Fast fashion: a term many of us have heard of, but what exactly is it?
Fast fashion refers to cheap, mass-produced clothing and accessories with low price tags, but the inexpensive cost comes with significant downsides. There are two major concerns with fast fashion: ethics and sustainability.
As fast fashion pieces are sold for incredibly cheap, the manufactures, seamstresses, and creators behind these pieces are paid very little. They often work in questionable environments with long hours and improper safety measures. Fast fashion also produces 10% of global carbon emissions, which is as much as the entire European Union. This industry also is the second-largest consumer of water, requiring about 700 gallons of water to produce a single cotton t-shirt.
Despite defining characteristics on the manufacturing end, it can sometimes be difficult to spot fast fashion as a consumer. One of the biggest signs a garment is fast fashion is the price. Though it depends on the piece, typically new garments, like pants and shirts, under $20 are fast fashion. Another red flag is when a piece is super trendy or made of thin or cheap material. The most reliable way to avoid fast fashion is to steer clear of certain brands. A few major names to watch out for are Shein, Zara, Temu, and Forever 21. This list goes into a bit more depth about brands to avoid and why.
I, like many others, didn’t know the ethical and sustainable impact of fast fashion at first. After learning more about it and realizing it didn’t align with my values, I stopped buying from those companies. I also had the advantage of having access to other sources for clothing. This did, however, bring up an important question: what should I do with the fast fashion items already in my closet?
Keep Pieces For Longer
One of the biggest downsides of fast fashion is the environmental waste it produces, both through the manufacturing process and how little the pieces are worn before being discarded. The mass manufacturing for these garments produces 1.2 billion tons of carbon emissions every year, accounting for 10 percent of global carbon emissions. Most fast fashion pieces are only worn 7-10 times before being thrown away.
A way to directly oppose this impact on an individual level is by simply keeping clothes for longer periods of time. When you next consider getting rid of a piece, try styling it in a new way or altering it to better fit your style. Alterations don’t have to be complicated or require special tools; something as simple as cropping a shirt can make you fall in love with it all over again. Another way to breathe new life into a piece is by dyeing it, and with lots of options for at-home dye, the possibilities are endless.
Thrift Fast Fashion
Thrifting has become more and more mainstream, but many thrifters see a fast fashion tag at the thrift store and pass on the item. While I’m not encouraging people to buy a garment they won’t wear, if it’s perfect for them in every way except the brand, it may be time to reconsider. While fast fashion pieces are often made in a wasteful way, the most damage clothing can do to the environment happens when it’s left to sit in a landfill. Purchasing fast fashion secondhand means breaking the cycle. If someone knows they’ll wear a piece, thrifting fast fashion can be a great way to ensure these garments don’t do any more harm to the environment and get a second chance.
Mending
As previously mentioned, fast fashion is rooted in cheap mass production. This process can often compromise quality, so what can you do when a garment breaks? Often, the best solution for a broken piece is mending. Mending can be separated into two major categories: visible and invisible. The type of mending needed is determined by how the piece is damaged. Generally speaking, if the problem is with the fit or seams, it can be done invisibly. If the problem is with the fabric, such as a hole or a stain that won’t come out, the fix will have to be visible.
Invisible mending often involves hand or machine sewing and usually comes in the form of reattaching ripped seams or making a garment smaller in some or all areas. This video shows a simple way to fix a ripped seam invisibly without a sewing machine. Visible mending is needed when the damage needs to be covered up. This article explains ways to visibly mend in a creative and eye-catching way, so wear and tear can be turned into one-of-a-kind details. All clothing has a lifespan, so these tips can be used to save most pieces, regardless of whether they’re fast fashion.
When it Can’t be Fixed
Though the previously stated methods are all great ways to keep clothes out of landfills, sometimes a piece is too far gone to be fixed. When a garment is no longer wearable, you can still keep it out of the trash by repurposing and recycling.
For old t-shirts and other cotton-based garments, cutting them into cleaning rags is an easy solution that also keeps down paper towel waste. Another upside to making cleaning rags is that you can make the size, shape, and number you need. If the garment isn’t a good rag material or is unsalvageable, textile recycling is another amazing option. With the average American throwing away 70 lbs of textiles every year, keeping the fabric in the clothing production cycle means less fabric in landfills. While most cities, including Norfolk, don’t take textiles in regular recycling, there are plenty of specialty recycling options. Some major stores like Levi’s, American Eagle, and H&M all have clothing recycling bins in most locations, and they may even give you a coupon for donating. There’s also this wonderful resource; a search tool for finding recycling centers in your area for all sorts of specialty recycling.
Slowing Down
Overall, fast fashion has flooded stores and wardrobes worldwide. It’s clearly here to stay, so ensuring these garments don’t cause any further harm is extremely important. The best way to mitigate fast fashion’s negative impact as an individual consumer is by holding onto pieces for longer, repairing them when needed, and responsibly disposing of them when the time comes. Even if a piece was made without ethics and the environment in mind, that doesn’t mean it has to be worn that way.