Sustainable Guide on How to Reject Fast Fashion

The culture of fast fashion is ingrained in the fabric of our lives. We grew up hanging out at the malls on the weekend and splurging our allowance money at our favorite stores. Work encourages us to shop at these low-maintenance stores to keep up appearances in the field or in the office. Now our media feeds are bombarded with an excessive amount of fashion content from influencers and stores to get consumers to buy into our trends. It can feel overwhelming and almost unavoidable. Companies try to offer eco-friendly alternative garments but dig deep enough you’ll realize that just as ethically and morally corrupt as the next garment. So as we all grow (physically and mentally) out of our Forever 21 era how do we advance our purchase choices? How can we escape the convenience of fast fashion? Is there a way to truly reject fast fashion?

The answer is yes. You can absolutely reject fast fashion but it takes some time, effort, and a complete lifestyle overhaul to make the change. It can seem intimidating at first but with some effort, you’ll wake up one day and realize it’s been months since you even thought about H&M.

Educate Yourself:

Before completely changing your life it's important to understand why you’re doing it. We know what stores are the face of fast fashion but do you know the true effects of purchasing from those companies? While consumers might be safe, fast fashion infringes on the human rights of marginalized communities and contributes to the degradation of the environment. We encourage you to do your research and even watch documentaries on the business of fast fashion. Aside from learning about the harmful effects of fast fashion, it’s important to learn about how organizations are working to offset its negative effects. New eco-friendly brands are popping up every day but there's more to being sustainable than just consumerism. Find out how you can make sure your donated clothes actually go to someone in need or connect with people who make their own clothes and lifestyle good.

Start Small:

It’s nearly impossible to ask someone to change their whole life overnight. Not to mention that it's financially feasible for a majority of people in the world. Eco-friendly brands often mark their prices out of range for the average consumer, and just about every brand you can think of participates in fast fashion. Instead of trying to over-commit to something that seems out of your reach, make small goals towards rejecting fast fashion. Start by avoiding making fashion purchases over a few months at a time. Or saving up money to purchase from a more sustainable brand. It’s important not to overwhelm yourself or else you’ll give up on your goals before you’re ready.

De-Influence your life:

The age of social media has embedded itself in our lives and now we’re constantly bombarded with information. Influencers have flooded our timeline and it seems you can’t make a single purchase without having someone push a product in your face. At the height of the pandemic, we saw TikTok fashion hauls overtake our feeds and now the pendulum is starting to swing back with de-influencing. De-influencing is a term referring to influencers giving us reasons not to buy products. While you don’t need an influencer to tell you why fast fashion isn’t good, you can take personal stock in yourself to de-influence your feed. Unfollow blogs and influencers that encourage purchasing from fast fashion companies. Go through your email and unsubscribe from newsletters and emails. The phrase out of sight out of mind will be literal in this sense. The longer you go avoiding these influences you’ll suddenly realize how little they affect your life.

Identify Personal Style:

De-influencing yourself also gives you a chance to develop your own personal style. Without the input of companies and influencers telling you what to wear you can decide on your own what you feel is best for your personality and body type. You can curate your feed to follow blogs and people who fit more into the lifestyle you want to have.

Stop Impulse Shopping:

A lot of the shopping people do is out of boredom and impulse. Remember a lot of our leisure time is built around shopping and spending money for convenience in our downtown. Understand what the void is in your life that you use to fill with impulse shopping. A lot of time it’s simply finding pleasure in other hobbies. Maybe it's curating your own personal sense of style.

Connect with Sustainable Groups:

Part of making a lifestyle change is surrounding yourself with people who think the same. Connect with a community of peers who also want to reject fast fashion and offer ways to do so. Aside from Circuit of Change, there are other sustainable communities that focus on slow living and lifestyle in Tokyo.

Seek 2nd Hand and Thrifted:

Often the first step to rejecting fast fashion is embracing second and thrifted items. Aside from the chance to find something good, it’s also a good way to support local businesses, since many thrift stores are often owned by a single founder. Thrift stores also often have ties to local artisans to help sell their own crafts.

Get Crafty:

Upcycling can be a fun way to breathe new life into your clothes. While it can be intimidating at first to experiment with your clothes, understand that all these items are just things and immediately lose their value once they leave the store. Feel free to cut them up, dye them add patches and patterns to them. Maybe don’t cut up vintage Chanel but your Bob Marley T-shirt from HM certainly can be freshened up.

It might seem overwhelming but it's completely possible to reject fast fashion and move into a more sustainable lifestyle. Just remember to be patient and take everything one day at a time.