Sustainable fashion is becoming more important, and fast-fashion less fashionable, as we move further into a climate crisis and many shoppers become more concerned with their impact on the environment.
However, especially with trends like ‘oversized’ clothing gaining popularity; it’s becoming more and more obvious that trying to shop sustainably, as a plus sized person, is increasingly difficult and often impossible.
What is sustainable fashion?
Before discussing the problems involved with being plus-sized and shopping sustainably, we have to tackle the question: what is sustainable fashion? Sustainable fashion, also known as slow fashion, can be defined as a movement towards getting rid of fast fashion products to promote ethical change and also reducing the impact on the climate.
According to a 2019 study from the Environmental Audit Committee, “we buy more clothes per person in the UK than any other country in Europe” and it is safe to say that a lot of this comes from the fast fashion industry.
In a hurry to reduce my own impact, I have recently tried to turn away from the pull of fast fashion and throw myself into the world of second hand clothes. Whether it’s Depop or Vinted, a charity or thrift shop, or even Facebook Marketplace, I have tried everything to feel less guilty about wanting the latest fashion trends. However, I’ve realised that shopping sustainably for a plus-sized (even mid-sized) person is not as easy as I thought.
My experience shopping sustainably
In an age of climate crisis, shoppers are becoming aware of the implications of fast fashion, moving towards sustainability and eco-friendly clothing that won’t break the bank.
For me, this is especially important as a student, but recently I’ve noticed the difficulty in choosing between affordability and sustainability; a choice that plus-sized people have to make.
Although I am arguably more mid-sized at a size 14 to 16, I have noticed how difficult it can be trying to buy clothes guilt free and affordably. A simple scroll through Depop or Vinted will show that the majority of the items trending range from sizes four to 12 with very little selection for bigger sizes.
Take, for example, the recent trend of parachute trousers. After scrolling through Depop for longer than I care to admit, I found a handful of cargos I wanted, but to my dismay they ranged from sizes six to 12. Suddenly, I thought I had found the perfect pair. Size 16, black and adjustable parachute trousers that looked almost brand new.
However, looking at the photos and description, I realised that the girl modelling this perfect pair was actually a size 12. The caption read “size 16 but fits a low waist and baggy on size 12.” The next day, they were sold.
This incident was not isolated. Most of these cargos I had thought were my size were modelled on people much smaller, making me realise that although they would fit me, they were not targeted for me. This problem with overbuying bigger sizes has, no doubt, made it seriously difficult to find clothes that would fit appropriately and to my size.
I wasn’t going to let this get me down. My next attempt was charity shops and vintage thrift shops around my town. Flicking through the rails of clothes gave me hope, as I wasn’t expecting to see anything I liked to begin with. I saw the trousers I wanted in size eight, size 10, size 12, but nothing above that. In fact, there were hardly any clothes above size 16, especially in the vintage and thrift shops aimed at my age group. The bigger clothes in charity shops certainly weren’t what I was looking for.
Eventually, I caved and I realised that if I really wanted these trousers, I would have to splash the cash on a sustainable brand or stoop to the lower prices of fast fashion. The guilt and pressures of shopping sustainably meant I quickly gave up on my search for the perfect parachute trousers.
Examples of plus sized labels
Putting aside current fashion trends and my own personal taste in fashion, I was curious to see what sustainable plus-size fashion was on offer, apart from the second hand garments I had been looking at.
Typing into google “sustainable plus-size fashion” brought up brands such as Big Bud Press and Thought. The clothing is not only sustainable, but fashionable too, with Thought providing options for men and women.
The wider issue
Unfortunately, the obvious problem is that the cost of sustainable fashion is not something everyone can afford, making it difficult to encourage people to shop smarter.
I do believe that there is the opportunity for people to use the likes of Depop, Vinted and charity shops to their advantage but, as I quickly found out myself, if you are a plus-sized individual there is a real difficulty in finding clothes you love.
Eventually, I would hope that there could be more inclusivity between size and price in the sustainable fashion community so that more people can contribute to stopping the climate crisis in style.