Slow Fashion & Sustainable Wardrobe Tips in Boulder

As I dive deeper into the sustainable fashion community here in Boulder Colorado, I’m meeting some truly inspiring individuals who are as passionate about eco-friendly clothing and mindful consumerism as I am. 

One such person is Ana Bogusky, who has studied sustainability at the University of Colorado and published a guide on slow fashion. Ana, a mother of two young adults and a dedicated sustainable fashion activist, has a rich history with clothing, learning to sew at a young age and promoting a more local shopping ethos through her blog, @MrsAmericanMade. However, after realizing the environmental impact of even domestically manufactured clothing, she pivoted her focus to sustainability, continuing to guide others on how to dress their best while being kind to the planet. 

I asked Ana five key questions about slow fashion, and you can find her insightful answers below.

1. What exactly is slow fashion, and why is it important to understand and embrace this concept?

So, fast fashion is a term that dates back to 1977, and it is commonly defined as “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers.”

The apparel production model changed and so did our shopping habits. We have gone from a few seasons of new looks each year to new collections dropping into stores every week, making shopping for novel, clothing items a possibility 52 times a year! According to the Foundation for Economic Education, “the average consumer in the world is now buying more than one and a half times the amount of apparel they did just six years ago.” This sounds exciting if you love trying every new trend, but it’s also somewhat wasteful and controversial. We are buying too many new, cheap things, and this behavior is not sustainable for our planet.

Slow fashion is a term coined by Kate Fletcher, and the most clear definition I have found is by Good on You. They say, “put simply, slow fashion is the opposite of fast fashion. It encompasses an awareness and approach to fashion that carefully considers the processes and resources required to make clothing. It advocates for buying better-quality garments that will last longer, and values fair treatment of people, animals, and the planet along the way.” 

Realistically, slow fashion and sustainable or ethical fashion have a lot of similarities. They are sister movements and follow the same general guidelines. The main difference with slow fashion is that it hones in on reducing consumption and production more specifically, harkening back to the pre-fast fashion era of our grandparents when clothing was a long-term investment rather than a throwaway hobby.”

2. What are two simple steps that everyone can take to support and participate in the slow fashion movement, regardless of their current lifestyle or budget? 

Fashion is not going away anytime soon, so I am always looking for new ways to make it more sustainable. Sometimes, I reflect upon the wardrobes old - people had an outfit, maybe a couple of outfits, and maybe some Sunday best. Things were carefully taken care of, carefully mended, carefully made and passed down through generations. I know how to sew a little and I know how much goes into making a single piece of clothing, but we seem to have collectively forgotten this as the fashion industry constantly beckons with new trends. 

Mending/altering and wearing our existing items more are two great and simple ways to make a difference and to participate in the slow fashion movement. On average our clothes are currently only worn around seven times each, and extending the lifecycle of our garments reduces their individual impact. So repairing easy fixes like missing buttons or small tears are accessible to anyone who knows how to sew or anyone able to watch a YouTube tutorial. Altering hemlines and other small alterations can change a garment to update it or make it fit better, and then you will want to wear it more. And re-mixing items can be a fun way to incorporate items into outfits in a new or different way. 

My mending and re-fashioning journey has led me to full-fledged garment creation, often from salvaged textiles. Here is a photo is my latest sewing project. I self-drafted this double-ruffle sleeve top and the blue cotton print is my toile. I made some modifications and just completed the green rayon print which I love and I think I will get tons of use out of. 

3. Why does the topic of sustainable fashion resonate so deeply with you? What initially drew you to study and publish a magazine on this subject?

For me, having children made me want to look further into the future and see a better world for us all. And the older they got, the more I became interested in the climate crisis — and what I could do as an individual to make a difference. I have always adored clothing and accessories, and in 2012 I started my style blog “Mrs. American Made.” At the time, I thought that shopping for items manufactured closer to home would be better for the planet, but as time passed I realized that there was much more to those questions. And there are no perfect solutions; however, I wanted to learn as much as I could to make better lifestyle choices. 

That led me to the MENV program at the University of Colorado where I received a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies several years ago. As my thesis/capstone project, I published the “unCover Handbook,” a beginner’s guide to sustainable fashion aimed at shoppers who wanted to learn more and do better. Check it out and learn how you can take small steps to have a big impact. 

No matter where you are in your sustainable wardrobe journey, the handbook offers tips that can take you to the next level. You can get information on the impacts of various textiles and dyes (hint: it’s a lot!); read words of wisdom from experts in the field; find new ways to shop secondhand or learn how to best care for the awesome clothes you already own. 

4. How has your personal approach to fashion changed since you started focusing on sustainability, and what advice would you give to others looking to make that transition? 

Avery Trufelman of the podcast Articles of Interest says, "An outfit is a sentence that says, "This is what I am doing today, this is what the weather is like, this is who I am." I love that quote, and I work hard to construct my outfit sentence most days. My personal approach to fashion has always been influenced by my classic, feminine style and my love of navy blue. Today my closet is predominantly natural fibers, made domestically, and secondhand because these items tend to have a lower environmental impact than, say, polyester fast fashion. 

And transitioning to a more sustainable wardrobe did not change my personal style; it merely changed how I shopped — and how much. It made me focus on items I really love and made me care more about how and where the pieces were made. This new way of looking at my clothing forced me to shop differently. I now shop less and for more well-made and long-wearing versatile pieces — most often secondhand since I believe we already have enough clothing in the world. 

As I mentioned, one of the things I consider when adding things to my closet is versatility. I like to be able to wear an item multiple ways and with different things — and, living in Colorado, for different seasons. Below is a lovely thin silk print dress by Corey Lynn Carter that I bought at a local consignment shop years ago, and here are just a few ways I have worn it:

5. What common misconceptions do people have about sustainable fashion, and how can we better educate others to overcome these misunderstandings? 

Here are just a few common misconceptions: 

• "Sustainable fashion is prohibitively expensive." 

Well, this can and cannot be true. But if you do your research and spend time looking for the right thing, often you can find an item at an affordable price. And not to harp on it over and over, but secondhand shopping offers many of us the option of owning pieces at a more accessible price. 

• "Secondhand clothing is gross." 

Look things over carefully, but usually items are clean and well cared for - sometimes even unworn! Ideally, secondhand items have been properly cleaned prior to consignment or going out on shelves, but always wash your purchases as soon they get home just in case. 

• "The climate crisis is a just a big downer." 

And, we can think about it this way until we feel powerless and overwhelmed and don’t know what to do. Or we can present the situation in a more positive way with ideas on what we can do. If we focus on smaller, more feasible steps toward a positive outcome, then a better future seems brighter and more manageable.

Explore Ana Bogusky's bio and quick links to learn more...

After receiving her undergraduate degree from Duke University in Mathematics and Art/Art History and having a successful career in advertising and design, Ana recently completed a Master’s degree at the University of Colorado in Environmental Studies to learn how fashion fits into the larger system of sustainability. For her program thesis/capstone project she created the “unCover Handbook,” a magazine-style beginner’s guide to sustainable fashion to help educate young shoppers (available in print or online here). 

Blog:  MrsAmericanMade 

Instagram: @MrsAmericanMade

Guide: the unCover Handbook