5 actions to take against fast fashion
We know fast fashion is bad, but what can we do about it?
We’re sharing 5 simple actions to have a big impact on the damage of fast fashion. At Whering, we believe any action, big or small, makes some kind of difference.
Get political
Politics sounds scary, but there are easy things you can do to pressure members of Parliament to take action against fast fashion. For sustainable alternatives to become the norm, we need legislative change.
Check out Labour Behind the Label to find petitions to sign and protests to attend to make a change.
You can also email your local MP to bring the damage of fast fashion to their attention. Find your local MP here.
If you fancy getting technical, you can send a recurring email (see settings for your email provider) to help get your message across.
Labour Behind the Label has a list of actions to attend near you if you want to get involved in person.
Donate
As Tescos say, every little helps. No matter your financial situation, whether it’s £5 once or £20 monthly, donating to charities that support garment workers is a good way to have a direct positive impact.
Charities protecting garment worker rights and campaigning for serious change couldn’t do it without donations. Support the groups doing the work for us.
Any of the following are a good place to start:
Staying informed
Knowing what’s going on in the world of sustainable (and fast) fashion might not seem essential in slowing down the rapid rate of production, but the more of us that try and learn what’s going on in the industry, the more of us can have an impact through word of mouth.
To find out the latest in the fashion world you can sign up to newsletters from BoF or Fashion Revolution. You’ll get a comprehensive rundown of all things fashion so you can stay clued up.
While we’re on the subject, our newsletter isn’t so bad either. Feel free to subscribe for outfit suggestions & all the tea on what we’re up to.
If you like reading, why not read about slow fashion? The following books helped us on our slow fashion journey.
If reading isn’t your thing, there are plenty of documentaries exposing the reality of fast fashion, give these a watch:
Wear what you own
We said these actions were simple and we meant it. Literally just *wearing* what you own is action in itself. Not just wearing something once or twice, but actually continuously loving and wearing your clothes for a matter of years. Don’t buy new unless you actually need to. Being strict with yourself on what you want vs what you need is one of the most important actions you can take.
Don't buy from Shein
Don’t buy from any fast fashion brands ideally, but the best one to boycott is most definitely Shein. We disagree with the narrative that because Shein are so big already there’s no point not buying from them. This is a lie to trick ourselves into thinking it’s fine for us to continue, when we know it’s not.
Garment workers at Shein have their pay deducted when they make mistakes, which is common considering they only get paid the advertised wage when they reach a quota of 70 garments per day. This means they have to work from around 8am -1/3am with only one day off a month. We can’t keep lying to ourselves. Shein needs to be boycotted.
Those are some simple things you can do to have a positive impact on the damage of fast fashion and textile waste on our climate. There’s plenty of other resources online and on our Thoughts page with more info on how you can have a more sustainable relationship with fashion.
Something on your mind?
Share your thoughts with Whering community.
If you have an idea for an article around fashion, culture, environment, news, wellness, shopping or DIY, submit a pitch to us!