Slow fashion
An approach to making, buying and using clothes that values longevity and care over a constant turnover of new styles.
What does Slow fashion mean?
Slow fashion is a response to the speed and volume of fast fashion. It asks how clothes are designed and made, but also how long they are kept, repaired, shared and worn. For a person getting dressed, the useful question is less 'Is this item labelled slow?' and more 'Will it serve my actual life for a long time?'
What it looks like in real life
You have a coat whose buttons are loose, and a new coat catches your eye. Reattaching the buttons and trying the old coat with different trousers is one slow-fashion choice. If you truly need a replacement, checking fit, fabric, construction and care before buying is another.
What people often get wrong
Slow fashion is not a guarantee that an expensive garment is ethically made or environmentally harmless. Nor does it demand a perfect minimalist wardrobe. A garment you already own and continue to wear can be more useful than buying a new item solely because it has a responsible-sounding label.
How to use the idea
Choose one piece you almost stopped wearing. Check whether cleaning, mending, tailoring or a different outfit combination would make it useful again. If not, consider passing it on responsibly; if you replace it, write down the real gap the next piece must fill.