look to extend the lifetime of the things that we own.” (Wales’ circular economy is hardly a fantasy, either: the Welsh government has sunk £6.5 million into its acceleration.)


Other financial incentives like this – and penalties – could be greater taxation on businesses that avoid doing their bit. Consumers, meanwhile, have a responsibility to learn about how the clothes they buy have been made and shop more ethically as a result. That’s why companies like Primark, perhaps the first name you think of when you hear ‘fast fashion’ in the UK, are now keen to advertise the percentage of recycled textiles they’re using when you walk through their doors.


A major criticism of environmental campaigns that target consumers, however, is that no matter how much we ‘do our bit,’ it won’t move the needle anywhere near as much as, to give a hypothetical example, Coca- Cola choosing to scrap plastic bottles forever. Report after report telling us that it might already be too late to save our planet for future generations, meanwhile, only adds to this sense of powerlessness. When it comes to fashion, this psychological barrier is compounded by other more tangible problems, like accessibility and socioeconomics. Fast fashion has grown as big as it has because it’s affordable and accessible to most.


There have been lots of discussions lately over how to make slow fashion accessible. The two most prominent factors are high price points and lack of representation. In order to pay workers a fair living wage, items cost more to produce. In addition, ethical materials and finishings are more expensive to use, making it incredibly difficult to create cheap sustainable fashion and sell it to the average consumer.


The other complaint is that slow fashion lacks diverse representation. There needs to be a focus on creating clothes for various genders, disabilities, sizes, and styles of clothing. To make sustainable fashion accessible these businesses must find more diverse models, advertise in more inclusive spaces, and style their clothing in new ways. By bringing in new voices to their brand, they will be able to reach far more customers who feel that the brand’s clothing was made for them.


All of this underscores an aura of elitism. To combat this, homegrown Welsh designers are increasingly turning against the homogeneity of the fashion industry and to their roots, instead, using patriotism to incite passion about clothes that stem from a proud, local manufacturing and crafting tradition, blending socialism and environmentalism.


However powerless we may feel, it’s worth remembering that businesses are at the mercy of consumer habits. Therefore, it really is up to those of us who can make our voices heard with our wallets. If Slowness is a mindset, transforming the fashion industry into a sustainable one means changing how we think about clothes: what we wear, why we wear it, and where we buy it from - from disposable to sentimental, and brand new to pre-loved. Fashion is culture, so culture is where change needs to begin.


Sustainable Fashion Resources In Wales


The more you know, the more action you can take! Online resources like SustFashWales, WRAP Cymru, My Recycling Wales, Wales Recycles and Keep Wales Tidy are full of easy to read and nicely presented data for you to use.


Most companies that recycle textiles in Wales are members of the Textiles Recycling Association. A full list can be found at: textile-recycling.org.uk.


For alphabetised recycling services in your local area, simply search for ‘A-Z of recycling’ along with the name of your council. Nationwide resources, services and initiatives can be found at: gov.wales/recycling-waste.


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