Climate Conscience Man’s Slow Wardrobe vs. Fast Fashion

Climate Conscience Man has never treated clothes like snacks. He likes clothes, but has never enjoyed buying them. He hates the shops and really doesn’t get the buy-wear-dump carousel. It frustrates him especially when it comes to the global plastics and climate crises. He’s read the stats on fast fashion - the water, dyes, plastic fibres, and waste. And he can’t shake the images of clothing from Australia washing up on beaches in West Africa.

At home, he’s outnumbered by the up-cyclers. His wife can turn a frayed hem into a feature. His daughter just scored a Desigual dress for $20 at the Red Cross shop which she wears with confidence and pride. They love op shops, mending, swapping. The sewing machine is on the kitchen table more than in it’s spot in the cupboard. That’s a good thing.

But Climate Conscience Man? He’s… different. Clothes are hard. Sensory/fit stuff means most things feel wrong or look wrong. So he keeps it simple: two pairs of jeans, about six T-shirts with political messages, and more recently, a pair of overalls he lives in until they hit the wash. Even his undies get worn to honest retirement. When it’s time to buy, he usually finds his wife has done it for him; sometimes it’s op shop, often it’s new - because finding something that fits and which he likes more than his existing T-shirts or jeans is its own miracle.

Climate Conscience Man also hates that the price signals are upside down. A brand-new T-shirt is usually cheaper at Big W than a second-hand at an op shop. That messes with people’s choices, and with the sense that “used” should mean “affordable and valued,” not “overpriced leftovers.”

So he’s set himself some rules he can actually live with:

• Buy less, buy better, wear longer. Small wardrobe, high rotation, high cost-per-wear wins.

• Second-hand first when the fit gods allow. If not, new is okay - but make it infrequent, durable, fixable, and worth repairing.

• Repair by default. Patches are badges, not shame.

• Laundry that respects fibres. Cold wash, full loads, line dry, microfibre bag for synthetics. Air more, wash less.

• Say no to “just in case.” Share and borrow for one-offs; swap with friends; tap into Buy Nothing groups.

Climate Conscience Man isn’t anti-style. He just wants a style that outlives the receipt.

Fast fashion is loud. His answer is quiet: fewer things, better cared for, chosen with the future in mind. And with room for real-world needs, like a shirt that actually feels okay to wear.

What’s the most-worn thing in your wardrobe? And what are your tips for avoiding fast fashion?

Climate Conscience Man’s Slow Wardrobe vs. Fast Fashion