Fashion as an industry has historically been a large polluter, a major contributor to landfills, and is an industry that has caused harm to the climate through waste, poor production practices, and high carbon emissions. And what’s even more unfortunate is the negative impacts on the humans who help make the clothes.
We knew business could be done in a way that benefits all parties and we’ve been striving for new and innovative ways to make this possible. We started our slow fashion journey knowing it would go against many other “standard” business practices. Those “standard practices” that are designed to implement huge profit margins without concern for the product itself or the people who create it. And within these new and improved practices, new terms for how businesses are helping fight fast-fashion have come up. But what are the differences between slow and fast fashion and what do terms like “ethical fashion” “eco-friendly” or “zero waste” mean in the fashion industry?
As proud members of the slow fashion community and industry, we want to help others - even those within the niche already - understand the terms brands are using to better understand what they mean, how they operate their business, and to make sure you know what’s truly going on behind the scenes to see if it aligns with your values. Here’s a quick and insightful list of the most commonly used slow, ethical, or sustainable fashion terminology.
Slow fashion is a business practice that is fighting the status quo of fast fashion. The idea behind slow fashion is changing both the quality of the clothing produced and changing our buying behavior. Both will result in supporting businesses that make fewer, high-quality garments and making the clothes that you buy last as long as possible because they are well-made. Slow fashion brands often have fewer choices - choosing to only make one or two smaller production runs per year as opposed to other brands that come out with new pieces every month.
The focus on quality within slow fashion clothing also influences fabric choice and materials. Most businesses that want to practice slow fashion are not opting for the cheapest materials. From there, smaller, slower batches produce higher quality pieces that customers can love for many years in their style, design, and quality. This eliminates the need for huge inventory numbers and clothing items that get thrown out at the end of the season. It reduces excess waste in production, avoids more high-emission shipping journeys, and it helps shift the consumerist mindset that more is better. With slow fashion, you can love classic styles that will last years and no longer need to “upgrade” your wardrobe every few months with new trendy picks.
Fast fashion is the clothing industry that has historically existed most commonly (though it’s changing quickly!). These are brands, companies, and products that are produced as quickly as possible with as much volume as possible with only profit in mind. They are not concerned with the ethics of worker treatment, the waste created, the carbon footprint, or the wasted clothes once the product is no longer in style anymore. Their sole purpose is to sell as many units of a low-quality product as possible in hopes of securing huge profits to produce more of the same low-quality items to keep the consumerist cycle churning. Though fast fashion does still exist, we hope that customers, just like you, make a choice on what kind of brand within the industry you want to support.
Ethical fashion is one facet of the fashion industry that focuses mostly on the treatment, care, and working conditions of the people who make the products that are sold. This means companies who fall into this term provide their worker and employees with safe places to work, breaks, and all the supplies necessary for them to do their jobs effectively and safely. In addition, another focal point is on payment and compensation of these workers; ensuring they are paid a living wage.
Slow fashion is a business practice that is fighting the status quo of fast fashion. The idea behind slow fashion is changing both the quality of the clothing produced and changing our buying behavior. Both will result in supporting businesses that make fewer, high-quality garments and making the clothes that you buy last as long as possible because they are well-made. Slow fashion brands often have fewer choices - choosing to only make one or two smaller production runs per year as opposed to other brands that come out with new pieces every month.
The focus on quality within slow fashion clothing also influences fabric choice and materials. Most businesses that want to practice slow fashion are not opting for the cheapest materials. From there, smaller, slower batches produce higher quality pieces that customers can love for many years in their style, design, and quality. This eliminates the need for huge inventory numbers and clothing items that get thrown out at the end of the season. It reduces excess waste in production, avoids more high-emission shipping journeys, and it helps shift the consumerist mindset that more is better. With slow fashion, you can love classic styles that will last years and no longer need to “upgrade” your wardrobe every few months with new trendy picks.
Fast fashion is the clothing industry that has historically existed most commonly (though it’s changing quickly!). These are brands, companies, and products that are produced as quickly as possible with as much volume as possible with only profit in mind. They are not concerned with the ethics of worker treatment, the waste created, the carbon footprint, or the wasted clothes once the product is no longer in style anymore. Their sole purpose is to sell as many units of a low-quality product as possible in hopes of securing huge profits to produce more of the same low-quality items to keep the consumerist cycle churning. Though fast fashion does still exist, we hope that customers, just like you, make a choice on what kind of brand within the industry you want to support.
Ethical fashion is one facet of the fashion industry that focuses mostly on the treatment, care, and working conditions of the people who make the products that are sold. This means companies who fall into this term provide their worker and employees with safe places to work, breaks, and all the supplies necessary for them to do their jobs effectively and safely. In addition, another focal point is on payment and compensation of these workers; ensuring they are paid a living wage.
Sustainable fashion refers more to the effect that the company has on the environment and climate. Brands whose focus is on sustainability and sustainable business practices often focus on the production of the product and its impact on the greater world we live in. This includes analyzing the sourcing of materials, what kind of materials will be used, how will they be disposed of, and what kind of waste will be produced as a result of this process.
Sustainable fashion also influences shipping and packaging to help offer reusable, recyclable, or compostable packing options that help eliminate waste. With this in mind, brands want their product(s) to have very little negative impact on the earth and its environment. From production to delivery, the entire process gets optimized with nature and climate in mind.
Sustainable fashion refers more to the effect that the company has on the environment and climate. Brands whose focus is on sustainability and sustainable business practices often focus on the production of the product and its impact on the greater world we live in. This includes analyzing the sourcing of materials, what kind of materials will be used, how will they be disposed of, and what kind of waste will be produced as a result of this process.
Sustainable fashion also influences shipping and packaging to help offer reusable, recyclable, or compostable packing options which help eliminate waste. With this in mind, brands want their product(s) to have very little negative impact on the earth and its environment. From production to the delivery, the entire process gets optimized with nature and climate in mind.
Sustainable fashion refers more to the effect that the company has on the environment and climate. Brands whose focus is on sustainability and sustainable business practices often focus on the production of the product and its impact on the greater world we live in. This includes analyzing the sourcing of materials, what kind of materials will be used, how will they be disposed of, and what kind of waste will be produced as a result of this process.
Sustainable fashion also influences shipping and packaging to help offer reusable, recyclable, or compostable packing options which help eliminate waste. With this in mind, brands want their product(s) to have very little negative impact on the earth and its environment. From production to the delivery, the entire process gets optimized with nature and climate in mind.
Small batch manufacturing is the process of only doing a small number of production runs per year. In some cases, this can be a few as one production run, or up around 3 runs per year throughout the seasonal changes and product launches. Manufacturing products in small batches limits the waste through the production process and limits the negative effects in shipping these items from the factories to the warehouses from which they are sold. Small batch manufacturing has more benefits like the ability to control the number of units leftover each season that can be donated instead of thrown away and added to a landfill.
Responsible manufacturing encompasses manufacturing and production processes that put humans first. It can be something like working with small family-owned, responsible factories wherever brands are sourcing their materials. It often requires that suppliers must comply with employment laws and regulations, with regard to a minimum age of employment, freely chosen employment, terms of employment, rates of pay, working hours, health and safety, no discrimination, and no harsh or inhumane treatment. They must also comply with standards of working hours, paying over-time, and never allowing triple shifts for workers. Responsible manufacturing ensures the safety and protection of the workers who make your clothes, no matter where they are in the world.
Cost per wear is the measurement of durability and longevity of clothing or accessories. Instead of thinking about how much something costs, think instead about how long that product will last. In turn, when you purchase a high-priced, high-quality product you’re investing in something that will actually save you money over time based on how much it costs per wear of that item. Instead of purchasing a $30 shirt and wearing it only 5-10 times before it tears, rips, or is unusable anymore, you’ll spend more on a shirt you can wear 70+ times which costs you less each time you wear it over the longer lifetime of that garment.
Secondhand fashion is exactly what it sounds like. It’s going local and giving old clothes new life once again. It’s the use of recycled, repurposed, gently worn and used, and unwanted clothing that finds its way to a local thrift store. Instead of letting all of these clothing pieces go to waste and be sent to a landfill, they can be given new life and space in your wardrobe. Plus, it’s not just thrift stores that are thriving now either. There are tons of websites where you can buy, sell, or trade gently used clothing to someone else looking for what you have.
Small batch manufacturing is the process of only doing a small number of production runs per year. In some cases, this can be a few as one production run, or up around 3 runs per year throughout the seasonal changes and product launches. Manufacturing products in small batches limits the waste through the production process and limits the negative effects in shipping these items from the factories to the warehouses from which they are sold. Small batch manufacturing has more benefits like the ability to control the number of units leftover each season that can be donated instead of thrown away and added to a landfill.
Responsible manufacturing encompasses manufacturing and production processes that put humans first. It can be something like working with small family-owned, responsible factories wherever brands are sourcing their materials. It often requires that suppliers must comply with employment laws and regulations, with regard to a minimum age of employment, freely chosen employment, terms of employment, rates of pay, working hours, health and safety, no discrimination, and no harsh or inhumane treatment. They must also comply with standards of working hours, paying over-time, and never allowing triple shifts for workers. Responsible manufacturing ensures the safety and protection of the workers who make your clothes, no matter where they are in the world.
Cost per wear is the measurement of durability and longevity of clothing or accessories. Instead of thinking about how much something costs, think instead about how long that product will last. In turn, when you purchase a high-priced, high-quality product you’re investing in something that will actually save you money over time based on how much it costs per wear of that item. Instead of purchasing a $30 shirt and wearing it only 5-10 times before it tears, rips, or is unusable anymore, you’ll spend more on a shirt you can wear 70+ times which costs you less each time you wear it over the longer lifetime of that garment.
Secondhand fashion is exactly what it sounds like. It’s going local and giving old clothes new life once again. It’s the use of recycled, repurposed, gently worn and used, and unwanted clothing that finds its way to a local thrift store. Instead of letting all of these clothing pieces go to waste and be sent to a landfill, they can be given new life and space in your wardrobe. Plus, it’s not just thrift stores that are thriving now either. There are tons of websites where you can buy, sell, or trade gently used clothing to someone else looking for what you have.
This is a term for when a brand wants you to believe they are eco-friendly or “green”, or sustainable, but show no true evidence of being so. This happens often and hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent pushing this message forward. These brands often market toward the audience who does care about green and eco-friendly, or sustainable products and business practices but never actually implement these ideals or changes into the company structure or ethos. This can be the case for brands that include one or two products that are made with organic or sustainable fabrics while the rest of their inventory is low-quality and poor material choice. It’s important to look at a brand as a whole - from what they make, to how it’s made, to how they represent themselves, and beyond to get the full picture.
Organic can mean a number of things, but within the fashion industry it usually refers to how the products are made - either by their ingredients or materials. It means that brands find the most natural fabrics or fibers that are grown without the use of harmful chemicals - like pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides - that can be harmful to the environment from which these fibers and plants are grown.
This is a term for when a brand wants you to believe they are eco-friendly or “green”, or sustainable, but show no true evidence of being so. This happens often and hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent pushing this message forward. These brands often market toward the audience who does care about green and eco-friendly, or sustainable products and business practices but never actually implement these ideals or changes into the company structure or ethos. This can be the case for brands that include one or two products that are made with organic or sustainable fabrics while the rest of their inventory is low-quality and poor material choice. It’s important to look at a brand as a whole - from what they make, to how it’s made, to how they represent themselves, and beyond to get the full picture.
This is a term for when a brand wants you to believe they are eco-friendly or “green”, or sustainable, but show no true evidence of being so. This happens often and hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent pushing this message forward. These brands often market toward the audience who does care about green and eco-friendly, or sustainable products and business practices but never actually implement these ideals or changes into the company structure or ethos.
This can be the case for brands that include one or two products that are made with organic or sustainable fabrics while the rest of their inventory is low-quality and poor material choice. It’s important to look at a brand as a whole - from what they make, to how it’s made, to how they represent themselves, and beyond to get the full picture.
Organic can mean a number of things, but within the fashion industry it usually refers to how the products are made - either by their ingredients or materials. It means that brands find the most natural fabrics or fibers that are grown without the use of harmful chemicals - like pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides - that can be harmful to the environment from which these fibers and plants are grown.
Fair Trade refers to a product that meets standards of internationally agreed-upon requirements for social, environmental, and economic standards that are called Fairtrade Standards. The profits made from these products go toward supporting the workers who helped grow, create, or manufacture, the product or parts of it. The aim is that by meeting these standards, the brand or company is doing good by the people who made it and give back to the communities of those people.
Being an eco-friendly brand means the choices you make in the things that make up your products come first and foremost. For clothing brands, it means looking for organic fibers and plants to make up your clothes and looking for materials made from easily-grown, sustainably-produced plants that can be made into clothing that lasts a long time and can be recycled. It’s a very nature-first approach to the production process in finding the most natural materials, fibers, or goods to build your products with so that you’re doing the best you can by the environment through your production process.
Biodegradable refers to the ability for a product to break down over time, naturally. In most instances, this refers to the packaging or packing materials that a brand or company uses, but can be linked to fabrics and textiles as well. Most wasted products are thrown into landfills where it can still take years for even biodegradable products to break down naturally over time and there are still plenty of items that might never break down fully. Companies are now reaching for plant-based materials and compostable packaging to help eliminate as much waste as possible ending in landfills breaking down.
Fair Trade refers to a product that meets standards of internationally agreed-upon requirements for social, environmental, and economic standards that are called Fairtrade Standards. The profits made from these products go toward supporting the workers who helped grow, create, or manufacture, the product or parts of it. The aim is that by meeting these standards, the brand or company is doing good by the people who made it and give back to the communities of those people.
Being an eco-friendly brand means the choices you make in the things that make up your products come first and foremost. For clothing brands, it means looking for organic fibers and plants to make up your clothes and looking for materials made from easily-grown, sustainably-produced plants that can be made into clothing that lasts a long time and can be recycled. It’s a very nature-first approach to the production process in finding the most natural materials, fibers, or goods to build your products with so that you’re doing the best you can by the environment through your production process.
Biodegradable refers to the ability for a product to break down over time, naturally. In most instances, this refers to the packaging or packing materials that a brand or company uses, but can be linked to fabrics and textiles as well. Most wasted products are thrown into landfills where it can still take years for even biodegradable products to break down naturally over time and there are still plenty of items that might never break down fully. Companies are now reaching for plant-based materials and compostable packaging to help eliminate as much waste as possible ending in landfills breaking down.
These terms refer to the entire lifecycle of a garment or product. It acknowledges that from start to finish, the idea to product, that the entire lifetime of the product from creation to completion is an attempt to reuse, recycled, and upcycle as much as possible. For example, some closed-loop fashion product systems mean that clothing is made from fibers that were waste at one time or used once before already, giving these fibers a new life in a new piece of clothing instead of tossing them away. From there, the product is created out of reused materials and then when that new product is no longer useful, it’s broken down and reused into something else, if possible. The goal with closed-loop or circular fashion avoiding the typical cycle of create, use, and discard in hopes of producing, using, and in turn, being able to produce more.
These terms refer to the entire lifecycle of a garment or product. It acknowledges that from start to finish, the idea to product, that the entire lifetime of the product from creation to completion is an attempt to reuse, recycled, and upcycle as much as possible. For example, some closed-loop fashion product systems mean that clothing is made from fibers that were waste at one time or used once before already, giving these fibers a new life in a new piece of clothing instead of tossing them away. From there, the product is created out of reused materials and then when that new product is no longer useful, it’s broken down and reused into something else, if possible. The goal with closed-loop or circular fashion avoiding the typical cycle of create, use, and discard in hopes of producing, using, and in turn, being able to produce more.
These terms refer to the entire lifecycle of a garment or product. It acknowledges that from start to finish, the idea to product, that the entire lifetime of the product from creation to completion is an attempt to reuse, recycled, and upcycle as much as possible. For example, some closed-loop fashion product systems mean that clothing is made from fibers that were waste at one time or used once before already, giving these fibers a new life in a new piece of clothing instead of tossing them away.
From there, the product is created out of reused materials and then when that new product is no longer useful, it’s broken down and reused into something else, if possible. The goal with closed-loop or circular fashion avoiding the typical cycle of create, use, and discard in hopes of producing, using, and in turn, being able to produce more.
The goal of a carbon-neutral business model is to eliminate, or significantly reduce, the effects of their entire production and shipping processes to avoid any and all carbon emissions, if possible. While these businesses do often realize that carbon will be emitted throughout their processes, the idea of coming back to neutral means making choices to offset their emissions through donations to charities, planting trees, or work to reduce their emissions with continuous analysis of their production and emissions processes.
The practices of transparency and traceability refer to a business or brand sharing as much information as possible about their production process. Sharing the location, information, and names of the factories they work with. Some even sharing the names of the workers within those factories. Being as transparent as possible about the full manufacturing process internally helps consumers see behind the curtain and learn about the business practices to find out where their product comes from - which leads to traceability. Traceability is when brands share the full journey of a product from start to finish so their customers can understand, see, and invest in the full process of production which builds brand trust and awareness.
The practice of being cruelty-free means that no animals were used, harmed, or affected by the production of a product or within the testing process for products with ingredients. Despite businesses being cruelty-free, it’s always better to be wary of things with leather or fur if this is something you feel strongly about. In conjunction with brands being cruelty-free, most of them are also considered vegan if they are attempting to create and sell products that normally may come from animals but have acquired ingredients or products to replace animal products. For example, faux fur or vegan leather as a natural, cruelty-free, vegan option.
A capsule wardrobe is a practice of creating, or rather curating, a closet with items that are timeless in nature and act as a capsule for years and years. This means that the individual works to create new outfit ideas with the existing clothing pieces they already have in an effort to avoid the consumerist culture of buying new items all the time that won’t last (see fast fashion!).
Creating a capsule wardrobe takes time and may require some purging and removal (hopefully through selling, trading, or donation) of styles that don’t fit into the capsule, but taking time to analyze your style, what you have, and what you need to create a wardrobe that will live as it is for many years - saving you time and money and saving the planet of waste.
The goal of a carbon-neutral business model is to eliminate, or significantly reduce, the effects of their entire production and shipping processes to avoid any and all carbon emissions, if possible. While these businesses do often realize that carbon will be emitted throughout their processes, the idea of coming back to neutral means making choices to offset their emissions through donations to charities, planting trees, or work to reduce their emissions with continuous analysis of their production and emissions processes.
The practices of transparency and traceability refer to a business or brand sharing as much information as possible about their production process. Sharing the location, information, and names of the factories they work with. Some even sharing the names of the workers within those factories. Being as transparent as possible about the full manufacturing process internally helps consumers see behind the curtain and learn about the business practices to find out where their product comes from - which leads to traceability. Traceability is when brands share the full journey of a product from start to finish so their customers can understand, see, and invest in the full process of production which builds brand trust and awareness.
The practice of being cruelty-free means that no animals were used, harmed, or affected by the production of a product or within the testing process for products with ingredients. Despite businesses being cruelty-free, it’s always better to be wary of things with leather or fur if this is something you feel strongly about. In conjunction with brands being cruelty-free, most of them are also considered vegan if they are attempting to create and sell products that normally may come from animals but have acquired ingredients or products to replace animal products. For example, faux fur or vegan leather as a natural, cruelty-free, vegan option.
A capsule wardrobe is a practice of creating, or rather curating, a closet with items that are timeless in nature and act as a capsule for years and years. This means that the individual works to create new outfit ideas with the existing clothing pieces they already have in an effort to avoid the consumerist culture of buying new items all the time that won’t last (see fast fashion!).
Creating a capsule wardrobe takes time and may require some purging and removal (hopefully through selling, trading, or donation) of styles that don’t fit into the capsule, but taking time to analyze your style, what you have, and what you need to create a wardrobe that will live as it is for many years - saving you time and money and saving the planet of waste.
A minimalist wardrobe is the act of creating a closet with only a few items of each category that you’ll live with. For example, one rule you may hear would be the rule of three for most pieces. In addition, you break wardrobes down into categories like tops, bottoms, sweaters/knits, coats/jackets/blazers, shoes, and multi-functional (jumpsuits, rompers, etc), and more. It’s a challenging practice and makes you analyze what you buy, why you buy it, and how often you actually wear what’s in our closet on a daily (or seasonal) basis.
Sustainable fabrics is a rather large term. Encompassing many types of fabrics, many ways to acquire them, how they are used, and so much more. The basic understanding is that brands should work hard to find and use the most sustainable fabrics they can when creating and designing their clothes or products. This means understanding how something is grown or created, how it’s dyed or colored, and the impact the harvesting, creation, and lifetime of the product has an effect on the environment. Some of our favorite sustainable fabrics are linen, Tencel, and alpaca/wool blends.
A minimalist wardrobe is the act of creating a closet with only a few items of each category that you’ll live with. For example, one rule you may hear would be the rule of three for most pieces. In addition, you break wardrobes down into categories like tops, bottoms, sweaters/knits, coats/jackets/blazers, shoes, and multi-functional (jumpsuits, rompers, etc), and more. It’s a challenging practice and makes you analyze what you buy, why you buy it, and how often you actually wear what’s in our closet on a daily (or seasonal) basis.
Sustainable fabrics is a rather large term. Encompassing many types of fabrics, many ways to acquire them, how they are used, and so much more. The basic understanding is that brands should work hard to find and use the most sustainable fabrics they can when creating and designing their clothes or products. This means understanding how something is grown or created, how it’s dyed or colored, and the impact the harvesting, creation, and lifetime of the product has an effect on the environment. Some of our favorite sustainable fabrics are linen, Tencel, and alpaca/wool blends.
The goal of zero waste in any business is to work continuously to completely avoid or remove all wasteful practices. This goes from the design process through full production, sales, shipping, and lifetime of the product. For starters, it’s only purchasing or harvesting the fabric or material you’ll need to avoid extra that could be wasted. From there, the production methods should be dialed in to eliminate wasteful practices and waste of product. Then, throughout the shipping process, trying to find the most efficient process and method to get a product from point A to B and so on. Zero waste is challenging, but rewarding knowing that your business and it’s practices are net neutral to the environment and world you work in.
Since our brand was started in 2013, we’ve put most of our focus first and foremost on creating high-quality, timeless products through small-batch production focused on the core tenants of slow fashion. Quality is very important when you consider the cost per wear and environmental impact. For example, wearing clothing 50 times instead of 5 times (the fast fashion average) reduces carbon emissions by more than 400% per item per year. That’s why quality is important to us. We design our pieces to be heirloom quality and if cared for properly they should last for years to come.
We support the longevity of our clothing in hopes that it, in turn, has many other positive impacts on the environment, the climate, and more. By practicing things like small-batch manufacturing, and with a focus on cost per wear, we can have an impact in other areas of slow fashion like sustainability, eco-friendly business practices, and transparency on how we run our business.
The goal of zero waste in any business is to work continuously to completely avoid or remove all wasteful practices. This goes from the design process through full production, sales, shipping, and lifetime of the product. For starters, it’s only purchasing or harvesting the fabric or material you’ll need to avoid extra that could be wasted. From there, the production methods should be dialed in to eliminate wasteful practices and waste of product. Then, throughout the shipping process, trying to find the most efficient process and method to get a product from point A to B and so on. Zero waste is challenging, but rewarding knowing that your business and it’s practices are net neutral to the environment and world you work in.
Since our brand was started in 2013, we’ve put most of our focus first and foremost on creating high-quality, timeless products through small-batch production focused on the core tenants of slow fashion. Quality is very important when you consider the cost per wear and environmental impact. For example, wearing clothing 50 times instead of 5 times (the fast fashion average) reduces carbon emissions by more than 400% per item per year. That’s why quality is important to us. We design our pieces to be heirloom quality and if cared for properly they should last for years to come.
We support the longevity of our clothing in hopes that it, in turn, has many other positive impacts on the environment, the climate, and more. By practicing things like small-batch manufacturing, and with a focus on cost per wear, we can have an impact in other areas of slow fashion like sustainability, eco-friendly business practices, and transparency on how we run our business.
Understanding slow fashion vocabulary and what it means to be a business with a vision of combatting fast fashion whenever possible, it’s important to educate, inspire, and learn. Having high expectations of the brands you support is crucial if you want to see change in an industry that has historically exploited and profited from waste, poor treatment, and ugly production practices. Invest in businesses that align with your personal values and start making a change in whatever way you can - whether that’s supporting sustainable businesses, buying cruelty-free products, or learning how to start your own minimalist wardrobe.
If you're interested in slow fashion but are confused by the terminology, Tradlands has got you covered. This guide explains the jargon and encourages you to invest in high-quality pieces that will last for years. By shopping with us, you can support ethical manufacturing and reduce your impact on the environment. Browse our collection today and discover timeless wardrobe staples that reflect your values.
