Can Fast Fashion Still Be Sustainable?

As soon as I learned about the negative impacts of fast fashion on the environment, I immediately felt the need to apologize for what I was wearing. Yes, my whole family has fast fashion brands in our closets. But, the move toward sustainability does not have to be guilt-ridden. Otherwise, who would attempt it? Instead, I feel it is helpful to focus on the ways fast fashion CAN be sustainable.

Think it’s not possible? Read on.  

BTW – If you want some tips on how to have a more sustainable wardrobe, check out the Checklist for Building a Sustainable Wardrobe on a Budget. 

The Impacts of Fast Fashion

Merriam-Webster defines fast fashion as: “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to customers.”

In case you are new to this conversation, I thought I would share just a few ways in which fast fashion is problematic. Because the emphasis of fast fashion brands is on turning out as many cheap, trendy clothes as possible, they often neglect to address the impact these production methods have.

• The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter in the world.
• In many countries where garments are made, wastewater from factories are just dumped into waterways.
• Microfibers from garments made from synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon make their way into our oceans, which are then eaten by small fish. This introduced plastic into our food chain.
• Because clothing is so cheaply made and purchased, the average western family throws away 66 lbs. of clothing each year. The synthetic fibers mentioned above take 200 years to decompose.

I could keep going but my point is not to bum you out. 

But, if fast fashion is so bad…how can it possibly be sustainable as the title of this blog post suggests? 

1. Wear What You Already Own

Yes, this seems like tales of the obvious but hear me out. Wearing a garment just 9 months longer can reduce that garment’s carbon, water, and waste footprints by 20-30%. By taking a new approach to how you choose your outfits you can actually come up with fresh new looks that you’re excited to wear. Not only is this more sustainable than buying something new, but you save money! Here’s a tip – Go through your closet and find a few items that you haven’t worn in a year or more. Challenge yourself to make a new outfit with each item. Pair them with something you’ve never paired them with before. After you wear that “new” outfit, you’ll have a sense of whether those pieces are things to keep or not. If you want some more tips about how to shop your own closet, check out my 6 Ways to Shop Your Closet Guide. 

2. Buy Secondhand

Buying second-hand clothing does not have the negative stigma that it once did. In fact, a lot of folks are really proud to show off their second-hand finds. “Oh, you like my dress? It was $2!”

There are lots of ways to shop second-hand. Such as:

• Resale apps like Poshmark, Mercari, Kidzen, Threadup, The Real Real, eBay, and more
• Thrift stores. If digging through hundreds of dusty racks of clothes is not your idea of fun, some thrift chains like Goodwill will have special “Classic Closet” or “Boutique” locations where they’ve already dug through and pulled out the best quality items. 
• Estate sales & yard sales
• Facebook Marketplace

If you’re new to thrifting and need some pointers, check out my blog post with 5 Tips for New Thrifters. 

3. Sell Your Unwanted Clothes

Because of the number I mentioned above, keeping our clothes in circulation is a great way to be sustainable. I have a lot of professional work clothes that I no longer wear or need so I sell them on sites like Poshmark and Mercari. Somewhere out there is a buyer who maybe just got their first professional job and needs work clothes they can afford. So, in this way you’re passing things on and extending the life of those items.

Not sure where to start? In my opinion, Poshmark is the easiest site to get started with when reselling your clothes. The app is easy and intuitive and the shipping is a flat rate for anything under 5 lbs. So, you don’t have to worry about weighing your packages. And….you can use any USPS priority mailers with the Posh labels. You can get these for FREE at the post office or order online at www.USPS.com. If you do decide to sign up for Poshmark to buy or sell, use my code: CORP_CRUNCHY  and you’ll save $10.

4. Focus on Longevity

The main reason so many of us shop fast fashion brands is because it is AFFORDABLE! Who doesn’t love coming home with a bag of new, cute clothes that only cost twenty bucks?! If the focus of building a sustainable wardrobe is on harm reduction vs. quitting cold turkey, one thing you can do is shop smarter at your favorite fast fashion brands. Meaning, think about the longevity of an item. For example, I have a couple of blazers from a certain fast fashion brand that I have taken very good care of and therefore have had them for many years. I’ve had them for so long because they are classic, tailored pieces that are not super trendy and therefore not likely to go out of style any time soon. When I tire of them, I’m reasonably sure I could resell them for the reasons mentioned above. 

5. Makeover Your Laundry habits

By making over your laundry habits you can make your clothes last longer and also reduce the environmental impact of those clothes. Here are a few simple things you can do.

• Skip the dryer – The dryer uses SO MUCH ENERGY! Simply hang or lay clothing flat to dry. The clothes will last longer and you’re saving energy.
• Don’t wash after one wear – Okay, yes certain things like socks, underwear, and gym clothes need to be washed after one wear. But seriously reconsider everything else. Especially something like jeans. I used to wash my jeans after every wear. Then I heard they would last longer if I washed them less often. Now, I wash them after maybe 4-5 wears. (I have kids and so they do get “dirty” after a while).
• Use cold water -Ninety percent of the energy consumed in washing clothes is used to heat the water. Modern detergents do a fine job with cool water. Just because a garment says to wash in warm water, doesn’t mean you have to. That just means warm is the highest temperature that item can tolerate.

Choose One

Having a 100% sustainable wardrobe should not be the goal. Why? Because it’s not realistic and likely not attainable. Instead, if we all focus on reducing harm and making incremental changes, we can start to make a big difference. These are just some of the ways that fast fashion can be sustainable. So, out of these 5 tips, choose one that you’ll commit to trying for the next month. 

Drop a comment below and let me know what you’re going to take on! I’d love to support you however I can.