Fast fashion is a really big problem, and the movement against it has been gaining a lot of traction within the past years. The definition of fast fashion is “inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends,” so this includes popular brands such as Shein, H&M, Forever 21, and more. Not only does it have adverse environmental impacts, but it’s also a big social issue. In order to produce these clothes at rapid rates, overseas workers are heavily exploited. This primarily targets women and children, who get paid close to nothing while having to work excruciating hours in dangerous conditions. This is clearly unjust especially for the purpose of t-shirts and pants that will get thrown out in a matter of months when the trends change.

Back to the environmental side, fast fashion can be really detrimental to our planet for multiple reasons. For one, the fashion industry is the second largest consumer industry of water, going through 79 billion cubic metres of water per year. It takes 2,700 liters of water to produce a single cotton t-shirt, which is enough for someone to drink for 900 days (Florida State University). Textile dying is also a huge water pollutant because the leftover water gets dumped out into streams and rivers. Secondly, the industry uses a ton of plastic for shipping and packaging. This plastic gets broken down into microplastics which take an extremely long time to degrade. There is more information about plastics and their harm in the last article that was posted. Lastly, it consumes a lot of energy which has negative results for the planet.

So what’s the solution to this problem? We can’t just stop buying clothes. The answer lies in sustainable fashion. Sustainable fashion is clothing that is produced/distributed in a way that is socially and environmentally ethical. There are multiple ways to be a sustainable shopper. The first, and perhaps the most important, is to buy less. It is easy to fall into the habit of buying clothes all the time and not wearing them. It often seems like we have nothing to wear even though we have a closet full, but that’s not true and we need to remember that. Of course you can buy new clothes sometimes, but try not to overdo it. Secondly, if there is something you have that you’re not going to wear, you should donate, sell, or recycle it rather than just throwing it in the trash in order to be less wasteful. Also, thrift shops are a great option for shopping sustainably. There are several thrift shops around the world as well as online options for buying and selling clothes. Thrifting gives clothes second lives rather than them just going to waste, and if we all thrifted more there would be less of a demand for fast fashion. However, the trend of buying clothes from thrift stores and then reselling them for more money is a highly unethical one because it’s taking something away from someone who may need it in order to make a profit. Please try not to contribute to the gentrification of thrifting. Lastly, it is good to shop from sustainable companies. Sustainable companies use practices such as reducing water, using recycled fabrics, and making sure they are using fair labor practices. It’s important to note though that this isn’t always a very accessible option for everybody because the process it takes to make sustainable clothing makes it much more expensive.

You should avoid fast fashion if you are able, but if you’re not, that’s okay. I always want to make it very clear that I’m never trying to shame anybody. You’re not a bad person if you partake in the fast fashion industry, especially when you can’t afford other options. It is what has been made the most accessible to us. The only people at fault are the ones who actively enforce unethical practices, not consumers just trying to buy clothes. But, if you’re able to spend some extra money at a sustainable company or you have the time to go to a thrift shop, it is a great way to help workers as well as the environment.

Sources: Green Strategy, Borgen Magazine, Earth.org, Sustain Your Style