The Positives and Negatives of Slow Fashion

Sustainable slow fashion, fair trade clothing and eco wear are becoming increasingly popular in recent years. But what is it that really goes into producing sustainable clothing? What are the benefits and the disadvantages of it, and what can you do, as a consumer, to help save the environment? Let us have a look:

ADVANTAGES:

 

- Healthy work conditions in sustainable-clothing-production

 

- No unfair labor rules

- Durable and comfortable to wear 

- Resource- and environmentally friendly 

- Not harmful to us

DISADVANTAGES:

 

- Sustainability is currently still difficult to understand and implement en masse as a concept

- Higher priced items

- Confusing quality labels

- Clothes that are sometimes described as "otherworldly"

- Restricted availability

Now, let's jump into the more detailed review:

No exploitation

Part of what makes clothing sustainable is the production process itself, and more notably, the workforce that is involved with it. By stating you have created a piece of clothing sustainably, you signify that no child labor was involved in it. Many big fashion brands are unfortunately still very much on that page, so it is up to us and our consumer choices to guide them into where we need them to be.

No unfair labor rules

No food or drink and dusty factory floors are a regular sight with workers that are employed for big fashion companies who care little for their employers. By buying sustainable fashion items, you help dictate what is healthy for yourself and the workers that handled the production of this piece of clothing.

Durable and comfortable to wear

Organic clothing has higher quality, is usually more durable and therefore lasts longer. It's worth spending a couple of more Dollars to cover for a blouse you really liked or a pair of jeans that were made responsibly. In addition, sustainable fashion items are more comfortable to wear and don't absorb odor as quickly as most other items you can get on the buy-and-throw-out websites or stores.

Environmentally friendly, resource-saving production

This one advantage of sustainable fashion is huge. By going for eco wear, you essentially stand behind using less raw materials such as gasoline (or petroleum) to have your clothes made. Instead, you single-handedly select natural renewable resources such as hemp, flax, or bamboo that easy to decompose after usage. Plastic, on the other hand, is not degradable and can never be removed off the earth.

Tip: It's not just the product itself that can make a difference, but also the  philosophy. For example, by buying sustainable clothing from us, you support a small brand with a door-to-door green network that is all about designing, producing and delivering sustainably. There is much to choose from, so do take a look at our selection here. 

Not harmful 

Unlike the toxins in conventional clothing made from plastics, sustainable fashion pieces are not harmful to your health because they are free of the bad substances that may damage your skin. Many sweaters, shirts and other garments made out of plastic contain pollutants that can negatively affect our hormonal balance and thus have a huge impact on our health.

 

THE DISADVANTAGES


Higher price

We pay a high price for sustainability. From production costs to paying staff adequately and making sure we use as few resources as possible, we throw ourselves in a paradoxical spiral that we really shouldn't be a part of if we choose to buy sustainable items. However, the fact still stands. Still, it's worth paying more and ensuring you get better quality items. You really do get what you pay for.

Sustainability difficult to track

 

As a buyer, you have to rely on certifications and labels, as you have no insight into the entire supply chain of this or that brand. It is difficult to measure how sustainable the production of that piece of slow fashion really was. For example, there may be unexpectedly higher transport costs or a lot of plastic that was needed in the wrapping process. This is why we need to make sure that we know our labels.

Confusing labels

GOTS, Fair Trade, eco wear, there are now many environmental labels to describe sustainable clothing. So much so that it's not really easy to keep track of all of them, not to mention the fact that many of them have exploitable vulnerabilities within their own certification programs. The internet can also be a menace and do the opposite to helping identify them, which makes our job infinitely harder. And again, this is the preferable evil to loosing our earth to plastics. 

Clothes that are sometimes described as "otherworldly"

Let's face it - there are some pieces out there that straight-up look like someone just threw a couple of scraps from the factory together. Some sustainable items just stand out more from all others, and do make a bad lasting impression on many consumers who end up thinking that this is how all slow fashion looks like.

Scarce availability 

In comparison to fast fashion, eco wear is really not as widely available at all. You can't really just go out and pop into your local store and buy sustainable. That is, unless you are blessed with an amazing neighborhood stores. Most of the time though, it is all worth the walk. 

 

NOW THAT’S A WRAP!

 

 

 

Our mission is to inspire women of all ages to look their best in timeless pieces that are stylish in design & crafted for comfort using the softest, most breathable fabrics; all while trying to do it with care for the environment. Sustainability and Slow Fashion are the pillars of our brand.

 

 

~ Thank you for letting us WRAP you up ~