Fast Fashion: It's Not Worth It
As college students, we are always looking for new ways to save money, especially on clothing and accessories. Fast fashion companies like Shein and Zara are rapidly gaining popularity from college students all across the world. However, what most of us don't realize is the real damage we are doing when we buy from these seemingly harmless websites.
What Is Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion is the rapid production of cheap, trendy clothing items in high quantities. Companies replicate the most popular styles with synthetic material at ridiculously low price points. For example, a shirt that would be sold normally for $22 may be sold on Shein for $6. The "affordable" prices greatly appeal to students who are barely scraping together money for things like rent, utility bills, and groceries. You may be wondering what makes fast fashion is so bad. As the consumer, you're getting a great deal, right? Well, in order for these companies to bring these fantastic prices and rapid delivery to you, they are willing to sacrifice the environment and their employees all in the name of profit.
The Real Cost
With rapid product production comes rapid waste production. Studies found that Shein's recycle rate is only 0.05% despite the company claiming high recycle rates. With all companies in the industry having similar statistics, 92 million tonnes of fabric make their way to landfills every year. (1 tonne is about 2200 pounds) To add to this environmental damage, fast fashion companies are also dependent on synthetic materials like polyester and nylon producing harmful fossil fuels, making up 10% of global carbon emissions.
The majority of fast fashion facilities are located in impoverished areas, where some people will work for virtually any amount of money. Most of the employees in these facilities are women because these countries lack gender equality. Many of these women suffer under harsh working conditions in an effort to escape poverty. The owners of the factories deprive the women of bathroom breaks and subject them to sexual harassment. To make matters even worse, the women end up sending their daughters to the same harsh conditions at an extremely young age to help support their families. Purchasing items from these companies only fuels these facilities.
Top Fast Fashion Companies:
- Shein
- Forever 21
- Urban Outfitters
- H&M
- Zara
- FashionNova
- Missguided
- Nasty Gal
- Pretty Little Thing
What Are the Alternatives?
If you're like me, and have about $17.00 in your bank account, you' re probably wondering how you could possibly afford the latest trends without fast fashion. Well fear not, because I have plenty of ways to avoid these websites.
1. Support local thrift stores: There are thousands of thrift stores standing in the US, especially in more urban areas. You never know what stylish items you may find and for great prices. I have definitely found some hidden gems in the South Side like Buffalo Exchange and Highway Robbery. You can even find awesome pieces at the Goodwill if you look hard enough.
2. Online thrifting: Websites like Poshmark, Mercari, and DePop have taken thrifting to a whole new level. You can have the best styles from around the world delivered right to your doorstep with the press of a button. I have had great experiences with both buying and selling on Depop. It is definitely the best online thrifting site because of its variety of brands and its user friendly features.
3. Invest in your clothes: Although clothing can be an extreme expense in our lives, there is nothing wrong with buying timeless, high quality clothes. Rather than buying something you only wear a handful of times, try buying items that you will wear over and over again. If we all invested in our clothes, we would immensely decrease the amount of waste.
The Solution
So, what is the solution to defeating the fast fashion industry? Well, you can start by trying out the alternatives. It is important to know what companies are considered fast fashion. Make sure to research before you buy! Look for extreme sales with thousands of styles. If you think that a company may be fast fashion, chances are it probably is. With more people in the know about fast fashion, we can begin working towards a more ethical and sustainable fashion industry.
Resources:
https://www.ecofriendlyhabits.com/what-is-fast-fashion/
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/fashion-clothing/10-tips-turn-your-back-fast-fashion
https://goodonyou.eco/impact-fast-fashion-garment-workers/
https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-fast-fashion
This article has provided many useful information and the topic is a good one especially for students. I'm a person who has little knowledge about fast fashion and the routine behind it, so I learnt a lot form this article. The alternatives listed in the article are also helpful. I am going to try them next time I need to buy clothes :)
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DeleteHello! I specifically chose this topic because I know that a lot of people are in the dark about fast fashion. I am glad that I provided some insight for you! I hope that you do use some of my tips for shopping because they are so easy, especially in Pittsburgh
DeleteEnvironment is a serious topic nowadays. It's unaffordable to destroy environment to earn profit as a company. In fact, sustainable development is the best way for the industry. We can get better future only if we protect the environment. Therefore, I strongly agree with the idea to refuse fast fashion and try to build a better future.
ReplyDeleteZichen Gao
I completely agree with you. The environment suffers from so many other forms of pollution every day. There are so many ways that we can prevent pollution individually. Boycotting fast fashion is just one of many ways that we can move towards a healthier planet.
DeleteBefore reading your article, I knew what fast fashion was, but I didn't realize why it was bad. Forcing women and sometimes children to work in these conditions is wrong and something that we should try to prevent. I was surprised by the effect on the environment and how much waste is actually produced. Another aspect that surprised me was how many of the stores I shop at are fast-fashion. I didn't realize stores like Zara and Forever 21 were fast-fashion. I really like how you provided some possible solutions. Personally, I like using Posh Mark for shopping. Now that I know about the negative effects of fast-fashion, I will try to use it more in the future.
ReplyDeleteHi! I definitely had to do a lot of research before writing this blog. Like you, I was also unaware to many of the effects fast fashion actually had. In my research, I found a ton of horror stories that I chose to omit from the blog. A lot of the information is truly upsetting and I highly recommend diving into the research on your own, if you want to learn more.
DeleteThis article is highly important, many people are not aware the true scope of fast fashion, including myself. I knew places such as shein and pretty little thing were fast fashion but it surprise me that established brands like Zara and H&M were also on the list. I definitely agree that thrifting is a great alternative, plus its a fun activity to do with your friends. I will definitely keep this article in mind next time I'm looking to purchase new clothes.
ReplyDeleteHey! In my research I was surprised by so many of the brands and stores that were on the list. I was most surprised by Urban Outfitters because their prices are very high, so you wouldn't think that they would be fast fashion. It's honestly more upsetting that their prices are so high, because it shows how shamelessly they can exploit workers and the environment.
DeleteI'm glad you chose to write on this topic because it really is one of the biggest ways many college student contribute to climate issues. Despite knowing this, it seems ever difficult to escape the fast fashion industry without thrifting or making your own clothes, as ethical consumption slowly becomes more and more fictional. It seems that every month of so the negative practices of different well known brands are revealed to be more along the lines of fast fashion that one might have assumed given their prestige and price.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. Even though I chose this topic, I too have a lot of items in my closet from fast fashion brands, and I had no idea. There are many brands that people would assume aren't because of the quality and price, but so many business use inhumane working conditions and are never held accountable.
DeleteThis topic is completely new to me but I'm glad I read! I really don't buy clothes very often but when I do it's from a store like Gabe's. How they price their clothes so low is a mystery to me. Maybe I need to do some research into that to make sure I'm not supporting evil capitalism. The amount of trash in this world is disgusting and we need to do something about it!
ReplyDeleteBefore reading your article, I never thought about what leads to lower-priced clothes. I never thought that fast fashion is exploiting some areas by factories. We enjoy the benefits of low prices, but some people sacrifice the environment and their employees for profit. There are 3 alternatives mentioned at the end of the article. This is something I didn't know before. I think I will try these methods to resist fast fashion in the future.
ReplyDeleteWow, I really get to know about fast fashion through your blog. I'd never think about that purchasing low price clothes would lead an effect on the economy or the environment. As I had always purchased clothes from this fast-fashion company, Iike those famous brands did in real life, I thought I had produced great pollution to the environment. Thus, your blog leads me to think about how to spend money on clothing products.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you, we should definitely be more informed about fast fashion and the costs on our people and planet. Although, I wonder what should be done when someone cannot afford sustainable clothing or find what they need in thrift stores?
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