As college students, one of our main priorities is saving money. We can’t all shell out a couple hundred bucks for one cute top. It’s easy to find similar tops that aren’t designer or the look from the catwalk. Those stores include Forever 21, Zara, H&M and many others. While the prices are reasonable, there are petrifying costs taken by many to produce those clothes.
“Fast Fashion” is the process of fashion trends presented at Fashion Week be manufactured quickly and in an inexpensive way so a larger population can buy it. It’s very similar to buying fast food, we sacrifice quality for a lower price tag.
This cycle is very damaging to the Earth itself. According to Christina Dean, Founder and CEO of Redress, “No one knows exactly how much clothing and textile waste we produce today globally, but it’s in the magnitude of millions and millions of toxic tonnes.” People don’t realize how much it takes to produce one clothing item, let alone millions.
Besides the environmental costs, there are people paying the ultimate cost for producing these fast fashion clothes. According to “The True Cost,” the garment workers “do not share the same rights or protections that many people in the West do. … we consistently see the exploitation of cheap labor and the violation of workers’, women’s and human rights in many developing countries across the world.” The workers work under terrible circumstances and do not get paid nearly enough.
To help reverse the fast fashion cycle, start buying fewer, but nicer things from companies that support ethical practices. Try shopping at local thrift shops, buying less items from fast fashion stores, and doing more research on where your clothes come from. The truth is, if a garment is low in price, someone is paying the price, whether it’s a factory worker or the environment.
*Want to get learn more and get involved? → http://fashionrevolution.org/