My Mother's Favorite Trench Coat
Have you ever really thought about the concept of fast fashion? Or better yet, have you considered slow fashion? We use these terms so casually that it’s easy to forget their origins—and even easier to overlook the impact of the processes and byproducts tied to them. Personally, I was guilty of only associating these terms with how the products were made—until I met Gina Besson, a client and the founder of the sustainable fashion brand Besson Barcelona. Then it clicked. Fast fashion—fast to make, fast to break down, fast to discard, fast to replace, fast to pollute our earth, and then the cycle starts all over again.
So, what is slow fashion? If we apply the same outcomes, we get slowly made, slow to break down, slowly discarded, slowly replaced, and slow (if ever) to pollute our earth. Slow fashion is the kind of clothing you pass down from one generation to the next, pieces you're proud to see live another life, loved by another woman. Hollywood is the perfect illustration of this lately, with the daughters of Gwyneth Paltrow, Cindy Crawford, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Reese Witherspoon, Milla Jovovich, Lisa Rinna, Nicole Kidman, and Angelina Jolie making headlines for re-wearing classic pieces.
My own mom had a trench coat from the 1980s that she adored. It was a gift from her mother when my parents were newly married. She took good care of it, wearing it with love and pride—it was the coat she wore to walk me as a baby that first spring. It was in perfect condition when she passed it down to me 25 years later, as I was starting my own life. Now, I treasure it. To be honest, it mostly stays in a bag in my closet because it’s too warm for Texas most of the year, but it’s always ready to wear. I treat it with the same love and care she did so it will last for years to come. Can anyone else relate to this?
In today’s fast-paced world, we’ve lost sight of what fashion is really about—defining our times with the specific looks, textures, patterns, and weaves that represent who we were as a people during the era when that style was created and perfected. Holding an original piece from a past era and connecting to that part of life is special. It’s emotional to think that fast fashion could erase part of a generation’s history, because these pieces simply won’t last long enough to be passed down.
These artifacts, which have given us a glimpse into our culture for hundreds of years, will simply not exist—except as environmentally harmful waste in a deteriorating state. Investing in the quality and craftsmanship of sustainable pieces is not just smart—it’s both economically and environmentally responsible. These pieces will last for generations, whether passed down to loved ones, sold on consignment, or discovered in an old storage unit.
As a business coach, I’m very interested in consumer behaviors—especially when it comes to fashion—and understanding the perceived value shoppers assign to their buying decisions. What makes someone choose fast fashion over high-quality, long-lasting pieces? Sure, price and availability are factors, but that doesn’t explain the segment of buyers who prioritize other values. The answer, of course, lies in economic literacy—the ability to understand and apply economic information to purchasing decisions. Wait, what? In simpler terms: people just don’t know enough about fast fashion to realize it often conflicts with their own values. Like me, they probably saw one side of the story and stopped searching for more information.
We can do better. Now that you've taken the first step toward knowing more, keep going. Plenty of designers join sustainability pledges like Cascale, The Fashion Pact, The Sustainable Cotton Communiqué, and some even have their own pledges —brands like Stella McCartney, Sezane, and Alohas, are well-known for their commitments.
If you want to improve your sustainability literacy and better understand how to make more ethical fashion decisions, engage and subscribe with sources like Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF) and Conscious Fashion Collective. Or, you can always talk to Gina—she's passionate about this too and is always looking to recruit more advocates for the cause.
Melissa Hrubos is the founder of Counter Coaching, a business strategy firm emboldening entrepreneurs to build sustainable and impactful brands. With a passion for slow fashion and environmental sustainability, Melissa helps clients align their business practices with their values. When she's not coaching, you can find her exploring vintage boutiques or advocating for eco-conscious consumer choices.
