Two to three years ago the term ‘fast fashion’ did not possess much meaning to me. I’ve always enjoyed keeping in touch with the latest trends and it’s fair to say my 17-year-old self did not reflect or enquire too much into the injustices rooted in the fashion industry. I was caught up in the spiral of mass buying clothes at low prices, wearing them a couple of times then buying more, and it wasn’t until I stumbled across a video on YouTube called ‘The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion’ that I started to understand just how damaging this process was. But even more importantly came my own realisation that even I had some accountability in changing it.
Fast fashion can be defined perhaps most fundamentally as a group of chain retailers who make garments’ quickly and cheaply, with little consideration of the workers involved in the garment production. Despite the often lower price range of these clothes, I can’t help but feel that the negative effects of this clothing cycle are disproportionate to the benefits.
“There is no doubt that fast fashion in recent years has undergone a process of democratization”
An article by ‘Be Global Fashion Network’ spoke about a strategy called ‘planned obsolescence’ which it claims is utilised by certain fast-fashion companies with the basic aim of getting consumers to buy more clothes, as a result of their previously bought ones falling apart faster. Whilst arguably this lower-quality clothing cannot be associated with all fast-fashion names, the mentality behind it is definitely something which resonates with my own disappointment with tops and trousers lasting less than a few weeks before a hole or tear emerges in them.
The overarching mentality therefore of ‘see now, buy now’ is possibly the largest tenet of fast fashion which I believe needs to change. There is no doubt that fast fashion in recent years has undergone a process of democratization, whereby the lower prices in some ways are used to justify or alleviate the environmental burden of the clothing. But in spite of this, a much greater awareness needs to be drawn to the lasting footprint that such industries have in the long run. A personal tip that I now use when shopping is that I wait two weeks before purchasing an item and if in that time frame I no longer desire it, then not only do I not purchase it, I realise I never needed it in the first place.
In terms of how you can become more conscious of the environment in relation to your shopping habits, sourcing your wardrobe from second-hand shops and sites like depop/ebay/vinted is a great way to slow down the fast-fashion cycle, whilst simultaneously creating a more individual style. Other indirect ways of making change can take the shape of cutting down on the amount of days in the week you wash your clothes, thus reducing the carbon footprint of your wardrobe and lowering your water usage.
Whilst I’m aware that putting a complete end to fast fashion is something that is most probably not going to happen overnight, staying in the know with what certain brands do to support the environmental cause is a good alternative. H&M for example distinguished itself from its competitors with its ‘Conscious Collection’ which features clothes made of at least 50% sustainably sourced materials. These are all steps which make a contribution not only to the environment, but also to the conditions of workers in developing countries, who as a direct result of fast fashion are exploited, under-payed and offered little or no protection.
“small steps in some cases can be just as important as the big ones!”
The website ‘fashion checker’ allows you to research which brands pay their workers a living wage and exhibits a rating out of five in relation to what they term a ‘supply chain transparency.’ So, whilst fast fashion may be something which you are not entirely ready to say goodbye to, this tool could be very useful in helping you to find shops which are at least taking constructive steps in acknowledging the need to improve on areas like worker conditions.
Fashion is a crucial component of modern identity and self-expression, but as explored, there are pros and cons which come attached to it. Although a complete shift to the sustainable might be something too extreme or perhaps unattainable for some, a conscious awareness of the effects on the industry could nonetheless make a big difference, and small steps in some cases can be just as important as the big ones!
Jennie Sarama
Featured image courtesy of Lauren Fleischmann via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.