Here at Black Tulip we are passionate about slow fashion, making conscious purchasing decisions and embracing longevity and quality products. But with fast fashion retailers churning out new items every day and creating a huge social media presence worldwide, it can be hard to slow it down.
But you’ve just got to think - if they are selling so many new styles a day, there’s got to be a catch! Instead of shopping for the latest trends, why not try shopping seasonless styles that you will treasure for years to come.
Studies have shown that more than half of UK consumers are already looking to make more environmentally conscious purchasing decisions in 2024¹. With searches for slow fashion more than doubling over the last year (130 percent increase since January 2023)², many people across the UK are beginning the move away from fast-fashion, but which cities are leading the way?
We researched into several factors to determine which UK city is the leading the way to slowing down fashion and making more conscious purchasing decisions. , the number of fast-fashion retail stores 3; the number of textile recycling banks 4; the number of charity shops 5; the number of certified B-Corp companies 6; and household recycling 7 in the 15 most populated cities in the UK 8 to determine which is best set up for embracing the move to slower fashion and more environmentally conscious purchasing habits.
And the city most prepared for embracing slow fashion is….. Bristol!
The trendy city tops the list of most conscious shoppers with the most certified B-Corp companies (1.67 per 10,000 population), and a total of 57 clothing and textile recycling banks across the city (0.81 per 10,000 population). Leicester takes second place with 95 clothing and textile recycling banks (1.68 per 10,000 population), and the highest volume of textile and footwear recycled (44 tonnes per 10,000 population).
However, the UK’s capital, London only came in as the fifth most sustainably conscious city for shoppers, even though the city boasts the fewest fast-fashion retailers per 10,000 population, it ranked the lowest for clothing and textile banks (0.07 per 10,000 population) and only has 0.32 charity shops per 10,000 population.
We believe that slow fashion is the way forward and we encourage shoppers to embrace a different kind of fashion journey, one that values longevity and quality products that go beyond the limitations of seasonal trends. This movement emphasises purchasing investment pieces in both style and substance and moving away from fast-fashion.
Here at Black Tulip, we are focused on creating a community of like-minded individuals who appreciate quality, beautiful designs, and responsible consumption.
By supporting sustainable brands and investing in high-quality clothing that lasts longer, you can reduce your environmental impact and promote fair labour practices. Overall, slow fashion offers a more sustainable and responsible way to enjoy fashion while minimising its negative impact on the planet and people.
Are you ready to slow it down and join the movement?
REFERENCES:
2.https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=GB-ENG&q=slow%20fashion
3. https://www.yell.com/uk/london/
4 https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-locator
6 https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/?refinement%5Bcountries%5D%5B0%5D=United%20Kingdom
8 https://www.statista.com/statistics/294645/population-of-selected-cities-in-united-kingdom-uk/
