Since the late 1990s, fast fashion has gained extreme popularity in most first-world countries across the globe. But when considering the virtue of the fashion industry, we have to take a step back and think why it is the world’s second most pollutive industry. Most of this is due to its enormous contribution and strain on carbon emissions and massive use of oil, not to mention the amount of clothing that ends up in landfills each year. The industrialization and globalization of the fashion industry is the sole reason fast fashion companies can achieve such high profits with little effort or investment. Fast fashion has been destructive to the overall nature and name of the fashion industry, giving it little moral credibility.
Let’s Talk Consequences
So what is fast fashion? Fast fashion, by definition, is “inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.” It often includes clothing that complies with trends, often for less than one season, rapidly goes out of style (and usually into the trash), or wears and tears based upon their cheaply made material that, again, ends up in our landfills.
And yes, it’s been named for a specific reason: it’s fast. From clothing pieces’ extraction and production to sales and overall lifetime, fast fashion items and accessories are designed for the sole purpose of getting in and getting out, providing the space and opportunity for the next collection to take over the cycle.
As quality and cycles continue to drop, they pose a significant threat to the environment, employees, and the fashion industry’s impact.
PHOTO: Romy Arroyo Fernandez/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The most rapid fashion is produced in ‘sweatshops’ with the deplorable treatment of workers, often required to work up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. These workers are constantly exposed to harmful chemicals and materials with a lack of proper ventilation to compensate. Moreover, accidents are frequent and wages are virtually nonexistent. The lack of regulations in the countries where these factories reside results in accessible and cheap clothing for the rest of the world with no regard for the dehumanizing treatment of these workers.
But it’s not just people this industry is killing- it’s our planet. Fast fashion has a more significant effect on our environment than we think. According to UN Figures, making one pair of jeans takes almost 8,000 gallons of water. So if a pair is cheaply made and lasts a year at most, nearly six additional years of drinking water has been discarded with those jeans. They will join a landfill and the previous 92 million tons of textile waste before them. 85% of our clothing is spread globally across landfills, meaning only 15% of the clothing produced is in circulation in our closets, stores, and thrift shops. The fashion industry also contributes significantly to our waterways and atmosphere pollution by releasing microplastics from synthetic fibers such as acrylic, nylon, and polyester. Fast fashion destroys the environment and the reputation of fashion production worldwide.
Steps to Take
Clothing is not indispensable, and when pieces go to waste thanks to impulsive buying and the participation of micro trends, it fuels the destructive pattern of over-producing. Looking for sustainable fashion brands, however, takes time, considering the industrialized version of production we have turned to today. But there are a few things we can each look for to preserve our wardrobes and send less clothing to landfills right now– starting with finding equitable companies that maintain honest practices to invest in as upcoming seasons approach.
PHOTO: © Zabed Hasnain Chowdhury/LightRocket/Getty
Looking at where your clothing is produced and the treatment of those are making it is crucial to backing away from the temptations of fast fashion. We should consider the location of the production facilities of our favorite brands and the transportation needed for these clothes. Something low-impact that is sourced where it is made and then shipped to the consumers is a better alternative to getting materials from one place, producing it somewhere else, sending it to be packaged, and finally reaching its destination. The production and transportation of the product should be just as equitable as their other practices.
Another step to take is to be more environmentally conscious when it comes to fashion, and to the relief of many, doing so is a lost easier than most people realize. Start by looking for ‘100%’ on your clothing labels. Whether its 100% wool, cotton, satin, denim, etc., single-textile items have a significantly lighter impact on the Earth. Even 100% polyester (which is more reluctant to decompose) is more beneficial than multi-textile fabrics.
Companies to Keep an Eye Out For
Can we be sustainable and remain affordable? Questions like this are common when considering the alternative to fast fashion, but many companies are doing just that. One example: UniQlo. UniQlo offers basics for any wardrobe, and affordable options including single-textile products. Their mission clear: “to deliver clothing that enriches the lives of all our customers around the world…[we use]sustainability activities with an aim to change the world for the better through our business”.
Companies like UniQlo and others like Girlfriend Collective actively contribute to affordable alternatives to fast fashion brands. Other companies use sustainable practices and encourage the preservation of the earth through outside projects. Patagonia, for example, conducts river-watching projects to monitor select ecosystems and their health alongside their sustainable clothing line. Other more high-end brands have started to take the path of more sustainable fashion practices as well, like Stella McCartney and Eileen Fisher. One designer brand that is setting the pace for others is Noah, a high-end fashion brand that focuses on taking steps against the “appalling practices” of the fashion industry. Their company is mainly adamant about making their clothing “in countries, mills, and factories where tradition, expertise, and human dignity take precedence over the bottom line.” They are transparent about where their materials come from and are also aware of their footprint, actively taking steps to improve their environmental practices. These things are crucial for the environment and treatment of employees, but they also help small businesses with little production waste thrive. They train us to get used to a system of quality over quantity.
PHOTO: Prakati India.in
At the end of the day, brands certainly play the deciding role in what they produce, but only consumers can change that production course. If we all take steps to be more conscious of what we consume, we will continue improving the fashion industry’s state and morality. Creating a style and wardrobe you love is essential to prevent the repetitive cycle of complying with trends and waste.
By: Ani Grigsby