#CommonlyMisusedFashionTerms – Contemporary Fashion, Fast Fashion and Slow Fashion

In the world today, there are many styles of fashion; ranging from contemporary to modern and composite. But what do all these mean? In particular, what does the contemporary style of fashion mean, and how should the term be used?

In recent years also, people have been paying more attention to the environment and the activities human beings engage in that are harmful to the environment. This is due to the different environmental problems, such as climate change, air pollution and global warming, that have arisen.

The global fashion industry has been noticed to produce about 10% of the total carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, which is even more than the aviation industry produces.Two fashion terms highlight the connection between fashion and the environment; Slow fashion and Fast Fashion.

What Do These Terms Mean?

Contemporary Style

Contemporary fashion refers to all the outfits that have a strong resemblance to outfits showcased by designers on runways. As opposed to luxury fashion brands and haute couture brands, contemporary fashion brands consists of modern-style clothing that are finely-crafted and accessible. The outfits are usuallya versatile, and are mostly shopped by the younger generation.

Fast Fashion

Fast fashion consists of the outfits which are produced by companies in the shortest possible time, just to keep customers up-to-date with the current trends, at a cheaper price. Basically, they are inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.

Due to the fact that the outfits are made in a short time, a lot of factors are not fully considered, such as the processes involved in making the outfits, the implications of these processes on the environment and many more. Fast fashion are also made with low-quality materials, compared to slow fashion, because they’re not designed to last very long.

Slow Fashion

Slow fashion, unlike fast fashion, is an awareness approach to fashion whereby all the processes and resources required to make the outfits are carefully considered before taking any action, particularly focusing on sustainability.

Slow fashion is not about the trends on the runway, and producing cheap outfits in a short time, but instead using locally sourced materials to produce long-lasting outfits. In slow fashion, high-quality sustainable materials are usually used and this in turn reduces the amount of gas released into the environment.

How These Terms Are Commonly Misused And The Proper Ways To Use Them

As regarding fashion, a contemporary style should only consists of outfits that have a modern look to them, and are inspired by trends in the runway. If as a brand, your designs are modern, inspired by latest trends and are still in vogue in that season, then it is considered to be a contemporary one.

Fast fashion brands, are brands that design outfits to be mass produced. These brands, usually have hundreds, maybe thousands of the same piece of clothing in different stores. If your brand just produces a low number of the same clothing outfit, then it should not be regarded as a fast fashion brand.

Considering the processes involved in producing outfits, as well as producing a limited number of outfits, makes a fashion brand a slow fashion one. If a brand puts out identical outfits in bulk, it should not be regarded as a slow fashion brand.

Examples Of Contemporary, Fast Fashion And Slow Fashion Brands.

The 5kshop which is a women’s fashion brand, is an example of a contemporary fashion brand. All the outfits are inspired by latest trends and styles in the fashion industry.

Fast fashion brands like H&M, Zara and many more are known for their outfits which are usually produced in large numbers.

An example of a slow fashion brand is Sindiso Khumalo, a South African fashion brand that makes limited outfits with sustainable materials and fabrics.

So there you have it, some fashion words that are commonly misused and the right ways to use them.

For other commonly misused fashion words, and how to properly use them, check here.