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What I Learned from “The True Cost”

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

 

 

“The True Cost” is a groundbreaking documentary that exposes the consequences of a society that thrives on fast fashion. The term “fast fashion” refers to “a phenomenon in the fashion industry whereby production processes are expedited in order to get new trends to the market as quickly and cheaply as possible” (“Fast Fashion Investopedia, 2016).  As consumers, we tend to forget to question where our clothes come from and where they end up once they are “out of style” and discarded. The True Cost displays the detrimental environmental and health effects of fast fashion on a global scale.

 

Here are some of the eye-opening facts I learned from this film:

 

1. The fashion industry is world’s second cause of pollution today.

Right next to the oil industry.

 
 
 2. Today, the world consumes 80 billion pieces of new clothing per year.
           This is 400% more than what we bought within the past two decades.
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. As materialistic values go up, so do psychological issues.
 
4. One in six people work in the global fashion industry.

      A majority of these workers are getting paid less than $3 per day.

 
5. Chemicals used on cotton fields have caused birth defects, cancers, and mental illness.
 
6. The average American throws 82 lbs of textile waste each year.

          Most of which are non-biodegradable, and therefore sit in landfills for years and emit harmful gases into the air.

 
 
After watching this documentary, I went on truecostmovie.com to find out more about the issue, and I stumbled upon an article on the website that gives “5 Tips for Shopping Smarter.” The main tips the author, Lucy Siegle,  gives are:
  1. Will you wear it 30 times?

  2. Break the cycle

  3. Spread your fashion $

  4. Detox your wardrobe

  5. Join the fashion revolution

In the article, Siegle goes more in depth with these tips and adds different brands that promote a more sustainable fashion industry.

To learn more about the film and fast fashion, here is their website: http://truecostmovie.com/

Link to “The True Cost” trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaGp5_Sfbss

Stay educated and shop wisely, friends!

 

Bibliography

Fernando, J. (2015). Fast Fashion. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fast-fashion.asp

 

Kyrene is a third year Global Studies major. She is an Editorial Intern and a PR Intern for UCSB Her Campus. Kyrene is from the southern Californian city of Covina. She enjoys meeting people, exploring new places, and taking roadtrips with friends. On her spare time, you can find her playing guitar, experimenting with outfits, relaxing with music, or catching up with shows on her "to watch" list.
Kristine is a 3rd year Chemistry major at UC Santa Barbara. She was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. When she's not writing, she works with her sister to create adorable baked delicacies for The Royal Icing, their at-home bakery. She's also a ballerina, lipstick enthusiast, and bunny lover. Post-graduation, she plans on going to graduate school while continuing her writing career. Catch her on instagram @CookiesForKay