These days you simply cannot escape the knowledge that our planet is suffering and that the time to change is NOW. Regular readers will know that here at Little Soap we're always striving to learn more, do more and help more. We want everyone to know that our planet is suffering, and that our future generations are relying on us to do something about it. The amazing thing is that change really is happening, albeit slowly. As global citizens, we are making the changes together and what a feeling that is! From eating less meat, to using less plastic, we're starting to reach more and more people who are united in the common cause. This week we're turning our attention to the clothes we wear and how the choices we make for our wardrobes can make a difference too. We're also sharing some slow fashion brand we love- so do let us know in the comments if we missed any of your favourites!
What is slow fashion?
Sadly, we currently live in an age of fast fashion. We're buying cheaply made clothes that last one season (if that, sometimes) before we throw it away and it replace it with similar garments. We over-consume with the idea that if its so inexpensive, we can afford to buy more. The idea that there's no need to spend lots on something that will be 'out of fashion' in a couple of month's time. The idea that it's just a top. Just a pair of socks. Just a bag. No need to worry. No need to concern ourselves with the tonnes and tonnes of discarded clothes that end up either in landfill or being burned because we simply don't need them any more. Throw it away, forget about it... Slow fashion is the exact opposite, and a movement that is gathering speed. It's an emphasis on buying once, and buying well. Spending a little more time, a little more effort and a little more money in what becomes a bigger investment. Investing in our future. Slow fashion is about buying clothes and shoes that are made to last season after season, reducing the size of our wardrobe and our need to buy more and more. It's about choosing fashion that has a conscience and rejects clothes that aren't made from sustainable materials or using eco-friendly production methods. Its about buying clothes that advocate for the fair treatment of people, animals and the environment.Slow fashion brands we love
Like anything else we advocate, its going to take a little time and effort to find slow fashion brands you can trust. To help you along, here are our top five brands... People Tree We LOVE People Tree so much. Established way back in 1991, this brand has been paving the way for more and more slow fashion brands and is proud to have almost three decades of ethical business under its belt. People Tree say,"We launched our first fashion range to meet the Global Organic Textile Standard certified by the Soil Association and were the first fashion company to be awarded the World Fair Trade Organisation product label. These certifications guarantee People Tree’s dedication and compliance to the principles of fair trade, covering fair wages, good working conditions, transparency, environmental best practice and gender equality."Head over now for party wear, every day essentials and full low down on how People Tree began, what it stands for and why it's passionate
about slow fashion.
Here Today Here Tomorrow
What do we love about Here Today Here Tomorrow? Where to start! With three designers who made their roots in sustainable fashion and a
commitment to helping customers form a "more meaningful and long-lasting relationship with fashion", this is one brand making some serious waves right now.
Here Today Here Tomorrow pride themselves on a philosophy grounded in 'make, mend, showcase, sell and educate' and if you get the chance to visit their shop and studio in London you'll find an amazing collection of likeminded brands to browse too. Definitely worth a visit!
Madia & Matilda
With an emphasis on affordable, sustainable fashion, Madia & Matilda is a true gem! All own brand garments are made in house to cut down on waste and to ensure transparency- plus, they feature an amazing upcycled collection with vintage pieces to die for! We love this so much.
"We are proud to make our clothing in house in Britain. Within our Local studio we employ a reactive attitude towards recycling, in order to minimise fabric wastage. Any leftover fabric is used for trims and the following season's samples, or re-used for new designs."Thought Supporters of slow fashion and passionate about what they do, Thought really are more than a clothing brand we love. They're proudly innovative and huge advocates for helping more and more of us to turn our backs on fast fashion for good. Their motto is simple: "The clothes we love wearing most will last longer with good care. Which is why we created our mantra. “Wear me, love me, mend me, pass me on.” We're loving Thought's winter collection right now. Monsoon It's a high street staple, but did you know that Monsoon has a long ethical history and even offers a clothing recycling scheme so that you can trade in your unwanted clothes to be either donated to charity or recycled. Profits from the scheme go directly to a charity called Newlife, working with disable and terminally ill children in the UK. Monsoon say:
"Each year in the UK, £140 million worth of unwanted yet wearable clothing goes to landfill. That’s a total of around 350,000 tonnes. By choosing to recycle your clothes, you’ll be reducing your environmental footprint, as well as extending the lifespan of the clothes that you no longer wear."The brand are also proud to source responsibly and you can read all about their ethical trading policies here. Oh, and they have a killer party wear collection too.