An essay on fast fashion
Would you believe this top is over 8 years old?!
I bought this top from Forever 21 (popular fast fashion brand) back in 2015 and its been 8 years and the top not only still fits me fine, it is also still in a good condition, which is quite contradictory to what usually entails clothing from fast fashion brands. Apart from this top, I have several pieces of clothing which I have purchased over the years from many fast fashion brands such as Zara and H&M which are still in good condition and this is I have learned.
People are becoming more fashion conscious by the day. With an increase in internet penetration and a plethora of e-commerce website, accessing cheap and fashionable clothes have never been easier. But this has also lead to increased demand for fashion clothing. We want to wear the latest trends and we need them cheap and easy on the pocket and therefore we reach out to fashion brands like SHEIN, Forever 21, H&M, Zara etc.
Unfortunately, this high demand for the latest trends (at pocket friendly prices) have turned the fashion industry into one of the world’s worst polluters. According to the World Wildlife Fund:
Fast fashion brands rely on fossil fuel-based synthetic materials that are cheaper, adaptable, and more widely available than natural materials.
Polyester has grown to become the number one synthetic fiber and now represents more than half of all global fiber production.
The textile industry annually emits 1.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide that is pumped into the air we breathe.
20,000 liters of water is needed to produce 1 Kg of cotton. The equivalent of a single t-shirt or a pair of jeans.
These are staggering and alarming statistics. While fashion houses are trying to bring in a change in the production process, there is still a long way to go as most of these clothes never really get sold at the rate at which they are manufactured and thus end up in land fills in poor countries.
Now what can we do as consumers instead?
Try to be mindful of our purchases - choose to buy from brands which have ethical production practices and are of good quality
Buy less - Ask yourself if you really need that new top or dress or if you have sufficient items in your wardrobe to meet your current needs.
Even if you are purchasing from brands like Zara or H&M - try to increase the longevity of the clothes by taking good care of them and wearing them multiple times. There is no shame in repeating an outfit. It’s cost and environmental friendly.
Opt for alternative material which are both sustainable and biodegradable like organic hemp, organic linen, tencel, etc
Buy from local, indigenous brands which you know follow environmental friendly production practices
コメント