What is Slow Fashion?

While, as athletes, we're all about high performance in the gym, on the track, or in our daily lives, when it comes to rest days, we shouldn't let our commitment to excellence slouch. This is where something like slow fashion can become incredibly apparent. We take pride in offering eco-conscious leisurewear for athletes to relax in, and we believe that slow fashion is more than just a trend, but a major philosophy we should all live by. But what is slow fashion? Let's show you everything you need to know.

Defining Slow Fashion  

Slow fashion is a movement that emphasises sustainability, ethical production, and quality over the low-cost, rapid characteristics that are endemic to fast fashion. 

Slow fashion advocates for a more thoughtful and intentional approach to clothing design, manufacturing, and consumption, which aligns closely with the broader slow movements, such as slow food. The core principles of slow fashion include:  

Sustainability

Prioritise eco-friendly materials and practices that minimise the environmental impact, such as using organic, recycled, or repurposed materials to reduce the overall carbon footprint.

Quality Over Quantity

Garments are crafted with superior craftsmanship to ensure longevity, which contrasts sharply with fast fashion. Slow fashion encourages consumers to invest in timeless pieces they will cherish for years.

Ethical Production Practices

Emphasise fair treatment of workers, advocating for ethical labour practices and transparency within the supply chain, ensuring safe working conditions, fair wages, and an overall better environment for those involved in the production process.

Slow fashion also seeks to foster a deeper cultural and emotional connection between consumers and their clothing by focusing on meaningful design and personal value.

The Rise of Ethical Clothing  

Ethical clothing represents a significant shift in the fashion industry towards more sustainable and socially responsible practices, and this trend is driven by a number of factors, including:  

• Consumer awareness.  
• Environmental concerns.  
• A desire for transparency in the supply chain.

There are a number of trends that contribute to the rise of ethical clothing, including circular fashion, which emphasises reuse, recycling, and upcycling to minimise waste, as well as the second-hand market, eco-friendly materials, and the rise in e-commerce, making it easy for consumers to research and purchase sustainable fashion options.

What Are the Benefits of Choosing Slow Fashion?  

Choosing slow fashion offers a variety of advantages that extend beyond someone's personal style. It can, in fact, impact the environment, society, and the economy.  

Environmental Sustainability

Slow fashion brands focus on local production, which minimises transportation emissions and reduces the carbon footprint, reducing overall energy consumption. 

Additionally, brands like us prioritise sustainable materials, which require fewer chemicals and less water in the production process, mitigating water pollution and soil degradation. 

Slow fashion also promotes practices like zero-waste pattern-making and encouraging consumers to repair and recycle garments.  

Quality of Clothing

Slow fashion garments are crafted with higher quality materials and skilled craftsmanship, resulting in longer-lasting products, which contrasts sharply with fast fashion items that wear out quickly and require frequent replacement. 

It also means that the focus stays on classic styles, ensuring slow fashion pieces can be worn for many seasons without going out of fashion, encouraging consumers to invest in fewer, but far more meaningful items.  

Ethical Practices

Slow fashion brands tend to ensure fair wages and safe working conditions for their workers, supporting local communities and artisans rather than exploiting cheap labour. 

Additionally, transparency becomes a key component within the supply chain and promotional materials, allowing consumers to understand the origins of their clothing and the conditions under which it was made.  

Promoting Conscious Consumerism  

Slow fashion, as a movement, encourages consumers to be more intentional about what they buy, which over time can foster a mindset that values quality over quantity. 

When we invest in fewer high-quality pieces, this is an active stance in combating the cycle of overproduction, which plagues the fast fashion industry.

The Importance of Slow Fashion in Leisurewear  

Slow fashion principles are increasingly being applied to leisurewear, creating a trend towards more sustainable and ethical options. Leisurewear emphasises high-quality, durable materials that withstand frequent wear and washing, versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched for multiple looks, as well as being stylish beyond seasonality. 

The sense of timelessness can encourage consumers to invest in items that go the distance. There are many slow fashion loungewear brands that prioritise eco-friendly fabrics like organic cotton and recycled polyester, which have a lower environmental impact compared to conventional alternatives. 

Several companies are leading the way in sustainable loungewear. In addition to us, People of Leisure offers vintage-inspired casual wear made from organic cotton, and the brand Boody also specialises in simple and affordable loungewear made from sustainably sourced bamboo viscose.

How to Identify Ethical Brands  

If you want to identify ethical brands in the fashion industry, there are a number of key factors to consider:  

• Look for third-party certifications that verify ethical practices, for example, Fairtrade, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and The Fairway Foundation, among others, which indicate that brands have met specific standards for worker rights, environmental practices, and ethical production.  
• Look for supply chain transparency, as ethical brands will typically disclose information about their Tier 1 suppliers (cut and sew factories), as well as provide details about fabric suppliers and dye houses, and share comprehensive supplier codes of conduct. 
• If you can see dedicated transparency factory pages on their website, this is another good sign as ethical brands will ensure fair labour practices, including allowing the freedom to form unions, safe working conditions, working reasonable hours, and receiving fair living wages.

Making the Sustainable Switch  

If you are looking to move to sustainable fashion, here are a few things to help you transition:  

• Start with your current wardrobe. Assess what you already own, identify gaps in your wardrobe, and care for clothes by getting creative with them, transforming them into new items or accessories (commonly known as upcycling or repurposing).  
• Mindset is important, so focus on minimalism, where you prioritise versatile, timeless pieces that you can mix and match with other items of clothing. Additionally, consider creating a capsule wardrobe that comprises essentially interchangeable items.  
• Research ethical brands that prioritise fair labour practices, certifications, and other sustainable practices, for example, the brand Tentree plants ten trees for every item purchased.  
• Make informed, educated purchases, asking yourself if these items integrate with your existing wardrobe, are built to last, and align with your values.

Remember, transitioning to a sustainable wardrobe is a journey, and it's okay to make gradual changes and learn as you go. Learning about slow fashion helps everybody make a meaningful shift towards a more sustainable and ethical wardrobe, ensuring that you not only look great, but are supporting everything that's fair in the fashion industry.