WRITTEN BY JENNA HUBBARD

Fast fashion is a relatively newer phenomenon in the last few decades and an undeniable part of our culture. With the rise of consumerism and demand for cheaper, on-trend clothing, fast fashion has created an alarming impact on our environment that has become too big for us to ignore.

From production processes to how these articles of clothing are disposed of, the effects of fast fashion have created a rapidly declining ecological footprint with issues like intensive water usage and chemical pollution, exploitative labor practices, and large amounts of textile waste that overwhelm our landfills each year.

While the rise of fast fashion offers style enthusiasts trendy clothing on a budget, there are in fact, plenty of sustainable options for high-quality clothing items that still offer affordability. In this article, we will explore the effects fast fashion has on our environment as well as better, and even cheaper, alternatives to these popular brands.

What is Fast Fashion and How Did It Happen?

Fast fashion is defined as cheap, trendy clothing that is usually sampled from celebrity lifestyle and fashion week catwalks. It takes these fresh styles and turns them into low-quality, affordable options with neck-breaking turnaround times. Essentially, fast fashion is inexpensive, mass-produced clothing that rotates through trends at an alarming rate. In fact, most of these brands like H&M, Forever 21, and Zara rotate through 52 seasons a year. This means that you can expect to see the newest and latest trends every week from any of these fast fashion brands.

As consumer demand has continued to rise over the last two decades and fashion houses work to stay ahead of mainstream trends, fast fashion plays to the idea that repeating an outfit is a faux pas for style enthusiasts and inadvertently creates a “throw-away” culture. This has, in turn, caused worldwide alarm for the planet, ethical working conditions, and massive textile waste.

The Dark Side of Fast Fashion

It’s easy to understand how fast fashion has grown to the monster that it is today with affordable runway styles available to consumers almost immediately. But what kind of lasting impact does this really have? Unfortunately, fast fashion has contributed to much more harm than good.

Fast Fashion Environmental Impact

It’s no secret that fast fashion is one of the top contributors to significant declines in our environment. For perspective, it takes about 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to produce just one pair of jeans, not to mention the dyes and chemicals used to produce these garments are often released into waterways, polluting local water systems. Additionally, fast fashion is estimated to be responsible for more than 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year. To put this into perspective, this amount of carbon dioxide is equivalent to the emissions of over 250 million cars.

Exploitative Labor Practices

Behind the facade of fast fashion lies the grim reality of exploited labor. The people who work in these garment factories, usually in developing countries, must endure long hours and dangerous working conditions for very little pay. The relentless pursuit of cheaper production costs by these popular fashion brands often comes at the expense of basic human rights.

Sustainable Alternatives

The biggest draw to fast fashion for most people is its affordability. However, there are many sustainable options that are in fact, much cheaper than what fast fashion offers.

Ethical Fashion Brands

Opting for clothing that comes from ethical fashion practices is a crucial step in supporting sustainable practices. Choose brands that prioritize transparency, fair wages, and safe working conditions throughout their supply chains. Choosing ethically made garments can not only align consumer fashion choices with their values, but it can also be much cheaper in the long run.

Sustainable clothing brands not only prioritize ethical practices, but also quality. While clothing from fast fashion brands often wear and tear quickly and easily, brands that focus primarily on quality will provide consumers with long-lasting garments that they can add to their closets.

Before you buy, do your research with the Good on You Sustainability Directory.

Second-Hand Shopping

Not everyone, however, can afford to shop at ethical fashion boutiques, which is why second-hand shopping, or thrifting, can be an excellent and sustainable alternative for consumers. More often than not, there are many fast fashion garments already available in thrift shops, usually much cheaper than buying new, and usually still looking brand new since people donate clothing so soon after buying it.

If you live in an area where thrifting can often be as expensive as buying new, try an online thrift store like ThredUp where you can find thousands of gently used styles for a fraction of the price of buying new.

Slow Fashion

Embracing the principles of slow fashion means prioritizing quality over quantity and investing in timeless garment pieces that are designed to last. Essentially, slow fashion encourages mindful consumption of clothing while emphasizing durability, craftsmanship, and timeless design. By building a capsule wardrobe of versatile pieces, consumers can in turn reduce their environmental impact while maintaining a stylish and sustainable wardrobe.

In Conclusion

The initial draw to fast fashion may be tempting, but the negative impacts are too staggering to ignore. From a declining environment to human rights abuses, the fast fashion industry has created a cycle of harm that is unsustainable in the long run. By embracing sustainable alternatives such as ethical fashion boutiques, and second-hand clothing stores, and embracing a slow fashion mindset, we can collectively work towards a greener and more equitable future for the fashion industry.