We've been witnessing this worldwide phenomenon for a couple of years now, and as years pass by, we realise it's just getting "blacker" and "blacker".

For starters, the choosing of those two words aligned - Black Friday - doesn't scream "surprise" nor "cheerful" neither "jolly" as other well known celebrating days you might know in the month of. December, no.

Black Friday simply screams "attention" or things like "buy a bundle and get one free" or most of the times "discounted prices" just to end up spending the same amount of money per article, amount that was listed 3 months prior to this Friday of Horrors, amount that then got to be higher in a split-second so mush so it can be "discounted" and consider "a sale" on this particular Friday of them all.

We've witnessed people galloping in stores, all over the world, just to buy that new Home Gadget that everyone's talking about and making a fuss. We've all heard for sure that one friend that hits the refresh button on one or more specific sites at midnight, hoping and wanting to get into that platform so much so he or she could spend accordingly on this particular Friday.

It has become such a trend that we often see Black Friday spamming us for an entire month or more in our newsletter boxes, in our windows at the mall, the news, social media, you name it.

Just to make things right, we're not saying "Boo" to those of you who actually identified yourselves in the words written above. 

No, we truly aren't.

What we are on the other hand, we are trying to raise awareness and maybe (possibly) a signal of alarm, a "snap out of it" sign regarding everything that's happening on the Blackest Friday of them all.

We are trying to make a statement over here, one that actually provokes you to conscious buy instead of "buying everything" just because accordingly to the sellers, there are some discounted prices.

Conscious buying means more than what you can depict of this words.

 

SLOW FASHION VS FAST FASHION



Let's go back to the beginning: the term Slow Fashion (hear, slow fashion consumption) is opposed to Fast Fashion (fast fashion consumption).

Fast Fashion is the pace of production/consumption adopted by the textile industry, and unfortunately consumers, in recent years. The production of large quantities of poor quality ready-to-wear clothing has continued to accelerate. If the brands subsequently offered two collections per year, one in "autumn/winter" and one for "spring/summer", their mode of operation has changed considerably, since now the major brands offer 52 per year (or a new one every two weeks).

This frantic pace encourages poor working conditions and constitutes a real slavery of modern times. All this to "produce more and sell more". It is a question of increasing consumption, with, for example, shops open 7 days a week and prices getting lower and lower. All these actions on the part of brands, push to reckless consumption, disposable and leaves room for a common style in our society. It's called Fast Fashion.

 

But then what's Slow Fashion? Quite simply, the opposite!

Slow Fashion reverses the trend by favouring small or medium scale production. But not only: this movement promotes QUALITY TO QUANTITY, whether for the environment, for producers or for consumers.

You will have understood it, this rhythm of consumption encourages to better reflect the act of purchase which becomes more relevant and especially sustainable.

This is the "less is better" rule.

The creators and brands of this movement build a relationship of trust with the buyer, offering him an ethical, sustainable fashion, committed to defending values, including the local, the use of quality materials.

It is also the consideration of the real "values" of the consumer, with articles that resemble them by favouring style over trends, by making fashion and ethics rhyme.

In other words, YOU are invited to become a "consumer".

10 Ways You Can Be a Conscious Consumer

There are many ways that you can be a conscious consumer and do your part in making the world a better place:

1. Incorporate minimalism into your life as much as possible. Distinguish between necessary and unnecessary buys. When searching for everyday products, consider how they are made and their entire lifecycle impact.

1. Choose to buy from companies that put planet and people first.

1. Buy with measure.

1. Buy earth friendly products that are made with natural ingredients and materials.

1. Buy cruelty-free, plastic-free toiletries and cosmetics.

1. Limit air travel and get around by using rideshares, biking, taking the train and public transport and if possible, drive electric vehicles.

1. Go zero-waste.

1. Eliminate the use of single-use plastics and use reusable cups, utensils, bags and containers instead.

1. Reuse items and buy second-hand whenever you can: peruse flea markets, borrow from friends and family, shop on online marketplaces and try to fix broken goods rather than buying new.

1. Always recycle paper and plastic, dispose of old clothes responsibly, and consider composting at home.