Busting the Myths of Sustainable and Ethical Fashion
One reason that more people don’t invest into sustainable and ethical fashion brands is because of all the completely untrue myths that surround them. It’s easy to continue shopping on the high street while telling yourself sustainable fashion is too expensive, all looks the same or is just for ‘hippies’. There’s more choice on the high street, the size ranges are larger, prices are cheaper - if you approach the subject with this attitude, you’re talking yourself out of trying something new before you give it a chance.
Take it from someone who used to be a high street shopaholic - I spend far less money on clothing nowadays than I did a decade ago. I don’t struggle for choice when I am looking for a new garment and I’ve managed to break my shopping addiction. I do, however, receive the same comments and questions over and over again - so I thought it was time to publicly debunk them all. Here are the most common myths that I come across - and why they simply are not true.
SUSTAINABLE CLOTHING IS TOO EXPENSIVE
I wrote about this subject in more detail last year but sustainable fashion can definitely be affordable. I own plenty of garments from ethical and sustainable brands that are comparable with high street equivalents. No, you aren’t going to find slow fashion at Primark or Missguided prices but there is a reason for that - if you’re buying a dress for £10, stop to think about how much money someone was paid to make that dress. Do you ever need a piece of clothing so badly that you’re willing to wear something that someone was paid pennies to make? Look at the mid range brands on the high street though - Zara, & Other Stories, Cos, etc. You can easily find sustainable clothing within the same price range. It’s also worth considering how many garments you actually need to own. Do you need to buy a rail full of £50 dresses or would you rather have one beautifully made dress that you love wearing for £150?
SIZE RANGES ARE BETTER ON THE HIGH STREET
I’m not going to deny that a lot of sustainable brands focus on offering very small size ranges but does the high street really do any better? Zara goes up to a large (I take a medium, for perspective) and & Other Stories goes up to a very small 18. Some ethical brands offer very small size ranges, but there are others that offer a more diverse range of sizes. Beaton Linen, for example, goes up to 4XL. If you’re looking for ethical brands that offer large sizes, Aja Barber and Marielle Elizabeth are both fountains of knowledge on this subject - I’d recommend following both of them for more information and recommendations of specific brands.
ETHICAL CLOTHING IS UGLY / WILL MAKE ME LOOK LIKE A HIPPY
Really? The day of shapeless hemp sack dresses are gone (although loose-fitting dresses are VERY stylish and comfortable, FYI) and slow fashion brands now have a lot to offer. In fact, the high street often directly copies sustainable brands, making cheap, fast fashion versions of their beautiful designs. Take the April Meets October dress I’m wearing in these photos - shoddy versions of this beautifully, consciously-made dress are all over the high street but I know which dress I’d rather own. There are many, many ethical brands (see some of them here, here and here) all with very different styles. You have brands like Skall Studio and Christy Dawn who offer feminine designs, Ilana Kohn and Bug Clothing for more directional styles, or Linen Fox and Babaa for everyday staples.
BUYING FROM SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL BRANDS IS THE BEST WAY TO REDUCE MY FASHION FOOTPRINT
If you really want to reduce your fashion footprint, you shouldn’t be buying new clothes at all. Buying from slow, sustainable and ethical brands is a lot better than fast fashion, but you’re still contributing to the pollution, wastage and air miles of the wider fashion industry. The best way to shop is to buy less and buy better, choosing garments that will stand the test of time. Mend and repair your old clothes before buying new ones. Organise clothes swaps with your friends to update your wardrobe while finding a new home for clothes you’ve fallen out of love with. Browse charity shops and vintage websites before opting for something new. If you are buying a new item of clothing, look for brands that use recycled materials or that are based (including manufacturing) in your own country as a priority.
MOST HIGH STREET BRANDS NOW OFFER SUSTAINABLE RANGES
Stay well clear of high street brands that heavily promote their ‘sustainable’ collections. This is greenwashing at its most blatant. If you are going to buy from these companies, it’s definitely better to opt for these ranges than the rest of their collections but ask yourself a lot of questions before making a purchase. If they’re shouting from the rooftops that a capsule collection is sustainable and ethical, what about the rest of their huge range? Do you really need that garment or are you falling for a marketing ploy? Is the range actually what it claims to be, or are you being deceived by clever marketing? It’s best to completely avoid these gimmicky collections (even if they are made from recycled plastic bottles) and buy from brands that actually care about sustainability and ethics.
SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL BRANDS ARE HARD TO FIND
They really aren’t! Once you start researching slow fashion brands you will fall down a rabbit hole and realise there are SO MANY amazing brands available. Yes, it can be frustrating when you stumble across a beautiful brand and discover they’re based on the other side of the world but you are sure to find a wide range of slow, ethical and sustainable brands in your own country or nearby. If you’re struggling to find brands that you like, I have a big list on my Instagram ‘Slow Style’ highlight and on my blog. Spend some time browsing Instagram, following content creators who specialise in slow style and checking out websites such as The Good Trade.