My T-Shirt Letter

As the mother of Berlin Clothing Swap (BCS) founder Jenna Stein, I have been an enthusiastic supporter of this initiative and her biggest cheerleader.  I have been educated by her and others about the politics of fast versus slow fashion and have absorbed the accompanying lingo.  In my effort to be supportive, I have also embraced the messaging and tried really hard to be part of the solution.  That being said, I realized the other day, that I don’t really understand the true meaning behind fast and slow fashion.  I had understood that fast fashion was the product of multinational shops such as H & M, Zara, Old Navy, etc. and have tried to avoid shopping in these places.  Last week, while doing a purge of some clothing, I came upon a t-shirt that I had purchased between 12 - 15 years ago.  I recall purchasing this at a local “fast fashion” shop and paid about $5.00 for it.  It was exactly what I had been looking for, colour and style, fit well and by all standards was a bargain.  Looking at this t-shirt, it seemed to meet all the requirements of “fast fashion” and yet I had it in my closet and had used it for many years.  There was absolutely nothing the matter with it other than it being too big on me now.  I put it in a pile to be shared with anyone who wanted it and that’s when the questions began.  How could this item of clothing be considered “fast fashion” when I had it for many years, the quality was good as it had stood the test of time and other than a size issue, I would have continued to use it for many more years.  It seems like I was confused about what truly constitutes “fast fashion” and now need to re-examine my purchasing habits.  Would love a more clear and concise definition and understanding of how to be part of the solution.