I used to be an avid fast fashion shopper. Cheap clothes were my jam for years, until I caught myself thoughtlessly tossing shirts I hardly wore into the trash. I remember being incredibly frustrated that my $10 leggings had holes after one wash and my $7 t-shirts never lasted through the summer. Imagining being accountable for the waste I created pushed me towards being a more responsible consumer. Slowly I’ve made the transition to replacing my wardrobe with clothing that lasts, and there’s no going back.
It takes completely shifting your mindset to switch from fast fashion to slow fashion. It’s a process that looks different for everyone and requires a lot of gentleness, knowing yourself and your values, and taking it one step at a time. Eventually you’ll find new go-to brands that fit your vibe and give you that quality reassurance you’ve been wanting. And if you haven’t yet, I highly recommend giving Franc a shot.
*In honour of transparency: All opinions presented are expressed authentically from the writer and not influenced by anything other than Franc being genuinely awesome.
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Franc |
Fast Fashion
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Quality Top notch. My long sleeve box tees are still holding shape and colour after two years of consistent wear. A solid 13 out of 10. |
Quality Not strong. Prone to stretch, fade, or tear after a few washes. Needs to be replaced frequently. |
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Versatility Franc’s clothes are designed to be versatile and they’ve nailed it. You can easily match their box tees with soft pants, jeans, or dress it up with a blazer. |
Versatility If you shop with versatility in mind, it’s possible. Otherwise, it’s designed to be worn one way to influence consumers to buy more.
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Comfiness I’ve always found clothing uncomfortable. Franc showed me that I was just wearing the wrong fabric. The blend of their material is so comfortable and flattering. |
Comfiness This depends on the style and fabric used. Fast fashion often designs clothes to be trendy over comfortable.
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Ethics and Sustainability Upfront about their practices and holds a B Corp Certification, meeting the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. |
Ethics and Sustainability Known to exploit workers for very low wages in poor conditions. Pollutes environment with toxic waste and exhausts natural resources.
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Price Point More of an upfront investment but it pays off if cared for as instructed. |
Price Point Inexpensive upfront but expensive in the long run with frequent replacements.
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Promotes Quality over quantity. |
Promotes Quantity over quality.
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Whether it’s catching an end of season sale or an “I’m just going for it” purchase, I have yet to be disappointed with the quality that fair fashion provides. Of course, even ethical and sustainable fashion has flaws; even the highest quality clothes will wear and tear. But our fashion choices have a bigger impact than we realize — on ourselves, on the planet and on other people.
Fashion will never be perfect. One of Franc’s goals is to help solve the problem of cheaply made clothes. Fashion can be better, and Franc is a part of creating a better, more conscious, fair fashion-loving planet. And I am here for it!
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Jade is a writer, potter, and gardener living in a sleepy town in Northern Ontario. They love growing food, creating functional stoneware, and hermiting with a book as much as possible.
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