10 Tips to Embrace Slow Fashion and Still Love Your Closet

This past year, I have pondered the question of what it means to embrace a slow fashion journey and buy less. I personally realized that my shopping habits are strongly tied to how much I like my daily outfits and how easy it is to put them together. To figure out what exactly that means, I have come up with 10 things that have made the biggest difference in embracing slow(er) fashion and feel great about my look. Before figuring out how we can embrace slow fashion, lets look at what slow fashion is and why it matters.

What is Slow Fashion?

Slow fashion is a movement that aims to create a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry. It encourages consumers to choose quality over quantity, to invest in timeless pieces that will last for years, and to consider the social and environmental impact of their clothing choices. Slow fashion is an alternative to fast fashion, which relies on a business model of mass production, low prices, and fast turnover. On the other hand, slow fashion promotes a slower, more thoughtful approach to fashion that values quality, craftsmanship, and sustainability.

Slow fashion is often associated with sustainable and ethical fashion. Sustainable fashion is about minimizing the environmental impact of clothing production and consumption. This includes using eco-friendly materials, reducing waste and pollution, and promoting circularity – the idea of designing clothes that can be recycled, reused, or composted at the end of their life cycle. Ethical fashion is about ensuring fair and safe working conditions for garment workers, promoting social justice, and respecting human rights.

Why does slow fashion matter?

There are several reasons why we should focus on slow fashion. First and foremost, it promotes sustainability. The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, with a significant carbon footprint and water consumption. By choosing slow fashion, we can reduce our impact on the environment and preserve natural resources for future generations.

Secondly, slow fashion promotes ethical practices. Many fast fashion brands rely on cheap labor and exploitative working conditions to keep their prices low. This often leads to unsafe working conditions, low wages, and even child labor. Slow fashion usually values the work of artisans and craftspeople, and ensures that they are paid fairly and work in safe conditions.

Thirdly, slow fashion emphasizes quality over quantity. Investing in timeless long-lasting pieces reduces our consumption and minimizes waste. Fast fashion encourages a culture of disposability, where clothes are worn only a few times before being discarded. I recently found out that the average American roughly disposes of 81 pounds of clothing every year. Globally, an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created annually. It seems we have not reached the peak yet, and future trends are predicted to increase at an alarming rate. This leads to a significant amount of textile waste, which ends up in landfills and contributes to environmental degradation.

10 Tips to embrace slow fashion and still love your Closet

I have to admit, my mom and Oma taught me to invested in quality pieces and most of the time been quite in tune with my lifestyle needs and my style preferences. This was something my grandma was always very particular about and passed this subconsciously on to me. My mom taught me that investing in quality pieces is less expensive in the long run. Especially if you know how to take care of your clothes. So, thank you ‘Oma & Mama’ for leading by example and giving me a precious gift. I didn’t really struggle until 2020 where in person shopping was non-existent, and I started relying on online shopping. Additionally, I started to be heavily influenced by what looked good on other people. I started to buy less quality clothing followed by several other misguided habits.

So how can we embrace slow fashion?

1. Start with a curated closet that suits your needs and your personal style

Starting with a solid base, a closet base filled with quality clothing that you love and fit with your personal style is very important for a slow fashion journey. If you don’t feel good about your style when you start a more mindful clothing journey, you will not succeed. Make sure that your clothes also fit your needs. If you have a very casual day to day, make sure most of your clothes fit into that category. Or you’re working and need to follow a certain dress code, make sure your closet represents that. If you are just starting out, focus on the type of clothes that you wear the most in your daily live and make sure those are pieces you love.

2. Invest in Quality Pieces

If you want to make the slow fashion movement work for you, investing in quality pieces is key. I often get tired of my clothes if I feel they are worn out and just not in good shape. Investing in quality, timeless garments, to ensure your clothes will look great much longer and you’ll not feel like your clothes are old, worn or outdated. The very fast fashion brands often sacrifice quality for quantity and speed in which garments are produced. Investing in timeless pieces made from durable materials will ensure that the items last much longer than their fast-fashion counterparts. Take your time to do some research and find out which materials are highest quality for the type of clothing item you’re looking for. That way, you can rest assured knowing your fashion item will last.

Buying from sustainable ethical brands is often a good way to go. You can also embrace the slow fashion industry while still shopping at your favorite retailers. Finding out which items and styles have been around for years, the cornerstone garments that most fast fashion brands have is a good place to start. These are often timeless quality pieces that don’t go out of style. Two very important things to consider when buying quality basics is your personal style and what colors look good on you. Sharing my tips on how to find your personal style here.

3. Keep clothing in great shape

Taking care of your clothes is just as important as investing in quality pieces. If you have pilled sweaters, bleached or faded colors, or stretched out collars, you’ll look frumpy and dated. This is what we want to avoid. Just as we need to take care of our home, we need to treat our clothing well. This already starts when you purchase a new item. Before you buy, take a quick look at the care instructions. Then decide if it is still worth it to you. For me currently, I am trying to avoid too many handwash or dry clean only pieces as I simply am not willing to commit the time for that. I have two blog posts that might be helpful. Learn how to wash your clothes properly here. In this post I am sharing my favorite tools to care for them.

4. Have a set of Outfit Formulas

Knowing your style formulas has really made a big difference. Not only is it easy to get dressed if you know exactly which outfit combinations you like and work for you. It will also help you not fall into that clothing rut of ‘I have nothing to wear’. To figure out what those might be for you, I highly recommend recording your outfits for two weeks. After the two weeks, go back and analyze your looks. Then recreate your favorite formulas with other items in your closet and see how many similar versions of this formula you can make. I was very surprised how versatile my existing pieces are.

5. Find style inspiration and new ways to wear your clothing

I like to have style inspiration on hand. I love keeping a folder on my phone with old looks to refer back to. An inspiration board can be very helpful as well. I use Pinterest for this. I search for style ideas and save them all in different boards. Following inspiring accounts on Instagram has been really helpful too. Make sure you are following people that have a very similar style to yours. If I am looking to style certain pieces, or specific styles, searching by #… on Instagram has been very helpful.

Sometimes, I like to look at how stores would style similar pieces for inspiration as well. Don’t do this if that might tempt you to buy something new though. Trying to copy certain celebrity styles can be a fun way to get style inspiration as well. I have recently seen several influencers do this with the royal family. Or you could do this with people you follow on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest etc. That’s always fun too!

6. Pack away your items that are out of season

I recommend packing away items that are not in season. To be honest, I already do this for practical reasons as my closet isn’t that big. Even during times when I had a big closet, I would pack away my out of season items for several reasons. Whenever I change my wardrobe between seasons, I use it as an opportunity to update my closet. Additionally, I get rid of anything I no longer need, mend items, and add anything that needs to be replaced on my shopping list. When I unpack the stored items, they feel new, and I get excited to style them.

Tips on how to resist random fast fashion purchases

Sometimes we get the itch to shop and feel we absolutely need new clothes and none of ours work. Beyond finding ways to get excited by finding new ways to style our clothing through style inspiration, style challenges, or swapping out seasonal clothing there are a few other things we can do that can help us be content with what we have and only shop for what we really want and need. Let’s take a look at a few things we can do to help us. Most often good deals and big sale times are the toughest to follow your slow fashion journey. I focused most of my recommendations on how to reduce impulse buys and things that help us to buy less and not get derailed in our wish to embrace slow(er) fashion.

7. Keep a Shopping needs/wants List

If you are a list person or need something that keeps you accountable having a running list of items, we want to purchase is really helpful. If a simple list isn’t enough, find ways to have additional steps that keep you accountable. Finding exactly that right piece to fill a gap in my closet and cross it off that list feels rewarding and helps me get inspired to style it with pieces already in my closet.

Keeping a list serves several purposes. Not only is it a good way to keep track of items we need to replace or gaps we identified. It is also a great way to record things that we see and like. If you tend to impulse buys set yourself a time limit that an item has to be on the list before you purchase it. I have learned that often times, when the time is up, I realize I don’t really need this item and often I don’t purchase it.

8. Decide what to buy ahead of big sale times

For big sale times, I like to prepare and buy what’s on sale from my list. I start looking a little before I know big sales come up for items that are on my list. If I find additional items as I’m browsing, they’re going on my list. If I have timeless staples and classic pieces on my list, I’ll look for those first as I know I will get the most out of them. These items will be adding the most value to my wardrobe and help me be successful in my slow fashion journey.

When I know really good sales are coming up, I like to look about 2 weeks prior. That way, I have enough time to ponder what I am planning to buy. For example, for Black Friday and Christmas deals I start in early October to think ahead and create a Wishlist. I’ll finalize my list in early November and purchase those items during the sale. I sometimes add several options but only get one depending on sale offers. Whatever I couldn’t find, I tackle later. A clothing budget can be helpful too, it can really help curb the shopping impulse.

9. Track Purchases & Wears

I’ve also started to track my purchases and write down all items that I’m adding. From time to time, I go through and evaluate those purchases. This has been such an eye-opening activity. It shows me what I tend to buy. A good way to analyze what type of clothing you tend to buy and what you are willing to spend money on and what not.

Additionally, having to put all those purchases on that list, definitely has made me think twice and I admit, I have returned a few things. Now, I try to add it as soon as I purchase or even just before I purchase them as some things definitely slipped my radar. I love ways in which I can streamline a process.

Keeping a list of wears can be super helpful as well. You can do this as a simple paper list taped to your closet or use a list on your phone or an app for this. The Open Wardrobe App is my favorite and it’s free. I love following @stylethislife – she has a great highlight explaining the process. I personally have not quite gotten there yet and I’m not sure if I’ll start but I’m always intrigued when I see others do this. It is such a great way to get to know your style preferences better, get to know items in your closet better, and try to figure out why you might not be reaching for certain items as often as for others.

10. Take a social media hiatus during Sales

If you’re easily influenced on Instagram etc., it is always ok to take a hiatus during major sale times, or any other time.
I sometimes get overwhelmed and feel what I’m seeing on Instagram is so much better than that I have in my closet. Whenever I feel negative impacts, I take a little break from the accounts that seem to trigger me. Either I swipe past them, or I only look at my favorites list and take those accounts off of it.

Of course, taking a break from social media for a certain amount of time is also a good way to not allow your inner ‘mean girl’ (critic) to get the best of you. And not only will a social media break be good for your buying habits but so many other mental benefits and maybe physical benefits as well.

I hope this post has given you new insights and inspires you to always shop your closet first, embrace slow fashion and buy less clothes. Follow along on Instagram to see how I practice this and my journey.