If you grew up with a sweatshirt that is still in your closet and looks the same as it did 30 years ago, you are probably missing those days when clothes were made to last.
Cheap, disposable “fast-fashion” pioneered by brands like Zara, H&M, and Forever21 have taught shoppers to settle for low-quality clothes. However, the slow fashion movement is steadily gaining momentum, so it’s now possible to find high quality yet affordable alternatives.
There is a growing number of fashion brands and startups that offer sustainable, long lasting clothes. Tom Cridland, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from London, is one of them.
“I started my business with a 6,000 pound ($8529) government startup loan in 2014. We have specialized in trousers. As I gained more experience in the fashion industry and particularly in menswear, which I believe should be timeless, I learned more about sustainable fashion,” said Cridland, in a phone interview on March 2.
He became very interested in sustainable fashion and wanted to produce timeless sweatshirts. So he launched his 30-year-sweatshirts in June 2015 with a warranty to last for three decades.
He advertised on crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to sell his collection. He sold more than 5,000 sweatshirts and shirts within a few months after the launch.
Tom uses a combination of technology, premium fabrics, and old school craftsmanship to make the sweatshirts. “Our craftsmen and seamstresses have been making clothing since 1964 and still have sweatshirts made in the late 1970s in excellent condition, so our 30-year guarantee is no gimmick,” said Tom.
The sweatshirts are made from premium fabric from northern Italy and manufactured by artisans in Portugal. They cost 65 pounds ($92). He has recently launched 30-year-T-shirts and 30-year-jackets as well.
Second Most Polluting Industry
The concept of slow fashion imitates the “slow food movement“ that started in 1986. It encourages a shift from quantity to quality and reduces time pressure.
The term “slow fashion“ was first coined in 2007 by Kate Fletcher, a professor at London College of Fashion. In one of her articles she defined slow fashion as a different—and more sustainable—future for the textile and clothing industry.
“Fast fashion isn’t really about speed but greed: selling more, making more money. … Yet it doesn’t have to be this way. We can design a different system for ourselves that makes money while respecting the rights of workers and the environment, and produces beautiful and conscientious garments,” wrote Fletcher.