How It *Feels* To Quit Fast Fashion

There are plenty of reasons to quell your fast fashion habit, but the way it feels is a pretty good one.

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Last week, a slew of Black Friday and Cyber Monday emails probably filled your inbox with hundreds of clothing sales, marking pieces down to the price of a cup of coffee. It's the same song every year, and with each holiday shopping season, the deals get better and better. 

For shoppers, at least. 

For people making the clothing - those sales are yet another indication that the actual value of clothing is lost. Brands can't sell clothes at these prices without making sacrifices somewhere, and usually, it's on those who made them. It's one of the many reasons why I quit fast fashion. 

But it wasn't the only reason to exit the quick and trendy shopping cycle upheld by brands who have never prioritized fair pay or sustainability. Of course, it's bad for workers, it's bad for the planet, and it's bad for communities who have to deal with our discarded textiles. Outside of that, though, and simply on a personal level, it feels great to let it go. Not in a holier than thou, sitting on your high horse kind of way. Mostly it's good in that it changes your wardrobe and style for the better. It allows you to skip a sale just because it's a sale and only shop when you need or love something. 

To be clear, the brands are responsible for creating these issues, and individual habits are a small part of the solution. Letting go of fast fashion can be a way to feel better about clothing, and that's as good a reason as any. What's more, you can delete those annoying emails because you're just not participating in that cycle anymore. 

I have been saying this enough that it might feel repetitive, and I also work in this field, so quitting is different for me. That's why there may be some value in reading about how it *feels* to stop shopping fast fashion from other people. So I asked on Instagram and got some great and honest answers. 

Cortne Bonilla, a fashion editor, told me that when she quit fast fashion, it was a way for her to recalibrate and get back to and hone in on her style. "Sales cause you to purchase what you don't even want," she said. "Now, if I see something and still want it after a few months, I will purchase it." Otherwise, she skips. 

Like most, quitting fast fashion, especially when you're in the cycle of it for so long, can feel unnatural. Cara Terez said this is what she experienced while looking through the sales. "It's a weird feeling to reprogram how I respond to all the ads across every platform. It helps that I'm currently in the moving process, [with the] constant realization, ‘OMG we have way too much stuff.’ I don't need half of these things". Ultimately, she was happy about the decision not to add to her wardrobe. 

Natalie Stevenson, a fashion researcher, said that despite the holiday spending pressure, it felt better to skip fast fashion sales than it was to have new clothes. "I've felt a lot less guilty since quitting, but then this weekend, I felt like I was being financially irresponsible for not saving money and capitalizing on sales. Not buying fast fashion takes more work and costs more obviously, but it feels a lot better on my conscience to be more aware of where my money goes." 

Cara Reilly quit fast fashion recently and developed a plan for approaching sales season - which is honestly key to sticking to it. "I have a list in my notes app of things I'm looking for or need to replace (recently, for example socks, a black blazer, a warm winter coat) and keep that in mind throughout the year," she said. "I mostly buy secondhand from Poshmark or thrift/vintage stores, or from sustainable brands if I can't find it resale. I try not to deviate from that, but I do sometimes make an exception for shoes (finding women's size 11 is hard!!)."

She also made a good point about consumption, which is important to remember during holiday sales. "I feel good about quitting fast fashion — I shop less on impulse and think more about quality and longevity — but still, overconsumption can take many forms," she explained. "It can be almost as easy to go overboard on Black Friday sales from sustainable brands as fast fashion sales, so I try to stick to my list and hold myself accountable." 

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