The Nasty Truth About Fast Fashion
There's no better feeling than slipping into the item of clothing that makes you feel like a million bucks, and the fashion industry is definitely worth a hefty amount more than that. When money is tight but we just want to treat ourselves, Primark and H&M will be some prime spots for cheap goods. But it's important to take a step back and assess the colossal damage that the fast fashion industry and our support of it is causing to the world we live in. In the fast fashion industry, pressure to cut costs and speed up production means that two important things are sacrificed: the environment and human rights. Although the stats are pretty difficult to believe and it seems as though there's no way of saving the situation, this is one of the easiest problems for us ordinary people to fix.
The sector is worth an estimated $3 trillion dollars and it is the second most polluting industry in the world after oil, due to its production of 10% of the world's emissions. It is not only polluting at the production stage, before it's even sold to us, but the throwaway culture we live in is also a massive contributing factor.
At The Production Stage:
It takes 2650 litres of water to manufacture a single shirt. 2650! 20% of the world's waste water is produced by the fashion industry. Not only is this a ridiculous amount of water to waste on fashion, but this dirty, micro-plastic and chemical-filled water streams back into rivers, killing its inhabitants and contaminating drinking water supplies. In China, the textile industry discharges 2.5 billion tons of wastewater every year.
If we go further back in the production stage and focus on cotton farming, it takes about 20,000 litres of water to grow 1 kilogram of cotton. This amount of cotton will only stretch to make one t-shirt and one pair of jeans. As well as this, cotton farming puts out 24% of pesticides and 11% of insecticides, even though it only takes up 3% of farmland. This means that it's also massively responsible for the dire extinction of pollinators and an enormous burden on the environment!
Our Throwaway Culture:
Compared to 15 years ago, the average person buys 60% more clothing items and wears them for half the time. This is partly due to items being more affordable, of less durable quality and because the fashion industry invents regular new trends so that people spend more unnecessarily. Every year, the average westerner spends on average $1700 on clothing and those clothing items are worn an average of 7 times before they are thrown away. North Americans send 9.5 million tons of clothing to landfill per year and it takes 80 years for clothes to break down in landfills. That is a lot of unnecessary waste in the name of fashion! The solution to reducing this number is pretty simple. 95% of clothing items can be recycled or up-cycled very easily, so all we need to do is buy from and donate to secondhand shops. It's that easy!
If you don't like charity shops you can also swap clothes with friends, or there are great apps where you can sell old stuff like OfferUp or Poshmark for designer items. In Germany there's an app called "MadchenFlohmarkt" where clothes can be bought and sold easily, seeing as charity shops aren't a big thing there.
Human Rights:
The fast fashion industry is a cesspool of human rights violations, and the hardest hit are the women. 1 in 6 people work in the garment industry worldwide and most of the time they do not have rights or protection. 80% of those workers are women and only 2% of them earn a living wage, not to mention the violence the women regularly experience in these factories.
We've all heard of the big scandals from brands that were supposed to be ethical and turned out to be using cheap labour. The thousands of lives lost to buildings collapsing and fires are due to the constant cost cutting that we as consumers have begun to expect.
Sadly, we've become so used to buying our clothes cheaply, we've lost sight of how much an item of clothing should cost. If we want to make sure that the workers have been paid enough, the best way is to shop while asking yourselves these 3 simple questions:
How long would this item take to sew?
Does the price cover minimum wage for one hour's work and the cost of materials?
Do I trust this brand?
If you want to buy sustainably then here are 3 questions to ask yourself:
Does this item look and feel durable?
Is this a trendy item or a timeless piece that won't go out of fashion too soon?
Has this company created this item as part of an environmental project (eg: using recycled materials)?
What to Buy?
If you are looking to buy first hand, it's important to know that most high street fashion brands won't be very ethically driven, even sometimes those with high price tags. Not to name names, but we can all probably recall scandals involving some very well known sports brands. They are not particularly cheap, so they are out for maximum profit. Do remember that a higher price does not always mean higher quality or better production if you're looking at the high street.
Some high street brands with pretty decent ethics though are Marks & Spencers; John Lewis; Zara has been involved in some scandals in the past, but they are getting stuck into creating clothes out of recycled materials; and ASOS have an ethical range called Eco Edit. You don't have to support all of these companies, but these are a few examples that show you don't have to give up high street shopping in the name of sustainability. It does involve researching your favourite brands and assessing whether their policies line up with your personal values.
Otherwise there are some great online shops. By this I don't mean Boohoo or Zaful, I mean seeking out small or medium-sized businesses that specifically support an important cause. They can sell great jewellery or sweet clothing items, and if nothing works for you, they at least make great presents for friends or family.
Here are some ideas of shops that support causes and that have really good quality clothes too:
Garnett Hill
Everlane
Alternative Apparel
Outdoor Voices
People Tree
Conscious Step
Amour Vert
Nordgreen
Outerknown
I've also seen many ads for bee related shirts and jewelery from Save The Bees or Bloom. They could make a really nice and meaningful gift, similar to the 4Ocean bracelets.
If you're looking for durability, it's better to look outside of the typical high street and seek out brands that are reputable. For example, rather than buying a cheap coat from New Look, why not save up and buy a Barbour when they're having a sale. That way you'll have a coat that will last you 20 years rather than 1. Alternatively you can always look in a charity shop.
Here are some reputable brands that are a little pricier but provide more durable clothing options:
Jack Wills
Levi
Birkenstock
L. L. Bean
Uniqlo
Gap
Zara
Barbour
And that is all I have for you! Hopefully this has shed some light on the fast fashion industry and given you some ideas about how you might be able to change your purchasing and your purging habits. Remember, in the fast fashion industry, the consumers have the power. If we make clear that we are not interested in fast fashion anymore and that we expect better, then the industry will be forced to adapt. So next time you want to treat yourself to a new dress for a party, ask a friend first if you can wear one of hers, or buy secondhand rather than buying from SheIn. It's worth it x
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