfibres when worn and washed, which pollute our environment. They cause the same issues as microplastics. (Yang et al., 2019)
And because they are basically made of plastic, they don’t biodegrade readily, which means they will persist in our environment for a very long time.
As the quality of fast fashion items is poor, they can’t be resold in second-hand shops and most charity shops can’t accept them either for the same reason. So most end up in landfill.
Slow fashion focusses on sustainable materials, such as organic cotton, linen, hemp, bamboo, wool and recycled materials.
Big Business Vs Small Firms
Most fast fashion brands are big corporations that are out to make money such as H&M, Zara, Bohoo, etc. And they dominate the clothing industry, because thanks to their unsustainable clothing production processes they can offer their garments at low prices.
They have shareholders and investors who want to see a return on their investment. When money is involved, values such as sustainability and fair trade take a backseat.
On the other hand, slow fashion brands are built with the aim to produce sustainable fashion. This means they ensure that their materials, production processes, and supply chains are sustainable.
They also often adopt the circular fashion model, which is based on keeping waste to a minimum and aims to keep fabrics and materials in circulation by recycling and reusing them indefinitely. (Centobelli et al., 2022)
As such these sustainable fashion businesses counteract our throwaway culture, which fast fashion stands for.
Overflowing Vs Capsule Wardrobe
The consumers of fast and slow fashion also differ in their approach. The former will have an overflowing wardrobe with many garments that they have only worn a few times, maybe even never.
According to a study, garments such as a medium bra are only worn 30 times and are washed 10 times. (Bailey et al., 2022)
Because fast fashion shoppers tend to buy new clothes every few weeks, whenever their favourite brand or brands bring out a new line, they buy much more than they need. As a result, many don’t even know what clothes they have anymore.
On the other hand, slow fashion shoppers have what’s called a capsule wardrobe. This means they only own a small amount of clothing items, which they combine to create different styles and outfits.
New clothes are only bought when needed and garments are repaired as much as possible.
The aim is to have outfits for any occasion without having an overflowing wardrobe. I have recently shared a post on Instagram to show how I create 3 outfits from 1 dress.
High Vs Low Environmental Impact
We have already touched on some reasons why fast fashion has a higher environmental impact than slow fashion:
- The fast, trend-based production cycle that creates demand and drives overconsumption
- The poor quality garments that increase the amount of clothes that end up in landfill
- The cheap synthetic fabrics that are used
- The big corporations that put money above sustainability and ethical practices
But here are some more statistics and facts that show how huge the fast fashion industry impacts our planet:
- The fashion industry is responsible for 5% of all carbon emissions and 20% of all waste water (Bailey et al., 2022)
- They produce 92 million tonnes of waste every year (Niinimäki et al., 2020)
- The fashion industry is responsible for water, air, and soil pollution (Yadaf, 2021)
Doesn’t sound good, does it? The adoption of slow fashion is vital if we want to save our planet. The way most of us shop for clothes, the fast way, has such a huge impact.
While I have never really been a fast fashion addict, I did buy more clothes than I needed when I was younger, lured in by clever marketing and the perceived need to keep up with others.
But now, I’m a slow fashion convert. I have only bought a couple of garments in the past 6 years. I use what I have, look for new combinations to create new styles, upcycle and repurpose, make my own clothes from sustainable materials, and I have embraced second-hand shopping.
I slowly created a capsule wardrobe and I have to say, I love it. And the amount of money I have saved is quite something.
So, now that you know what’s the difference between fast fashion and slow fashion, give it a go, embrace sustainable fashion and join the club of slow fashion consumers. I promise, you won’t regret it.
