Fast fashion is a term heavily discussed on social media platforms today. Although, some people still don’t quite understand the negative impact fast fashion can have on our population. Solene Rauturier, a writer at Good On You, has described fast fashion as, “Cheap, trendy clothing that samples ideas from the catwalk or celebrity culture and turns them into garments in high street stores at breakneck speed to meet consumer demand.”
Many influencers speak out on the harmful effects fast fashion has on the environment and the country’s economy. Though, for many of us, it’s hard to avoid the appeal of fashionable clothing that won’t break the bank. For this reason, it’s easy to become oblivious to the fast fashion items you buy.
Many of the most popular stores and online shops have fallen victim to fast fashion. Brands like Shein, H&M and Forever 21 are just a few that have capitalized on this concept. When shopping, it’s important to clearly determine if what you’re buying will contribute to the environmental waste that is polluting our world or will add to the decline of manufacturing in the U.S. Some things to look for to determine whether or not what you’re about to buy is fast fashion include:
- Cheap, low-quality fabrics
- Large production rates
- Transparent supply chains
- Thousands of styles
- Styles that will be out next year
Some stores and companies are aware of the negative impacts they are contributing to but continue to try to deceive their customers into thinking they are “going green.” H&M is just one of the offenders. The company has put recycling bins in their stores for old garments to hypothetically be reused into new clothes, but less than half of what is put into these bins is actually repurposed by H&M and the rest is sent to the landfill.
Another fast fashion brand that has implemented recycling bins into their “going green” scheme is Zara. The brands turnaround time on fashion is rapid, with some fashion items only taking two weeks to be produced. The company has launched its own version of recycling called Close the Loop, but there is little evidence to show what is actually done with these discarded clothing items.
Other companies, like Shein, haven’t even acknowledged the environmental effects of what they are doing. Shein is also suspected to have multiple human rights violations, but the company has chosen to remain quiet on either subject, most likely to avoid the adverse impact the truth would have for their brand.
Overall, fast fashion is taking a toll on all of us whether we’re aware of it or not. Fast fashion exploits workers overseas, destroys our environment and causes a large downfall for U.S manufacturing rates. Although, it can’t all change overnight. The only way change can happen is if the consumers learn to value the future over their current trending needs of affordable garments.