Slow Fashion

Slow Fashion

Slow Fashion v. Fast Fashion

Sara Axelrod

 

Over the past two years the Slow Fashion movement is beginning to compete with the Fast Fashion movement of the last twenty years.  This gives hope to those who care about the environment, ethics, and sustainability.  At Fire Opal we pride ourselves in supporting the Slow Fashion movement. As more brands jump on the wagon, we wonder, is the world moving towards Slow Fashion?

 

Fast Fashion describes an industry model where companies copy trends seen in high fashion and reproduce them at a much lower quality and price for the masses. The sad truth is that this movement has been generating disposable goods and polluting our planet in production and post-use.  More and more brands are realizing the detrimental effects of Fast Fashion and are returning to principles that consider the process and resources to making clothing.

 

Slow Fashion clothing is produced locally, avoiding child labor and low wages often needed to produce Fast Fashion. Slow Fashion promotes an awareness that we have an ethical responsibility to choose sustainability in our wardrobe by buying clothing that will last longer so as not to be disposed of immediately. We must choose to value the treatment of people, animals, and our planet in the way we dress.

 

The time has come to ask ourselves; do we want quality or quantity when it comes to the clothes we wear? You may argue: what if I want to look fashionable, but not spend and arm and a leg on a pair of pants? When you think about this dilemma with more perspective, quality is the answer. If you’re going to wear a pair of Porto pants once a week for the next two years, $200 is no longer so expensive. Especially when compared to the way Fast Fashion promotes shopping, where you buy a $40 piece every two months. With Slow Fashion you end up saving money, while supporting a more sustainable world. It’s an upfront investment, but it’s worth every dollar.

 

In a fashion sense, we must become more minimalistic, by building our wardrobes to have timeless, classic staples that can be worn year after year rather that having a wardrobe stuffed with pieces that fall apart or go out of style after a few wears.

 

At Fire Opal you can shop following the consciousness of Slow Fashion.  ‘E-ko logic, has been a leader in this movement using recycled post-consumer cashmere garments in Troy, New York. Their colorful hats, sweaters and gloves have warmed the hands and heads of Fire Opal customers for over 15 years.

 

Porto @port_sf is one of our staple brands made in San Francisco. It’s architectural cuts and classic designs are made with comfortable and durable fabrics that can be worn at work and out and about. Customers swear by their Porto clothing and we often hear people raving, “I’ve had these for years, and I sill wear them every week!”

 

Veronique Milkovitch is another beautifully designed line designed and produced in Montreal. They are elegant, creative pieces with unique cuts that go beyond trends and can also be worn casually or dressed up for an event.

 

If you love inner tubes check out Alchemy Goods neat bags and wallets made from useless stuff like blown-out inner tubes, old seatbelts and old tires.  They call their work “upcycling,” which means, “turning something of lesser value into something of greater value.”

 

Every designer we carry has a story that is keeping Slow Fashion on the map.  Become part of the slow fashion movement.

 

#slowfashion #porto #ethicallysourced #americanmade #handmade #upcycle #sustainable

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