Clothing is such a huge part of our lives. We shop for them and style them without ever getting bored. We buy, wear, donate, buy, wear, donate, and so on, never bothering to wonder what happens after we throw our old or used clothes into the dumpster or hand them in for donation. Will they be reworn? Will they decompose? Or will they just sit in a landfill? Unfortunately, in today’s world of fast fashion, it’s usually the latter.
The term fast fashion gets tossed around occasionally without a proper introduction. Well, here it is: fast fashion is when cheap clothing is mass produced, often harming the environment, overworking employees, or abusing animals in order to quickly make trendy clothing.
Brands tend to use oil-based fabrics such as textiles to create their clothing, consuming huge amounts of fossil fuels. Less than one percent of clothing is recycled, and around ninety-two million tons of textiles are wasted every year. This waste is typically burnt or sent to landfills, only to remain there without decomposing. They can also end up in waterways, where they shed microfibers and toxins that can eventually pollute the water (“Good On You”). Despite it being harmful to the environment, the industry still grows. According to “Vogue,” CoherentMI predicts that the fast fashion industry in the United States will reach $59.85 billion by 2030. The industry requires 93 billion cubic meters of water annually to produce the clothing and is responsible for about twenty percent of industrial water pollution (“Ethical Consumer”).
The fast-paced, grueling manufacturing creates unhealthy and unsafe work conditions for laborers. Though these clothing pieces may seem like a great deal for their cheap price, it’s only possible because the workers are paid shockingly little. Monthly wages can dip as low as $113 a month.
Below is a list of fast fashion brands that are, sadly, very familiar. Keep in mind: this isn’t meant to guilt you into quitting buying clothes from your favorite stores. It is meant to raise awareness around fast fashion. Most people don’t even know what that means, how it harms the environment, or why they should care.
- Shein
- Temu
- H&M
- Zara
- Brandy Melville
- Urban Outfitters
Despite these brands being known commonly as fast fashion, people still continue to buy them. One person at St. Stephen’s said that even if their favorite store was hurting the environment with its practices, they would still shop there because “other things are more harmful to the environment.” Another sophomore elaborated on this, saying, “Even if I stopped shopping there, the environment would still collapse. I wouldn’t change it.”
Others wouldn’t continue to shop there because they believe “it’s harmful to the environment,” and they would feel guilty. Some have mixed feelings, stating that they “don’t want to support the fast fashion industry, but if [they] find something [they] really like and will get multiple wears out of it, [they] will get it.”
Despite knowing that they are harmful to the environment, the overwhelming majority of those I asked all said they would continue to shop at these stores. Many people say it “isn’t their problem” or “the environment will be harmed anyway.” While this is somewhat true, it is also true that if most people have this mindset, then nothing will be done and it won’t be your problem: it will be everyone’s, and nothing will be fixed.
To end this article on a more positive note, there are many stores opting for “slow fashion” instead, striving to make their mark on improving the fashion industry. Below is a list of environmentally friendly and sustainable clothing brands to look for:
- Reformation
- Patagonia
- Levi’s
- Vegan outfitters
- Beyond Retro
- Happy Earth Apparel
One noticeable difference between these and the fast fashion brands is the price — and this time, it is paid for quality and care for the environment. Hopefully, more ethical clothing brands will get more publicity in the future, normalizing and fostering a sustainable yet affordable and achievable fashion industry.