What the Fast Fashion Industry DOESN'T want You to Know
With trends moving more rapidly than ever before, fast fashion has taken its place as the most popular solution to staying on trend, But there is a darker side of fast fashion with long-term health & environmental issues looming above us.
Here’s what we know:
- Fast fashion causes excess waste, making it terrible for the environment.
- It lacks sustainability with many clothing pieces only lasting an average life of 10 wears.
- The quality of life for garment workers producing fast fashion is deteriorating to the mental & physical well-being of human individuals.
Common Fast Fashion Brands:
Shein
Zaful
Fashion Nova
Primark
Forever 21
It is said that each year alone 92 million tons of fast fashion ends up in landfills, making the fashion industry rank in the top 7 most polluting industries in the world. While many consumers consider fast fashion a cheap way to stay on trend & expand their style, its costs certainly outweigh its benefits. Fast fashion is often produced with very cheap & disposable material - causing the average garment piece to only survive roughly 10 wears. In the long run, investing in durable clothing that you can re-wear with multiple outfit ensembles is more affordable. Due to the cheap quality of this mass-produced fashion, the lives of garment workers working to produce fast fashion are often at high stake.
The conditions garment workers working in the fast fashion segment are very exploitative and often prey on those who already are struggling financially. 80% of Garment workers are women - working exhaustively long hours to support their families. Sexual harassment in the workplace is unfortunately very common and is used as a tactic to scare and subdue women into producing more garments and working overtime. Many women who work in the textile industry come from countries where patriarchal society is common and being treated less than others is a daily occurrence. On average, these workers will make roughly 60 euros a month, which is not nearly enough for themselves or their families to survive.
Not only is the fast fashion industry bad for the environment and human ethics, it is also grossly dangerous to the health of its wearer.
The newly researched long-term impacts fast fashion has on its wearer:
- Fast Fashion contains high amounts of lead in its fabric.
- Fast fashion textiles are known to contain harmful & forever chemicals such as PFAS, azo dyes, phthalates, and formaldehyde.
- Chemicals used in fast fashion are known to contain high levels of carcinogens, neurological & endocrine condition and are even linked to cancer.
- These chemicals are often leaked into water supply causing more than just the consumer to take on its impacts.
How you can do your part in ending the demand for fast fashion
1. SHOP LOCAL! - support your local second-hand & thrift boutiques
So many great fashion pieces that still have significant wearable life are donated. Shop unique pieces that can spice up your wardrobe without having to support fast fashion brands. Some of my favorite places to shop second hand in my home city of RVA are:
ASHBY’s
Fantastic Thrift
Rumours
Goodwill Bins
Blue Bones Vintage
2. Be a fashion repeater! - (Yes Lizzie Mcguire was right)
Find neutrals to add to your wardrobe that can be dressed up or down and paired with multiple outfit ensembles. Having a small wardribe also makes it easier to style pieces with fun accesories! You can dress any nuetral outfit up or down with cute shoes, purses and jewelry accesories.
3. Create your own personal style
Having your own unique personal trend can be far more fun than consistently following new trends as they come along. When you acquire your own unique style, you will feel more confident and at home than you would be being a trend follower. Find your pieces and stick with them! Create a style brand for yourself!
