Fast Fashion

Article written by Navya Nandwani

Fast fashion is a business approach that emphasizes high volumes of low-cost clothing that goes from factories directly to large retail stores. Manufacturing takes place mainly overseas in many impoverished countries that have very weak labor and environmental policies. Using low-quality textiles and dyes allows manufacturers to mass-produce cheap clothing that satisfies current fashion trends. Fast fashion makes shopping for clothes more convenient and affordable, but it has undesirable consequences.

Clothing production has roughly doubled since 2000. A lot of this clothing ends up in a dump. The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped into a landfill every second.
Fast fashion produces 10% of all humanity's carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world's water supply, and pollutes the oceans with microplastics.
If the demand for fast fashion continues to grow at its current rate, we could see the total carbon footprint of our clothing reach 26% by 2050.

Try to limit your spending from brands that utilize fast fashion. Buy more sustainable goods from smaller businesses. The clothes may be more expensive, but they will also last you a lot longer.
Repair damaged clothes instead of automatically replacing them. For example, if you have a pair of leggings that have a small rip, try to sew it rather than buying a bunch of cheap new pairs from Forever 21.
Check second-hand places such as charity shops/thrift stores. Who knows what you could find!
We all have that one expensive dress that we wore once in our lives but is now sitting in the back of the closet. Exchange/borrow clothing with friends and family for some new variety rather than going to the store to buy things every time!

Myth: You have to be rich to afford sustainable fashion.
- Reality: Yes, certain sustainable clothing brands are quite expensive. But that is not your only option! You can go to your local thrift stores or online second-hand clothing shops like Depop, Poshmark, and Thredup.
Myth: You don’t have to worry about sustainable fashion if you donate your clothes.
- Reality: Donating your clothes is great, but many people use it as an excuse to justify overconsumption. This is why you really need to think about each of your purchases and how much you will actually be using it in the long run.
Myth: Buying from sustainable brands solves all ethical and environmental issues related to fashion.
- Reality: If you buy a ton of clothes you don’t actually need and won’t wear regularly, you’re still overconsuming even if you buy from ethical brands. Sustainability is a mindset - it’s not only about the production of the piece but also about how it’s being used.

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