Fast Fashion, Slow Fashion, what does it all mean?

It's hard to deny the environmental impact of fashion when over 92 million tonnes of textile waste is introduced into the waste chain each year.

What does this look like? A rubbish truck full of clothes being landfilled or burned every second.

Fast fashion is largely responsible for this increase, characterised by ultra-fast production, low costs, and constantly changing collections, this new approach may be good for retailers, but has encouraged consumers to buy, then quickly discard fashion items. This turnover leads to increasing amounts of textiles entering the waste systems.

But the slow fashion movement is getting increasing attention. These fashion brands encourage you to be more thoughtful when you buy clothes and to replace them less often. We like to think Tohen is part of that movement, designing clothes that are intentional and will work in a variety of situations.

Sustainable materials and those requiring less water for manufacture are certainly part of a more conscious effort to reduce the global footprint, but there are other factors that come into play.

Shortening supply chains can also make a huge difference. In other words dealing directly with manufacturers, and treating suppliers as partners, ensuring fair wages are paid and working conditions are safe. 

We at Tohen encourage you to be intentional when you buy clothes, think about quality not just cost, and suggest you replace them less often.