How To Break Your Addiction to Fast Fashion

Do you have a never-ending affinity for buying new outfits for the weekends? Have nothing to wear, but have a closet filled with clothes? Finding yourself buying more, and culling too often? Chances are you have too many fast fashion pieces in your wardrobe! Don’t get us wrong - mass produced clothing is affordable. But it’s too affordable. Enough to raise an eyebrow or two.

The problem with fast fashion doesn’t come from buying a couple of items because it’s all you can afford, it starts with the overconsumption of clothing and buying clothes when they’re not needed. A perfect example of a brand leading the charge in sustainable fashion is Levi’s. They’re super-committed to making quality clothing and timeless styles. That means you can buy better, and wear longer, cutting down on waste. When we waste less, we’ll start to see a change in attitudes, and consumerism as a whole!

So, how do you combat your fast fashion fixation? Here are our red hot tips to rethinking your wardrobe and finding clothes that won’t fall apart after a couple of wears:

Stop jumping on micro-trends

Micro-trends rise to popularity within a short amount of time, are mass-produced to meet the demand and then fall out of fashion even faster. But unfortunately once trends go out the window, so do the clothes. A lot of fast fashion brands are not phased by this, as it costs companies so little to produce - sad, isn’t it?

By the next season (or next wash) some micro-trends are no longer relevant. You might no longer want to wear it because you’re over it, therefore culling more than you need to. The life-span of a micro-trend is so short that you’ve probably forgotten half of them, or hope they never see the light of day again! Instead, try to control and minimise the impulse buying.

In the era of influencers, it can be hard (with a sprinkle of FOMO) to miss jumping on these trends, but trust us. From the time it’s added to your cart to when it arrives at your doorstep, it’s probably already out of fashion. There are also loads of great brands and styles that are just as stylish now as they were when they came out. Levi’s 501 jeans have literally been around for almost 150 years, and are still going strong.

Find your style

Not every trend will fit your style and aesthetic; that’s not to say that you don’t slay in everything! But not every trend looks good either - there have definitely been some questionable fits over the last few years. Aztec print included. By all means, express yourself through your style but try not to give in to short-lived trends.

Figuring out your sense of style is really just about listening to your inner voice when it comes to choosing the clothes you wear. Pull out some of your favourite clothes and ask yourself what you like about them. Is it the colour? The fit? Do they show off something about you that you really like? This can help you look for other clothes that share the same features, and will work well together.

Re-wear or repurpose

Clothes are supposed to be durable, made to last and reworn. Where trends can change in the blink of an eye, there’s a reason why clothes such as Levi’s iconic Trucker jacket can be found in your parents closet, your rewear pile and at flea markets. High quality clothes that have been taken care of are timeless. If they’re looking a little shabby, repurpose them into bags, rags or something you’ll use! Elton John mustn’t have been lying when he sang “blue jeans, baby”.

Quantity vs Quality

It’s awesome when we find something affordable that lasts us years, but even better when they are of high quality. When we say invest in your clothing, we don’t mean spending your whole payslip on an outfit. It could simply mean purchasing something comfortable that you know you’ll get 30+ wears out of, or something you’ve had your eye on for a while.

Think about the ratio between the clothes you can’t get enough of and the ones that have been collecting dust - if you’re a fast fashion fiend, there are probably piles of them you say you’re going to sell on Depop, but if we’re being real, will probably end up in the charity bin.

If you buy quality, you’ll have less waste - so buy the things you absolutely love! If you’re keen to learn more about what Levi’s are doing to combat fast fashion and cut back on their environmental footprint, you can check out their sustainability report over here.