Sustainable & Slow Fashion – How does Paaduks match these two essential needs for you?

Fashion is a messy industry. It leads to pollution, overconsumption, and exploitation of women and children who work in factories. It calls for an interminable supply of finite resources and produces heaps of garbage.

However, fashion is also a form of artistic expression. Since articulating your style and representation through fashion is exciting yet challenging. So how do you fit your passion for fashion with your passion for the Earth? Slow fashion is the solution. It can allow you to express your perspective while still promoting sustainable practices that help the environment

What is Slow Fashion?

While Fast fashion involves mass production to generate cheap clothing at a rapid rate in response to the latest styles and trends, Slow fashion is just the opposite. It promotes a slower, more sustainable approach to fashion by purchasing vintage or secondhand apparel, redesigning fashion from upcycling old materials, shopping from smaller producers, and buying quality garments with a longer lifespan.

Slow Fashion and its Environmental impact

Slow fashion promotes sustainable practices along with work ethics. Contrary to fast fashion, it focuses on quality and longevity while standing up for both nature and people. Consequently, an increasing number of environmental organizations support the slow-fashion movement.

As customers, it is natural to feel powerless in light of bringing real change within the fashion industry. However, we can make a difference through our collective efforts. First, recognize your purchasing power. Then, when you choose brands committed to slow fashion and avoid labels that perpetuate fast fashion, you are taking a stand and sparking change.

Moreover, spend a bit of time exploring your preferred fashion brands and find out more about their impact on the planet. Finally, ask hard-hitting questions on whether these brands are trying to improve sustainability in any way? 

To look at a few famous fashion brands following sustainable practices, Adidas uses recycled plastic waste to make their shoes. Whereas, Hugo Boss recently came up with a vegan sneaker collection sourced from Pinatex, a by-product of pineapple leaves. Similarly, we at Paaduks are doing our bit at stepping a sustainable, eco-friendly foot forward to create stylish and comfortable footwear by upcycling rubber from old tires. 

Additionally, try to look out for certifications and badges which signify the retailer has met specific ethical standards.

How can you shop more ethically?

• Recycle: Instead of reaching for the bin bag when it is time for your next wardrobe to clear out, why not take them to your local charity shop instead? If you send clothes to a new owner, the money they spend will go towards a good cause.

• Quality Over Quantity: When buying clothes, we usually consider the budget. But buying quality items for a bit higher price that last longer is often a more cost-effective solution than buying new inexpensive apparel that can easily get worn or torn out. Therefore, investing in a few quality items will not only help you spend less but also waste less in the long run as you do your part in protecting the environment.