Why Slow Fashion?
Fashion is the second-most polluting industry, globally, because of the water, chemicals, waste, and carbon emissions it takes to not be naked (World Economic Forum, 2020). And you know what number one is? Petroleum. So, yeah, it’s not ideal.
Every second a garbage truck worth of clothing is burned or tossed in landfill. That’s a lot of stuff.
When we first started making our own clothes back in the 90s, we quickly realised how poorly most things were made, even if they were expensive. This is your friendly reminder that just because something costs a lot, doesn’t mean it’s not made in a sweatshop or from cheap, unethical materials that will fall apart quicker than you can say: ‘well that fell apart quickly’.
Once we started to pay attention to how things were made, choosing fabrics carefully, things lasted longer and we had to buy less of it, which is basically what slow fashion is all about.
Slow fashion is the antithesis of fast fashion - that never-ending consumer hamster wheel of ‘trending’ styles, cheaply and poorly made garb and that ‘throw it out when you’re done with it’ mentality. That’s so 2008 and late. (told you our pop culture references were old)
“Slow fashion is about returning to a personal relationship with fashion. One where trends and seasons don’t matter, but where your ethics and aesthetics seamlessly unite, and you can escape the stress of constant consumption, focusing on the style that truly appeals to you.” — Emilia Wik, Head Designer at BYEM
Instead, slow fashion is more timeless than trendy. It encourages us to consider the whole product lifecycle, or the processes and resources required to make the things we buy. It’s about choosing better-quality things that will last longer, and valuing the fair treatment of people, animals, and the planet along the way (Good On You, 2021). Or, as we say: ‘made fair, paid square’.
But here’s the thing: right now, slow fashion is not always affordable or accessible for the majority of people and the movement is - for want of a better phrase - a tad too beige?
Ebony Bolts is on a mission to offer viable and more accessible slow fashion alternatives for the people who are often overlooked or who don’t see themselves in the current market. Don't worry my friend because we got you, we see you and we know people just want to do better but don’t always know where to start. Everyone is welcome at Ebony Bolts
Together, we can create a more diverse slow fashion movement and put an end to fast fashion, because someone always pays the price.
Read more about slow fashion on our blog