fast fashion
- sebeauty155
- Jun 6, 2024
- 3 min read
Fast fashion is a relatively new phenomenon in the industry that causes extensive damage to the planet, exploits workers, and harms animals. Here’s why it’s best to steer clear when you can.
What is fast fashion?
Fast fashion is widely considered to be low-quality apparel produced rapidly to follow current trends in the industry and sold at rock-bottom prices. Although the monetary cost is low, textile workers and the environment are paying a high price. Fast fashion is cheap because workers are not paid adequately. Clothes are poorly made, widely purchased, rarely worn and quickly thrown away. Sweatshops and child labour are notorious features of fast fashion production in developing countries. Workers in this industry earn poverty wages, are forced to work in bad conditions, and have even been physically and emotionally abused to keep fast-fashion prices low.
Shopping from fast-fashion brands causes huge damage to the environment, animals, and climate. Half of the fast fashion’s damage to the planet is caused by getting and processing raw materials. This industry consumes about 100 million tons of oil annually and emits more than 10% carbon dioxide: for example, growing enough cotton in order to produce a single t-shirt requires 400 gallons of water, which increases the water shortage in the world. Moreover, dangerous chemicals are put into the air we breathe when fabrics are dyed and printed.
Gen Z in fast fashion
There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to the influence of social media on developing brains, most of which we haven’t even begun to understand, but let’s focus on how brands have used it to their advantage. With hundreds, if not thousands, of influencers each sharing pictures and videos wearing the latest Zara or Mango “collection”, the clothes get older faster. With every scroll, Gen Z is bombarded with newer and newer trends, what was “in” a month ago, feels dated now.
Fast fashion found its ideal consumer in Gen-Z buyers as they are most plugged into all the new trend that seemingly come with every TikTok swipe - and, they desire inexpensive options.
Why avoid fast fashion?
There are many reasons to avoid fast fashion including long-term financial loss, cookie-cutter style, the negative environmental impact, and ethical and moral implications.
On the extreme end, many fast fashion brands will even burn their old stock and returned items instead of donating or reselling them, because they say donating their clothes to those in need is bad for their image or it costs less to dispose of the garment instead of getting it ready for reselling.
Let’s take a closer look at why you should avoid fast fashion:
Environmental reasons
Harmful chemicals
Over 8,000 harmful chemicals are used in the fast fashion industry to make synthetic clothing and many are known carcinogens and hormone disruptors. There is no guarantee that these completely wash out before they reach the consumer, putting garment workers and the consumer at risk.
Water pollution
In countries where fast fashion garments are produced, the toxic wastewaters from textile factories are left untreated and dumped directly into the rivers. Textile wastewater contains toxins such as lead and mercury and harms the aquatic life and the health of the millions of people living near those rivers. These contaminated waters eventually reach the sea and spread globally.
Waste accumulation
The average person throws away 81 pounds of textiles every year. The growing accumulation of clothing waste in landfills is a global crisis considering the rate of manufacturing far outweighs the rate of decomposition.
Popular fast fashion brands & AVOID THEM AT ALL COST!
Nike
Adidas
Urban Outfitters
Free People
GAP
Victoria’s Secret
Zara
H&M
Forever 21
What can I do instead of buying fast fashion?
1. Buy second-hand from thrift stores and charity shops
Shop for second-hand clothes at thrift stores or charity shops to give clothing new life. If you can’t get to the physical stores, many will post their stock for purchase on their website for easy online shopping.
2. Shop local
97% of fashion items are made overseas. If you can find goods that are made and sold nearby, you are winning the war against fast fashion!
Look for local shops that follow ethical and sustainable practices. Buying items that are made locally reduces emissions because the items don’t have to travel as far to get from the manufacturer to the consumer.
3. Do your research!!
Before making any transactions, do your research! Know which brands follow sustainable practices, what materials are bad for the environment, and which companies have stricter manufacturing guidelines.
Written by Elisabeth
Edited by Elisabeth
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