What is Slow Fashion?
Slow Fashion is a lot of things and can be done in many ways – but really it is quite simple – Slow Fashion is the opposite of Fast Fashion. It is quality over quantity, people and planet over profit and timeless rather than trendy.
Most Slow Fashion companies consider all aspects of their supply chain with people and planet in mind. Farmers and workers must be treated and payed fairly – however strange that sounds in 2022 I assure you it is not always the case.
All waste must be handled properly and harmful chemicals is a no go.
Some companies do pre-orders before starting production making sure only to produce what is needed, some use a certain sustainable or recycled fabric, others are working closely with local communities and some use local production only. Some use a combination of all and others choose a different path.
To me, there is no right or wrong way to do Slow Fashion. No matter how you address Slow Fashion, the main goal is to change the fashion industry and offer a better alternative. Hear hear to that!
In this piece I will tell you how we roll at Weasel Wardrobe and let you in on what you are paying for.
Design
Every garment is designed to fit across 3 size steps – this way we try to reduce consumption by making sure the clothes will fit for more than a few months at a time. See how it works here. This concept has been with us from the beginning and the reason why I founded Weasel Wardrobe. If you want to know more about the early days of Weasel Wardrobe – go read “The Detour” where I will tell you more about where it all began.
Fabrics
We only use GOTS certified fabrics. This way we know farmers and factory workers are treated fairly and that waste and wastewater is handled with care. Furthermore all cotton is organic and grown without the use of harmful chemicals. You can read more about GOTS here.
Production
All garments are designed, printed and stitched with lots of love at the studio – by me. I keep stocks low and restock as they sell out.
I have also considered a pre-order model, but since babies can grow a size or two in a month, it does not make much sense.
Packaging and Shipping
All packaging, cards, bags etc. is either made from recycled paper or coming from suppliers working with sustainable forestry. No plastic bags!
I have carefully chosen our carrier for their green efforts to reduce use and to ease the carbon footprint.
Waste
All waste is sorted and handed in for recycling when possible. That includes all fabric scraps.
Not Easy
To be honest it is not that easy working “the slow way”. I spend hours searching for the “best option available”. It would be so much easier just using random, cheap fabric. Just picking the cheapest option when buying bags, postcards and packaging. And also working on a small scale means higher costs. We still live in a world where buying more means buying cheaper.
But still, it is all worth it. In the long run we all know that change is needed and needed now!
Thank you for sticking by. If you have any questions about my work, fitting, fabrics or whatever, do not hesitate to reach out. I will be more than happy to help.
You can reach me here – mail@weaselwardrobe.com – or send me a DM via Instagram where I also share my work when stitching, printing and much more if you decide to follow.
All the best
// Karen-Louise