Stop getting your modest clothes from fast fashion brands

3 min readJul 3, 2022

By: Nausheen Mazari

“Globally, an estimated 92 million tonnes of textile waste is created each year.
The equivalent of a rubbish truck full of clothes is destined for landfill sites every second.”
(BBC Future: Why are clothes so hard to recycle)

Fast Fashion vs Sustainable Fashion

Fast fashion aims to manufacture products instantly as cheap as possible to consumers. Sustainable fashion encourages buying fewer items of higher quality that can last for years.

Fast fashion has 52 micro seasons per year, essentially a new line of clothing introduced almost weekly. A simpler yearly model of clothing appropriate for spring/summer and autumn/winter.

The rampant introduction of new clothes and trends contributes to further textile waste, as items go out of style instantaneously. Manufacturing pieces using organic and natural materials that don’t emit microplastic waste.

Making fashion substantially cheaper means cutting corners in the production line hence ethics and environmental impact are a low priority. Sustainable fashion brands are considered more ethical for prioritizing environmental impact.

It is important to note sustainable fashion is not synonymous with transparency about their production and supply chain. Look for ethical and worker cooperative brands that also ensure employees are provided a safe work environment and liveable wage.

The Hijab and Intentionality

The hijab and modest fashion are not immune from the global mainstream shift to fast fashion. Ironically, in light of celebrating diversity and inclusivity, fast fashion businesses have created new niches for underserved audiences, including the Muslim community. Often these businesses outsource production to Muslim majority countries in the Global South. Here garment workers are exploited for less than a living wage.

Islam places high emphasise on intentions, which extend far beyond the way we choose to dress. Intentions should beautify our daily actions in every way to avoid becoming a means of oppression on others or the Earth.

Reflecting on our identity as Muslims; Is modest fast fashion paradoxical? How does wearing the hijab guide your choices as a consumer?

Tips for a Sustainable Wardrobe

Purchasing second hand products made from natural materials. Using second hand clothing ensures you are not directly buying into the extractive practices used to produce these materials. Second hand natural materials allow you to avoid emitting micro-plastics into the environment when washing.
If you do own hijabs and other clothing made from synthetic material, try purchasing a washing bag designed to reduce microplastic pollution from entering waterways. Washing your clothes in such bags protects fabric fibers as it reduces friction created on the surface of textiles. This also collects any shedding of your clothing to correctly dispose of micro plastics contained in synthetic materials.
Focus on creating a capsule wardrobe when you choose to purchase new items. A capsule wardrobe refers to a small collection of timeless, interchangeable pieces that can complement each other. This avoids consuming the ever-changing micro trends fuelled by fast fashion.
In saying the above, the most sustainable way to dress is using what you already own! Borrowing and sharing clothes can also help slow your consumer habits.

“(The true servants of Allah SWT are) those who, when they spend are neither wasteful nor stingy, but choose a middle course between that” (25:67)

Finding More Sustainable Alternatives

Faithfully Sustainable is working to create a database of Muslim leaders, businesses, and organizations who are creating sustainable product alternatives and leading their communities toward more ethical and just solutions. If you have recommendations for us, please share them by completing this form. Stay tuned for more details on this project coming soon!