Become an Eco-Warrior: 3 tips to fight fast fashion

-->

Become an Eco-Warrior: 3 tips to fight fast fashion

Fashion is an ever changing and constantly evolving industry. Driven by immense passion and societal pressures, it has become our job to keep up with it. From Anna Wintour reporting on the most current fashion trends, to models showcasing designer’s creations on the runway; fashion has always been portrayed as a unique, creative, innovative, and mesmerizing industry. But how often do you stop to think of the harmful impact it has on our planet? I’m warning you, it can get pretty ugly when you start to pay attention.

Now, just to clarify, eco-friendly fashion does not mean you will be solely dressed head to toe in hemp. It simply means, you are not actively trying to harm the environment, instead making a conscious effort to help preserve it. As consumers here are three tips you can participate in to help combat fast fashion:

Build your uniform

We live in a ‘see now, buy now’ world and this is becoming a crisis that consumers face daily. We all want that new cute shirt from Zara, but do we really need it? As professional fashion students, I encourage you to shop smarter by only buying staple pieces that you just can’t live without. This will ultimately build personal style instead of contributing to the current frivolous fad. Anyone can showcase the latest fashion item, but not everyone can have a great unique style. Work on upping your style game with key pieces instead of flooding your closet with the newest and trendiest.

Ask yourself: will I wear it 30 times?

Don’t make a purchase for the sake of making a purchase. In other words, do not feel as though you have to buy that latest and most popular fashion item. Instead, stop and ask yourself, how many times will I wear this? If it is less than 30, put it down and walk away. You don’t need it and in 3 months, you won’t want it! Once you start to question all your purchases, the more you’ll realize how much you don’t need, and start to realize that owning another grey sweater is not the key to happiness.

Download the App

There is no argument that sustainable fashion is more expensive and will cost companies more to produce. However, consumers need to start considering quality over quantity. Three Apps that are readily available at our disposal are ‘Good on you’, ‘Avoid’, and ‘Good Guide.’ The common trend seen in these Apps is a rating system. You can play around inputting different company’s and see where they fall on a good verses ugly eco-conscious spectrum. Just having this little bit of knowledge will increase your will to shop smarter, eventually making it an everyday habit.

Heading into the holidays and new year, I challenge all of you to keep these three tips in the back of your mind when shopping, and start making conscious fashion a lifestyle. Keep asking yourself questions like ‘which purchases are the responsible ones to make?’ and ‘will this item really enhance and further my style?’ Stay hungry for knowledge and play your part in decreasing your eco footprint because let’s face it, our closets are not all guilt free, mine certainly isn’t.