How to be Sustainable if Fast Fashion is Your ONLY Option

Art by @the_stitchess on Instagram. Available for purchase at Glitter Riot Goods on Etsy now.

As glad as I am to see the rise of thrifting and sustainable fashion brands, these aren’t always accessible to people due to location, disability, income, size, dress code, or other reasons. It’s incredibly important that the sustainable fashion movement does not exclude them. I also believe that everyone deserves to wear clothes they feel good in, even if the only clothes that they like and can access are from fast fashion stores. Why should someone’s size, race, gender, disability, or socio-economic class mean that they don’t deserve to feel beautiful? While I would typically want to solve the problem through long term solutions like raising the minimum wage, providing adequate welfare, and encouraging more sustainable fashion brands to cater to a variety of sizes, genders, and disabilities, there is still a need for short term solutions even if they are not ideal. If you are someone who, in your current circumstances, can only shop fast fashion, these are my tips to do so in a way that is as sustainable as possible.

Don’t know what the deal is with sustainable fashion? Check out this resource list.

Your reliance on fast fashion is not your fault.

We always have to remember that it is the fast fashion system that is to blame for everything. The brands are responsible for demanding that clothing is made at cheaper and cheaper prices, no matter how it affects the garment makers or environment. The economy allowing the wealthy to hoard their wealth is responsible for you low wages. The sustainable fashion brands are responsible for not catering to your size. If you have no options other than fast fashion, do not feel guilty for something you have no control over. Instead, focus on what you do have control over because boycotting fast fashion is not the only way you can make a difference.

Use what you have.

According to the Buyerarchy of Needs, using what you have is the most sustainable thing you can do because it no longer requires new resources to make, it no longer needs to be shipped to you or your nearest store, and it no longer needs to be bought meaning that it no longer supports the fast fashion industry. A sustainable wardrobe begins by forgiving and treasuring the pieces you already own, because not only is it unrealistic to rapidly replace an entire wardrobe of fast fashion with sustainable options, but it also isn’t eco-friendly. While I encourage you to declutter any items you no longer want, need, or wear, keeping what you do want, need, and wear until it falls apart is the most sustainable thing you can do.

Get rid of any unwanted clothes in an eco-friendly way.

You might not have much control over where your clothes come from, but you do get to decide where they end up. If you want to minimise your environmental impact, instead of tossing your worn out clothes, you could cut them up into rags, donate them to a textile recycling business to use as insulation, make something new out of them, repair them to sell, or give them to a friend who likes sewing. No matter what the condition of the garments though, I recommend you avoid donating your clothes to charity or any fast fashion take back scheme if you really care about keeping your clothes out of landfill.

Hand wash your clothes.

Machine washing and drying clothing makes them fall apart faster, as well as shed more micro plastics that end up in our waterways and oceans. By hand washing and drip drying your clothes, you’re preserving the quality of your garments, reducing micro plastics, and saving electricity. This can be tricky if you have a large family or not a lot of room to drip dry your clothes indoors. If that’s the case, you can wash only your most important or most fragile pieces by hand and machine wash and dry everything else. As a bonus tip, we often wash our clothes more than we really need to, so check out this resource about how often you should be watching your clothes.

Download the Good On You app.

Or the Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report. Usually I wouldn’t recommend the latter because of how it rewards greenwashing and minimal effort with high ratings, but for someone who can only shop fast fashion, that and Good On You are great resources because they help you identify the brands that are the lesser of the evils. Brands notice when consumers choose brands with the most sustainable practices, and that forces them to compete. H&M, as much as they greenwash, have recognised this and keep implementing improvements as a result, even if they’re fishing for more credit than they deserve. In a choice between H&M and Forever21, you might as well go for the former.

Shop less and shop smarter.

The fast fashion business model depends on a customer base that constantly buys from them. They produce low quality garments at drastically cheap prices for short-lived trends. If you still have to buy from them for whatever reason though, you can still rebel by adopting a slow fashion mindset. Become the complete opposite of their ideal customer. Instead of shopping often, shop only when you need to. Instead of buying their lowest quality garments, research how to recognise quality in clothing so you purchase things that will last as long as possible. Instead of buying the trendiest items, buy what you know you will wear regardless of how “in fashion" it is. If all fast fashion customers shopped like that, the industry would be forced to change.

Master basic repair skills.

Fast fashion is infamous for its low quality. It doesn’t take long for a button to pop off or a seam to unravel or a hole to appear. The good news is that anyone can learn to fix these with only a needle, some thread, and one of millions of tutorials found online. Not only is repairing your clothes more ethical and sustainable than buying a replacement, but it’s easy and much cheaper. If everyone knew the benefits of repairing their clothes, the fast fashion industry would barely be able to compete!

Participate in public activism.

You do not need to only ever shop at sustainable fashion brands and thrift stores to be a fashion activist, because changing where and how you shop is not the only form of fashion activism. You can shop fast fashion and sign petitions, attend protests, raise awareness, ask #whomademyclothes, and more! The fact that you care enough about the environment and the people who made your clothes that you’re willing to stand up and say something is far more valuable than boycotting fast fashion altogether. 

A sustainable wardrobe is not defined by its contents; it is defined by the intent behind it. I hope that if you are someone who shops fast fashion out of necessity, these tips help you use your voice and make an impact anyway. If you want to learn more about fast fashion, ethical fashion, sustainable fashion, and how they relate to kawaii or alternative fashion, check out this resource list for more.

Do you buy fast fashion? Why or why not? Let's learn from each other's experiences in the comments below or on social media.