If you’re anything like me, then you have a closet full of clothes, yet still claim that you “have nothing to wear.” To combat this feeling, I always assumed that it would be the best to go to cheaper places like Forever 21, Zara and H&M to find what I call “filler” pieces to enhance my wardrobe and just give me a little boost in the outfit department.
Today, I would never do this.
Fast fashion is when the industry is churning out new trends and styles more frequently. The clothes are mass produced, therefore becoming more affordable to the consumer.
The issue with this, and places like Forever 21, is that the cheaper the clothes are to the consumer, the lower the wages are to the factory workers. So yeah, congratulations on your cheap and stylish pair of jeans that you will wear for a few weeks, but the reality of that is the workers who made those cheap, mass-produced pants get close to nothing. This is especially a problem in third world countries.
Today, Asian garment workers are being paid about half of what they need to pay for food, housing and any education costs (The Guardian). This is a real and very serious issue, even if us as United States consumers can’t see that right in front of us.
It’s becoming more and more imperative that you really think about where your clothing is coming from. So many places are thriving with cheap prices and horrible working conditions, and really, it is harming us as the consumer too.
Fast fashion isn’t just about bad wages and bad conditions, more importantly it is about the environment. Because there are so many new trends and styles churning out at a pace that we can barely keep up with, that means that there is more clothing waste than ever before.
The Environmental Protection Agency says that 15.1 million tons of textile waste was generated in 2013, and 12.8 million tons were discarded. Again I say, 12.8 million tons. And that is only from 2013, the number has undoubtedly gone up since then. We are producing and buying at a pace that is unsustainable for the environment.
This amount of textile waste is hurting the environment, but also really hurting our resources that actually make the clothing. I understand that you won’t wear things forever, and I am just as guilty as the next guy for wanting to keep up with trends, but every time you just throw out a piece of clothing, you are contributing to this massive, growing pile of textile waste.
While there isn’t really an answer I can give you about how to eradicate this completely or make wages and working conditions better, what you can do as a clothing consumer is this:
1. Donate your clothing to salvation army, shelters, goodwill or any other places that take clothing donations. The clothes you no longer want will be greatly appreciated to those in need.
2. Swap with your friends! If you have a few pieces you no longer wear that still have life in them, why not do a little clothing exchange with your friends? You get a few new pieces all while getting rid of your old ones in a way that is safe to the environment.
3. Sell your clothes online on Poshmark, Ebay, Depop,or in person at your local thrift store. Recycled clothing is always full of love, and as an added bonus having some extra cash won’t hurt.
4. Most importantly, stop buying clothing at places that contribute to this issue. Research your favorite stores and find out what really goes on behind the scenes. Are they ethical? Are the working wages bad? Are the factory conditions horrid? Buying vintage and previously loved clothing helps to stop this textile waste, and you can feel great and look great buying ethical clothing, all while stopping the contribution to this massive pile of waste.
