It’s no surprise if you look through my Instagram feed (http://instagram.com/steph_mumford), that I’m usually in a pair of jeans and either a tee or some form of knit (weather dependent). What is usually not so obvious is where those items are from or the fact that it’s usually the same pieces mixed around in different ways over and over and over. There are a couple of reasons for this and they stem from one relatively hardcoded rule: Quality Over Quantity.
While I’m not entirely against fast fashion, I don’t particularly like it either. You can read my exceptions to my fast fashion here: https://hungryandwelldressed.com/2019/01/what-i-break-my-fast-fashion-rule-for/ on my blog.
A big part of my blog and my brand is all about sustainable fashion… I don’t mean sustainable in the hemp type of sustainable way. I mean sustainable in the environmental and monetary sense. If you want to learn about the financial rationale behind the monetary sustainability you can read my post about investing in your denim – https://hungryandwelldressed.com/2018/08/why-you-should-invest-in-your-denim/ – and apply the math to everything else.
To give a quick example to what I touch on in the blog is that I much prefer to buy one well-made thing instead of buying a number of replacements for a poorly made item.
When it comes down to it, I’d rather have 4 items: a t-shirt, a leather jacket, a pair of blue skinny jeans, and a pair of black leather boots, all beautifully made and high quality than 100 items that will fall apart in a year.
Here’s why:
It saves money.
How? Welp, really it’s just because you end up buying less over the long-term, since you aren’t constantly replacing things that are falling a part.
You don’t end up buying knock-offs.
Fast-fashion brands literally rip off big and small designers alike. While the high fashion industry isn’t perfect at this either. They at least come up with novel ideas, in addition to copying others work. If you haven’t checked out Diet Prada http:instagram.com/dietprada, take a scroll through all the copying that is done in the fashion industry.
At least by buying from brands that do in house design work, you support artists and creatives. You help keep small production factories in New York, Toronto, LA, Paris, London etc. alive.
Made in WHERE???
By opting to buy from designers and contemporary brands like Rag & Bone, Citizens of Humanity, etc. you don’t buy made in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam etc. etc. etc.
Why that’s important? If you are American or Canadian, buy buying pieces made in North America you are directly supporting North American jobs. If you aren’t American or Canadian, there’s a very simple fact that you can’t ignore about made in Canada/America/England etc. labour standards. Manufacturing labour standards in the western world are SUBSTANTIALLY higher. Buy not buying products made in the third world, you are actively contributing to businesses choosing to manufacture ethically.
You’re Saving The Environment
YUP. Fashion is one of the biggest industry that is DESTROYING the planet. Do you know how much water and how many chemicals are used to produce clothes? Not to mention the fossil fuels used to run the machines, Buy buying less clothing you are driving DOWN the demand for companies to manufacture such large quantities.
You are also not throwing out your clothes every few months as they fall apart.
So here are my fast fashion rules:
1. Poplin will yellow so if you like it just get it
2. If it’s a rip-off, don’t buy it. If you can’t afford the original, find a way to save for the original.
3. If it’s trendy and worth the money buy it from the original source
4. Leather pieces are best bought from a brand known for working with leather, vegan options should only be bought from companies that use the high-quality vegan leather
5. Denim will eventually rip and fade, buy the one that fits the best and last the longest.
xoxo Steph
