We need to have a serious talk about fast fashion––an industry that many of us have indulged in at least once. Fast fashion is defined as clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest fashion trends. At first glance, it seems like an innocent industry, but I assure you it is not. Fast fashion impacts our earth, the companies’ workers, and your wallets.
Let’s start with our earth. It is the very thing that gives us life and therefore is something that we need to protect and care for at all costs. Well, the fast fashion industry is the second biggest carbon dioxide producer, right behind oil companies. Almost 3.5 quadrillion pounds of carbon dioxide are produced by this industry. This carbon dioxide is what gets dissolved into the air we breathe and the oceans we cherish. Carbon dioxide kills our coral reefs, significantly impacting marine life.
Unfortunately, carbon dioxide isn’t the only waste product, as 85% of purchased clothing from these companies ends up in landfills and the ocean. No recycling, no donating––just 85% discarded most likely because of the poor quality and because the trend has passed. Moreover, one t-shirt uses 7 hundred gallons of water, and the average person consumes this much in three years! People are basically throwing away lifetime supplies of water.
Now, the garment workers who help these companies thrive, may not be thriving themselves. Many large brands like Urban Outfitters, Brandy Melville, American Eagle, and so many others do not pay their workers a living wage. This allows them to make an even larger profit while they exploit workers. Everyone deserves a living wage, and these billion-dollar companies are able to provide one to their employees but choose not to.
The last thing that fast fashion kills is your wallet. You see someone on Instagram wearing a cute piece of clothing, and you think you have to buy it. But trust me, you don’t. Filling your closet with the latest trends does nothing but drain your bank account. It’s called fast fashion for a reason,––it is produced quickly and, often, poorly, and the pieces you just bought won’t even be in style for very long. Buy clothes because you like them, not because you saw someone else wearing them.
So, what can you do? Stop buying from fast fashion companies. There are so many other brands that create sustainable, ethically produced clothing. And you can always go thrifting. Purchasing your clothes this way will help make the world a better place and help you save money on things that you don’t really need.
My Favorite Sustainable Shops: