Slow Fashion
What is slow fashion?
Slow fashion is the antithesis to the speed and disposability of fast fashion. It cares about the people who make the clothes and the environmental impact those clothes have over their lifetime. It is synonymous with ethical fashion or sustainable fashion.
Here are some things I consider…
…when shopping:
Where it was made doesn’t mean much. You can’t tell if a garment was made ethically by the country of origin. There are sweatshops in California and good factories in China.
What is it made of? I prefer organic cotton, linen, and Tencel. I avoid rayon and polyester. But I’m okay with synthetics for performance gear (aka I don’t wear a wool swimsuit) and a little bit of spandex can help clothing fit better and last longer. Recycled polyester is not necessarily as good as it sounds, as it takes a recyclable product (plastic bottles) and turns it into an unrecyclable product (textiles).
Certifications. My favourites are B Corp (evaluates the whole company, from how their product is manufactured to how sustainable their offices are), GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), and OEKO-Tex.
Look for details. Do they say “we are dedicated to treating our workers fairly” or do they have a whole page devoted to showing the ins and outs of each of their factories? Do they say “sustainability is a core part of our brand” or do they list specific actions they take?
Watch out for vegan leather. There are many problems with the way animals are farmed for clothing and the chemical processes that turn hide into leather. This is a great reason to choose leather carefully or avoid it altogether. But vegan products are often just plastic (you may see it called PU) which is an oil product and…if you’re aware of the climate crisis you’ll understand why that’s not a good substitute. Many plant-based vegan leathers are still coated in plastic. You may have better luck with cactus leather or organic cotton canvas.
Support the little guys. I love supporting local makers and small brands. Many of them take sustainability to heart and only make what they can sell and have creative ways to use up scrap fabric.
…when not spending money:
Wear the clothes you own. This is the easiest one by far! Wear and rewear and rewear again. If you like a goal, consider Livia Firth’s advice to only buy clothing you will wear at least 30 times.
Care for your clothes. Wash in cold water. Don’t use the dryer. Try airing out your clothes instead of washing them each time they just need to freshen up. Spot clean between wears.
Mending and altering. I do what I can to love my clothes as long as possible. This means mending them when they’re damaged and altering them to fit me better if I find I’m not reaching for them.
What to do with clothes you no longer wear. Before heading to the thrift store, try to re-home clothes on your own. Can you swap clothes with friends? Sell them on a secondhand app? Is a local charity asking for gently used winter coats? Or if it’s really worn out, can you use it as a rag around the house? If you must bring them to the thrift store, make sure the garments are freshly washed and in good condition, and only bring clothes that are in season.
Learn more! Read Elizabeth L. Cline’s book The Conscious Closet. Watch Verena Erin’s YouTube channel My Green Closet. Follow Aja Barber on Instagram.
Elise Epp is the Executive Director for Fashion Revolution Canada and a senior graphic designer at the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
Inspired by a lifetime of sewing and the devastation of the Rana Plaza collapse, in 2018 she co-founded her local Winnipeg chapter of Fashion Revolution. Since becoming country coordinator in 2021, she has led the organization through its registration as a non-profit and formation of its board, on which she serves as secretary.
For the past decade she has been an enthusiastic researcher and communicator on issues surrounding slow fashion. She is particularly interested in decoupling fashion from capitalism, which happens to cover most issues.
She is available for presentations, panel discussions, and media interviews.
Press
Are Fashion Brands Getting Greener?
ELLE Canada
“The fashion industry’s biggest problem—the root cause of all its troubles—is the sheer number of garments it produces,” says Elise Epp. “Putting out a new collection to sell more clothing is the polar opposite of sustainability.”
Sustainable Fashion: Make, mend, and defend
CTV news
“Because of this speed, that puts so much pressure on the factories and on the workers themselves, and that’s when you get the extremely long working days and the dangerous working conditions within the garment factories.”
Is upcycling the future of fashion?
The Georgia Straight
“I’m not working towards a world in which H&M has an upcycled collection,” [Epp] says. “I’m working towards a world in which there are thriving small businesses in every local community around the world.”
Fast fashion, creative recycling: Winnipeg charities try to keep clothes out of landfill
CBC Manitoba
In the age of fast fashion, Canadians are throwing away more clothing than ever — but some Winnipeg groups are working to change that.
"As clothes become so much cheaper, people are just buying so much more," said Elise Epp.
10 ways to make your wardrobe more sustainable
Canadian Living
“When people want to make their wardrobe more sustainable, they think of it like a shopping list. But it isn’t,” Epp says. “Mend [your clothes] when they need it—if there’s a tear, patch it, or when a button falls off, sew it back on.”
