We’ve all been there: lost in the Forever 21 labyrinth, arms overflowing with tops, dresses, skirts, and leggings, all of which are priced incredibly low, trying to locate the nearest fitting room. “I’ve got to find at least one thing that fits,” we say to ourselves. Or, “This is so cheap, why wouldn’t I buy it?” or even “I’ll take three of the same thing, just in different colors!”
But fast fashion, or fashion in general, shouldn’t be looked at in such nonchalant terms! Have you ever stopped to think about how these clothes were made so cheaply? Or where the massive piles of fabric strewn about the Forever21 clothes racks come from? How about where your clothes finally end up after it has sat in your closet for a year and you finally decide you’ll never wear it? Where do your clothes go after Goodwill patrons pass them up too?
The term “fast fashion” refers to brands of clothing such as Forever 21, H&M and Zara, who, instead of operating on a four season per year calendar of trends, have expanded a number of seasons to be as many as 15 per year. These companies grab onto trends, quickly mass produce low-quality clothes to fit that trend, and sell it cheaply in order to encourage consumers to buy more clothes, more frequently.
“Bangladesh has been ranked as the fourth exporter of clothing [in the world],” says People’s Daily Online, and “H&M is the world’s second-largest apparel company and the biggest buyer of clothes made in Bangladesh,” says Susan Berfield of Bloomberg, after H&M released a list of suppliers in 2013. In April of the same year, one of Bangladesh's approximate 4,000 garment factories collapsed. The Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh crumbled killing 1,137 workers. The workers initially refused to enter the building that morning, but after the owner paid gang members to beat the workers until they entered, they were forced to comply. At 8:45 AM, the building collapsed. Although H&M did not obtain their clothing from this specific factory, many are wondering whether or not overall conditions have improved in similar garment factories.
These events sparked a movement among garment workers in Bangladesh who formed protests against the Bangladeshi garment industry in hopes of higher wages (minimum wage was $38 US dollars per month), for more protections for the workers, and higher standards for buildings. The protests caused 250 garment factories to close temporarily, but won them an approximate 77% raise in minimum wage and new, state-run building assessments have already closed 35 factories after proving them to fail to meet structural integrity standards.
As consumers, we can only hope that conditions will continue to improve, but must recognize that conditions are still not acceptable.
The more we consume this fast fashion, the more we dispose of. Of course, some of us do give our unwanted clothes to Goodwill in the hopes of it finding a second home, but even after that, a number of disposed fabric goods is astounding. The Environmental Protection Agency claims that in 2013, 15.1 million tons of textile waste was generated and 12.8 million tons of that was discarded into landfills.
Used clothing is exported from America to countries such as India, Russia, and Pakistan, who are the leading countries in importing secondhand clothing. These clothes are resold to be worn in these countries or are sent to companies who sort materials to choose that which can be recycled into low-grade fiber products. However, with fast fashion becoming more and more popular, the quality of our secondhand clothing exports is decreasing, making them less reusable and more likely to be thrown out .
Of course, there are better options for purchasing clothes! Shopping at second hand stores such as thrift stores, consignment shops, and vintage clothing stores not only keeps you looking hip and recognizably a 90s baby but also keeps that clothes from going into landfills. Purchasing clothes from brands who treat their garment makers fairly promotes fair trade and will likely be higher quality, therefore, it will stay out of landfills for longer.
