While there is no official definition, slow fashion is a mindset that takes an ethical and sustainable approach to producing and maintaining clothing and fashion accessories. It encourages consumers to be more intentional about their clothing purchases and consider the impact of fashion on the world.
The slow fashion movement has grown significantly in recent years, with more people choosing to buy secondhand and support independent designers and brands committed to sustainability and ethical practices. It encompasses the full fashion lifecycle, ensuring that clothing is made with care and built to last.
Although slow fashion can vary from brand to brand, they share the following characteristics:
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Slow fashion brands prioritize classic, timeless styles over short-lived trends:
Slow fashion brands prioritize durable, natural, and often organic fabrics like linen, wool, and cotton, which last longer than synthetic, mass-produced alternatives. While these materials can be more expensive to source, they offer superior longevity and comfort, making them a worthwhile investment for conscious consumers.
By creating high quality collections that won’t go out of trend, slow fashion brands are able to reduce textile waste in our landfills. The goal is lessening the fashion industry's impact on the environment.
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Slow fashion brands have sustainable practice
Slow fashion brands that sell new clothes make clothes from strong and durable, lower-impact materials like linen.
Slow fashion brands are committed to environmentally friendly production, responsible sourcing, and low-waste techniques such as upcycling and using deadstock fabrics. These sustainable practices contribute to higher production costs but significantly reduce fashion’s environmental footprint.
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Has transparency and traceability of their supply chains
A truly intentional brand should be able to tell consumers where its products were made and maintain direct relationships with suppliers or artisans. Some small slow fashion brands even produce in-house, ensuring the highest level of transparency and ethical oversight.
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Small-Batch or Made-to-Order Production
Instead of mass-producing trendy pieces that quickly go out of style, slow fashion brands create timeless designs in small batches or on a made-to-order basis. Their clothes are designed for capsule wardrobes, ensuring they never become obsolete.
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Ethical Production & Fair Wages
Slow fashion brands uphold ethical production standards by using environmentally responsible materials, minimizing waste, and employing other eco-friendly initiatives such as green shipping, local production, and renewable energy use. Many also advocate for regulations that push the entire fashion industry toward greater sustainability.
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Recycling and Secondhand Support
Many slow fashion brands support circular fashion by offering buy-back programs or incorporating secondhand and vintage initiatives into their business models. This helps extend the lifecycle of garments and reduces the demand for new production.
Supporting slow fashion isn’t just about buying clothes—it’s about making intentional purchases and valuing what you own. By choosing quality over quantity, you build a wardrobe that truly reflects your style while supporting ethical brands that prioritize people and the planet over profits.
Better Day Vintage is a Maritimes-based Canadian slow fashion brand with roots in Bangladesh. We promote sustainable and ethical fashion by offering durable, natural fiber clothing, such as our linen collection, and a carefully curated selection of secondhand and preloved pieces.
We work closely with family and friends in Bangladesh who ensure fair wages and subsidy programs for garment workers, helping them stay employed in the industry. Our production partners include a BCI-certified factory, and we utilize excess fabric left over from the fashion industry to minimize waste.
Join us in making fashion more sustainable—shop our linen collection today!